Exceptional Hand Embroidered Christening Gown Handmade Ayrshire

Description

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~FRENCH VINTAGE LINENS AND ANTIQUES~
Where You Will Find Beautiful and Unusual Vintage Linens & Apparel and Antiques from France
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Exceptional Hand Embroidered Christening Gown
Handmade Ayrshire
Antique Christening Gown ..Rare and Exceptional Gown Late 1800s or early 1900s, Museum Quality
Today we present another very fine Antique Christening Gown but where it was made is a mystery.
We found this gown in France but it appears to be an Ayrshire gown which would have been made in Scotland in the late 1800s....except the Valenciennes lace would be very unusual for an Ayrshire gown.
As well the gown closes at the back not in the traditional Ayrshire way with little ties but rather than with tiny buttons which are almost always found on the finest French gowns but rarely on Ayrshires.
Is this an authentic Ayrshire, or perhaps a French copy of an Ayrshire pattern?
In either case this gown is one of the most richly and expertly embroidered Christening gowns we have had in the shop. One would not need to be an expert to appreciate that this embroidery is truly of a rare level of expertise and refinement....and there is so much of it!
It is as if the embroiderer, whoever she was, has 'drawn' the decoration with her needle and thread so beautifully detailed each flower and leaf is.
This is without a doubt a gown of Museum quality.
The entire front panel of the skirt is covered in stylized flowers and leaves.
Each side the very unusual robings (or ruffles that flow down the sides of center front panel) is edged in fine Valenciennes lace.
The robings are unusual in that at the lower skirt they are divided into scallops each edged with more lace and embellished with more embroidery.
The bodice and sweet little sleeves reflect these motifs.
If this gown is an authentic Ayrshire it would date by its style to around 1860 -1880.
It is a remarkable example of a classic Ayrshire gown with masses of exquisite whitework embroidery...except for all that French Valenciennes lace!
This gown has been entirely handmade of a very fine and light cotton batiste and it is still amazingly white and 'fresh'.
The kind of embroidery one sees here, exquisite, delicate and fine, still doesn't seem possible to me, even after years of familiarity with it.
The stitches are tiny, perfect, and even, with no pulling at all of the fabric around them.
It remains a mystery to me, after all these years, as to how this level of needlework could have been learned and executed in a single lifetime.
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As to condition, the fabric is snowy white and I find only one tiny spot (truly miniscule) about half way down the full skirt and two very small repairs to the back of the skirt.
The center front panel of the bodice has been lined which is unusual but supports the embroidery.
Truly there are virtually no issues with this antique Heirloom gown.
At some point someone has added ribbon tie at the top of the back opening and there are two tiny covered buttons below.
This lovely gown has evidently been very carefully stored and well cared for over its long life.
Please study the photos carefully for the details of this gown and if you wish, we can supply you with as many more as you would like showing this gown in much greater detail.
This lovely gown is, for a Christening gown of well over 100 years old and of this superb quality, in exceptionally fine condition and would be beautiful for a Christening today.
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The gown measures an exceptionally long 43 1/2 inches from shoulder to hem which will give it a beautiful drape when baby is carried to the altar.
This gown would be suitable for a baby from about 3 months up to about 12 months.
It measures 20 inches around at the slightly raised waist,and 20 inches around the chest at the underarms shoulders. The sleeve opening are 6 1/4 inches around.
Please do check you baby's measurements carefully.
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A truly exceptional Antique Ayrshire or French Christening Gown for a lovely Christening ceremony and a gown which will surely be handed down for generations as a cherished family heirloom.
Price: 0.00
Our preferred method of payment is by PayPal.
However we also accept all forms of payment offered by eBay.
++Ask us about our Multiple payment Plan for this gown++
FVLA# 4604
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PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR MORE PHOTOS.
Shipping from France to Europe, the US and Canada will be .50 by French Colissimo International Airmail which includes Insurance and a Tracking number with delivery on a signature for added security.
As in the past, we are always happy to combine items to save on shipping costs.
Returns:
We hope, and even expect, that you will be satisfied with your purchase, but if for any reason you are not, please return the item in described condition within 7 days of receipt for a full refund of the purchase price. Shipping costs both ways remain the responsibility of the buyer unless a buyer feels we have grossly misrepresented an item. In that case we will refund return shipping also. As well it is our policy that an item returned to us must be insured for its purchase amount by the purchaser. Your purchase of this item assures us that you understand and agree with our shipping and returns policies.
So far we have had 100% satisfaction with our items.
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We work hard to maintain our 100% customer satisfaction and we hope it continues.
To that end we make every effort to describe our items accurately and fully and to note any small flaws which are inevitable in these vintage items.
Also please see our Comments on Condition and Pricing below.
We welcome and encourage your questions regarding measurements, condition, etc. before purchase. We will respond in the shortest time possible. Please note that we are 6 hours ahead of EST and 9 hours ahead of PST. For example when it is noon in NYC, it is 6:00 pm the same day here in France.
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Comments on the Condition of the items we sell:
Virtually all the items we sell are "vintage" which means they have, in the majority of cases, been used, and are at least 50  to 75,  and occasionally even more than 100 years old. Having said that, we do not sell items that are so used that they are obviously  heavily worn, faded, or too fragile to use.  Almost all our items were made by hand in France during the first half of the last century--most would date from between about 1890 and 1950, although it is quite difficult to be certain of an exact date in most cases. It would be quite unusual to find this kind of fine hand work in France after about 1960. Again because these items are Vintage they have, in the vast majority of cases, been used.  However all the items we sell have been carefully selected and inspected when we purchase them for their Very Good to Superb vintage condition. Still it is inevitable that occasionally there may be a  hardly noticable tiny pin dot stain or a tiny rend on any given item.  We always carefully launder and iron our items and in doing so inspect them carefully for a second time. If we notice a small flaw on an item we put that in my description.  It is our hope that our customers understand that we would not and do not sell items which are not clean or have evident large stains or tears.
But please do understand that because the items we sell are Vintage, and usually are at least 50 to 75 years old,  they are rarely absolutely "pristine and perfect" as if  they were new. If one expects that, then it is probably best not to purchase vintage items.
Like all fine antiques, they will have their own sort of "patina." Some sellers do sell these vintage items in the state in which they find them and of course they inform their customers of that fact. We prefer to do laundering and ironing for our customers before shipping an item. In that way you can use and enjoy your purchase immediately.
Comments on Pricing:
Because the items we sell are generally much sought after here in France and abroad, they are becoming more rare, and certainly more difficult to find.  We travel far and wide in our region of France to visit flea markets, brocantes, antique shops and private sellers. We visit Paris from time to time, and we search  for these rare items in other areas of France when possible.
Generally our buying costs are rising all the time as these Beautiful Handmade Vintage items become more scarce.
Our travel costs to seek out new items are significant.   Very importantly for our customers, I spend a great deal of time laundering and ironing the items we sell.  This always involves lots of  energy (both electrical and mine!) and time, and often requires specialized laundry products which can be costly.  As well the percentage we pay both  eBay  and Paypal for listing , sale and transaction  fees  are significant.  Finally we are a legal business here in France. We accurately report our eBay income and pay taxes on it.
For all these reasons, the prices of these vintage items may seem a bit high--but the fact is that almost all these items are rare and special by virtue of being Handmade. Many are virtual works of art, (some are actually of museum quality), having been made entirely by hand by highly skilled, but sadly now unknown, seamstresses and embroiderers.
These skilled craftswomen have all but entirely disappeared.  This kind of French hand work is virtually a Lost Art and these items are rare.  Still, in the face of the expenses involved in running our business, we do our best to keep our prices as reasonable as possible because it really is a great pleasure to package something very beautiful and very special and send it off to someone who will appreciate a lovely European Treasure From the Past.
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