Children's Quilted Garments

SMALL CHILD'S DRESSMADE IN LAWN WITH A QUILTED SILKYOKE AND BORDER

This is the first child's dress Harvey made. It was also the first time she had joined silk with cotton lawn. The flowers and feathered hearts were originally quilted onto the lawn skirt. The fabric inside the hearts was then cut away, turned under, and then overlaid and stitched by hand onto the silk dupion border. The border, in its turn, was quilted with cross-hatching within the hearts and with additional flowers around the hem. The silk yoke was hand quilted and then made up and attached to the skirt. Harvey says that the dress, although small, is one of the most complicated garments she has made and her school needlework teacher would have been proud of her.

LITTLE GIRL'S QUILTED DRESS IN TRADITIONAL SMOCKED STYLE

Harvey did not have a daughter so she never had an opportunity to make children's dresses. In later years, she decided to please herself by making some dresses. She's not sure a modern child would be happy wearing this dress. The dress is made of cotton lawn with silk dupion inserted into the bodice, skirt, collar, and cuffs. The bodice-quilting pattern emulates the traditional "smocked" style, but it is painted and then hand quilted. Similarly, the skirt insert has bunches of flowers painted and then hand quilted. The inserts are edged with lace. The collar and cuffs were made in a similar way.