A long underskirt

An ankle length white lawn underskirt.  Pin tucks at the bottom.  Boning at the wide waist band.  Made for someone with a narrower waist than mine!

A little crocheted lace bag

For the girls, I think.  Unless anyone else wants it for dressing up?

Hair things - tortoise shell and plastic

A tortoise shell comb, many missing teeth.

A tortoise shell butterfly comb.

A plastic u-shaped something for keeping up long hair.

An organdy dress

A very pretty, sheer organdy dress.  White, handsewn.  Lace collar, edges and skirt trim.  A pretty circular blue bell motif on the collar points.  The skirt gathered at the waist.  Clear plastic buttons down the back.  Probably for a young teenager.  Very ballet shoes.  The girls love this, so I'll put it by for them in case they're still interested when it fits them.

A Very Long Night Dress

 A very long, white cotton nightdress.  Large ruffled collar and sleeves.  A little machine lace.  Lots of tucks and ruffles.  Has a label, so presumably bought not made.  Now very mended and badly torn.  I'd like to make handkerchiefs out of this as there's plenty of good fabric left, but generally it's too badly torn to mend.

Long black gloves

A pair of long, black, lace evening gloves.  Machine lace.  Much holed.  Very narrow - more fitted to a seven-year-old arm.  Dressing-up box.

Five Corset Covers

Five cotton, hand sewn corset covers.

Number One.  Lace.  Broderie Anglaise butterflies.  Lace coming away at the back a little.  Initials IWS.  Presumably Isabella Scott.  Cap sleeves.

Number Two.  Lace Broderie Anglaise flowers.  Initialled IWS.  Cap sleeves.  A little ripped at the back.

Number Three.  Lace.  Broderie Anglaise flower/bow/wreath design.  Scalloped edges at front.  Chord neck fastening.  Cap sleeves.

Number Four.  Lace edges.  Broderie Anglaise flowers and butterflies.  Chord neck fastening.  Cap sleeves.  Rip under one arm.

Number Five.  Broderie Anglaise grapes.  Scalloped edges.  Ribbon at neck.

Long nightdress

This, I think, would have been a long nightdress.  It's white cotton, hand sewn.  Beautiful lace edges and inserts. Some discrete embroidery.  Eyelets for a ribbon at the front.  Some wear and tear.

Sequins

Short sleeved top.  Sequined net over pink silk.  Very worn, the silk coming away from its seams in several places.  Dressing-up box material.

Pink and Black

Something different today.  A three part outfit in pink and black - jacket, what I think is a wrap around skirt, and an embroidered strip.  Cotton.  Decorative detail around the neck and cuffs.  Embroidery on what I think is something to go on the head.  All marked Mrs Guest, making them Granny's mother's.  Did she do amateur dramatics?  Has a look of Guilbert and Sullivan to it.

Little Silk Handkerchief

A little thing today.  A small silk handkercheif.  Hand sown, with Broderie Anglaise and embroidery.  A little lace edging on one edge.  Silk a light mushroom colour.

Two silk slips

Two silk slips.  Hand made, machine sown with machine lace.

Long-sleeved shirt

Today's item was a long-sleeved shirt.  Light cotton with very fine pin-tucks down the front.  A beautiful large lace collar, also lace cuffs.  Faux knot buttons, actual fastening by poppers.  One small mend on the back.   I'm not sure how this would have been worn.  I tried it on and the bottom hem at the back came only to my waist.  Perhaps a high, wide waisted skirt?

On-line resources

A couple of pages from the V&A about caring for domestic textiles and a lace reading list.

Short petticoat

The first item out of the first bag of linen from Granny's tallboy was a short petticoat.  Knee length, hand stitched, white cotton.  A few mends and a few tears, including one where the lace joining the bottom section is coming away from the cotton fabric.