Museum Monday

19th c Chemisette 44.1998.28

 This week's Museum Monday number is 44, a mid 19th c short chemise, or chemisette.  It is one of a pair, and while the cut is rather plain, the workmanship is anything but.

 Construction wise, the chemise is a short 23" from neck to hem, and cut in just two pieces, a front and back. There is a seam down each side with a narrow  1/16th inch entredeux  insertion. Both shoulder tops are open with button hole/ loupe closures. Material is a butter soft muslin, and by muslin, I mean in earlier terms when muslin was a sheer finely woven cotton one could see thru.

 What is so fabulous about this undergarment, is the fine stitching~ every tiny stitch done by hand~ from the elaborate cutwork, the Russia Braid applications, closures, to side seam insertions.

 The shoulder fastenings consist of three loupes on the front side, and three corresponding button holes on the back side. Our Ladye would have used a set of 6 studs (3 each shoulder)  for closing. Studs were very popular in the 1860s,  one could have a nice set of buttons and interchange them with what ever they were wearing at the time.

 Inside view

 Neckline~ what first caught my eye was the Russia braid and how it has been applied on its edge, instead of flat.

 The hem has a different cut work design, but same braid applique.

This is the inside showing the backside of the insertion~ the weensiest and perfectly rolled seams I have ever seen.