YR 501 - 1889-1890 Child's Dress  $ 14.95

FRENCH OR GERMAN DRESS. WITH PETTICOAT AND BONNET. CIRCA 1889-1890.

The original dress, as we found it, was in tatters, but the lovely old fabric and style of the 1890's were so charming we couldn't resist including it in our pattern collection. The original fabric appears to have been a light-weight wool with two ample tucks trimming the hemline, and multiple pleats that graduated to the waistline. We have adapted our dress from the original, with minor changes.

The beautiful old satin bonnet, perfectly preserved, was copied in detail, with only one exception, the deletion of the long ruffle at the bonnet back. Originally this did much to protect a child's tender skin from the sunshine but on the doll it covered up too much of the interesting yoke-effect, and hid her long lovely curls. The bonnet and lining of the original were of identical fabric. This made a very pretty bonnet that was easy to trim with a variety of colors and trims.

FABRIC SUGGESTIONS: Since wool challis is difficult to find, and more difficult to work with, without having a bulky creation, we chose silk organza in a soft blue-gray color, and trimmed it with tucking, insertion, and ivory lace edging

Fabrics suggested for your costume would include: Vyella (an English wool and cotton blend), soft, light woolens, silk, organdy, Swiss muslim, silk taffeta, and cottons. The lining for dress and petticoat fabric should be light-weight cotton, muslin, cotton sateen, or hanker chief linen. The bonnet is dressy and should compliment the dress if made of taffeta or silk, trimmed with lace, bows, flowers, or feathers. Instead of a "sun-bonnet", we have a Sunday Bonnet.