Portobello Painted Gown

Our friend Leslie Roe of Rosebasket has offered to share the most beautiful painted antique gown with us. We hope you enjoy her story about this amazing piece of heirloom history!

"Portobello Market, the bustling antiques market on Portobello Road in London, is always a treasure trove for collectors of all kinds. The treasures I look for in the small crowded shops or from a vendor on the street are christening gowns, baby bonnets, and toddler dresses. I touch the materials of the vintage clothes—batiste, silk, and exquisite laces—and am amazed at the intricate work I see, whether of embroidery, or tucks, or lace, and inspired by creative elements in design. When I visited in early July, I had the privilege of seeing three gowns in Julia Craig’s personal collection, brought for me not to purchase but to view and enjoy. Julia purchased this one ten years ago, with no provenance, but she dates it around 1870, because of the style of the gown and the dating of the Maltese bobbin lace."



"I found it so interesting, because of the center panel of ecru silk on the bodice and skirt, on which were painted lovely roses, reminiscent of Redoute. The Maltese lace borders the center silk panel from the neckline to the hem as well as at the waist, forms the sleeves, and edges the neckline. Aside from the silk in the front panel, the gown is cotton."


"Nineteen tucks detail the hem of the front skirt, which is attached to the bodice with the tiniest gathers."


"With the gown were darling bootees, also with roses hand-painted on the silk. Julia has never seen another gown like it. It is a treasure that I take pleasure in sharing with you!"

Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful piece with us, Leslie! -SB

A True Family Heirloom

When Sew Beautiful reader Nicole Keating of Brookfield, CT shared a picture from the bodice of her family's heirloom Christening gown, I had to see more and share it on our blog. The gown has been worn by over two dozen members of the family over the last 100 years, including Nicole's grandmother and her 4 siblings, helping date the gown to 1907. Nicole and her family also know that someone in their family once made the gown, though sadly they don't know just who did. Regardless, it is a beautiful piece of history that has been (and we know will continue to be) cherished throughout the years.

Nicole noted that the gown is VERY long and made of two pieces including the dress and underdress, and is made of a a slightly stiff cotton. The underdress has a cord at the top waist that cinches to tighten, and there is room at the bottom of the bodice that allows for a wide ribbon to be woven through and tied (this can be seen on the left side of the waistband above).

I spoke with Amelia about the gown to get some further insight, since Amelia has helped write and edit several of our books on antique clothing, including the Martha Pullen Vintage Collection and Favorite Places Series. She told me:

The embroidery looks to be Aryshire, although I can’t tell for sure if it’s hand wrought without looking at the backside and comparing the stitch repetition. [...] What is most unusual is the plaid fabric. I’ve never seen an antique christening gown, particularly one with Aryshire work combined with a plaid like this. I’d say the embroidery may have been pulled from another garment, but if that were the case, it was still a baby garment as the shape of the yoke was designed specifically for a infant’s piece.

Below is a picture of Nicole (second from the left) and family at baby Liviya's baptism, where the gown was last worn, at Suffern Presbyterian Church in Suffern, NY. Liviya is one of 3 children born to Nicole's cousins, Jenny and Carl Whitlatch. Nicole tells us, "They actually live in the parsonage next to the church, so she was able to dress the baby and then walk across the lawn to the back door of the church!"

Thank you so much for sharing this piece of family history with us, Nicole!