AYRSHIRE 1800'S LACE GOWN
These gowns are an outstanding antique beauty from the 1800's.In charming tradition it is said that when the point of the bodice was on the outside the gown was for a boy, on the arrival of a girl the point would be tucked in when christened. There is the special opening in the front of the bodice especially for this purpose in this particular style of Ayrshire gown.
Made of a fine but strong batiste cotton these gowns have endured !
This fine quality workmanship was done from 1814 to 1870.
These gowns feature the finest whitework flowers with intricate needlelace fillings ,panels on each side of the skirt front with trailing vine that runs up to the waist or half way up. The bodice is covered with amazingly detailed fine quality workmanship of Ayrshire. A very fine ribbon beads through the neckline and ties in the back.
The history of Ayrshire dates to 1814 when Lord Montgomerie died in Sicily his widow returned to Ayr , Scotland bringing with her a beautifully made baby gown , presented to her by a French needleworker. She gave this gown to an experienced embroiderer who worked on duplicating the techniques of this fine work . This was taught to many Scottish women . Each worker was a specialist in a particular pattern or filling and standards were high . Not an art that everyone could create. The trade was passed down in the family.
The hardest thing was to make the fine lace fillings ,and only few women could do it to the required extent. But Ayrshire embroidery could be made by more than one person , so a lot of women could put their effort in preparing the final product. Mrs. Jamieson had set tremendous standards for the making of Ayrshire embroidery that not everyone could put up to. That was especially hard for making the satin stitches and eyelet work. But working usually in groups of several Scottish women managed to make the fine product and come up with magnificent results now seen in these fantastic Ayrshire Christening Gowns !
During the American war in the 1860's stopped the import of cotton and the decline of Ayrshire . Fashion change in 1870 and the start of machine made lace was its demise.
AYRSHIRE BEAUTIES ARE A PIECE OF HISTORY !
In Ayrshire from 1870 until 1890 only older women made the
Delicate embroidery. The young women did not learn the technique anymore. The design became coarser and was made
More in the English style. This work became known as Broderie Anglaise English Embroidery
A white work needlework technique incorporating features of
Embroidery,cutwork,and needle lace that arose in England in
The 19th Century.
Broderie Anglaise is characterized by patterns composed of small holes or eyelets bound with overcast or buttonhole stitches. Later Broderie Anglaise also featured small
patterns worked in satin stitch.
