Dress #124: Victorian day dress in blues

This hand-stitched paper dress is based on a day dress from ca. 1885; the original is held by the Victoria & Albert Museum (accession CIRC.204&A-1958). It features a fitted bodice and a skirt with a small bustle, made from Jacquard-woven silk in a floral design. In a departure from the often ornate dresses of the time, the only decorative elements here are smocked blue bands inset into the cuffs, and a small self-fabric ruffle around the neck.

The dress is six inches tall, stitched by hand on 8x10 inch 100% cotton watercolour paper, which means that it will pop right into any commercial frame in that size, and be ready to hang on your wall.

Materials: Italian Florentine paper, glass beads, and cotton floss on cotton paper; 24.5 x 20.3 cm (10 x 8")