Museum Monday!

c1750 Infants Linen Christening Mitts 676/7.2102.49/50

 Today's Museum Monday number is 676~ a beautiful and exceedingly rare pair of 18th c infants linen mitts. Entirely hand stitched in nearly microscopic stitches, they are part of a 10 pc Christening set that includes silk satin gown, sleeves and sash, along with a small linen suite pictured below including a bonnet, shirt, forehead cloth and muff, all with hollie point needle lace insertions.

 Even when pictured with the other pieces in the suite, its not easy to tell how tiny they are~ size for a newborn, the mitts are just 12cm from edge of the lace cuff to tip of the foldback over the hand.

 Width across the fingers is just 5cm (thats just 2" for non metric folks!) I have left the pictures large so you can really see the fine details in these~ really masterfully stitched.

 Decorative pink silk stitches adorn the back of the hands, as well as run along the edge of each mitten

 Little thumbs so tiny....one cannot help but feel a heart full of love places in each and every stitch. If you look closely, tiny white whip stitches can be seen joining the thumb to the palm of the mitts in construction, afterwards the double row of pink decorative stitches were made.

 Butter soft bobbin lace trims each cuff

Only a ruler can allow the minute size of the stitching to be appreciated~