Original Barred Sheer Dress

This is the only antique dress in my collection. It's entirely hand-sewn, and I am currently dating it to the late 1850s.

The bodice, and it's enormous sleeves. By the old stitching lines,
the bodice originally had a 22" waist and 34" bust. The waist is currently 25".

That fabulously full pagoda sleeve with pointed jockey.

The bodice has an open neckline, center-front closure, and long, open sleeves.  The sleeves are lined in net, the rest of bodice in white polished cotton. The bodice closes with hooks and eyes on the lining layer, only. The neckline, sleeves, and jockeys are trimmed with puffs of self-fabric. That is, the trim is a single layer of the fabric, cut on grain, which has been lightly gathered top and bottom, and stitched down.

The lining fabric is shaped with two darts on each side front (boned), while the sheer fabric is lightly shirred at the front and back. The waistband edge was originally piped, but a self-fabric waistband was later added below this, probably at the same time that the seam side seams were let out to increase the waist measure by 3": these are the only alterations made the dress, and are a much later date based on the extra lining material (apparently a synthetic), and the quality of the stitching (very bad).  The original stitching is tiny and even, with running stitches joining most seams and securing the trim, back-stitches at stress points (shoulders, darts), and whip stitches finishing the shoulder seam allowances.

Skirt.
Fortunately, I have a decent amount of experience
wrangling mid-19th century dresses into archival boxes.

The skirt has a detached lining of white polished cotton; the fashion-fabric skirt has a sheer hem facing, and hem tape. The two skirt layers are knife-pleated together, and are whip-stitched to the waistband at 16 stitches/inch. The skirt is ~41" long ( I have not checked multiple points, yet, for insight into the balancing).

I love the tiny, regular stitches,
even though my wrist just cramped up looking at them.

Hem tape on a sheer! And a sheer facing, which I did not expect.

The polished cotton skirt lining is only joined to the skirt at the waist.
It has a deep self-hem, with more exquisite running stitches.

These are my (awful) pictures, and my garment, so don't use them for commercial purposes. Educational and personal use? Please cite, link, and enjoy.