Dress

In the pictureAn ankle-length dress of off-white cotton is shown on a mannequin. At the neck is a low standing collar covered in red embroidery; below it, red bands run down both sides of the front opening, and zigzag stitching shows where the opening ends. The wide, flaring sleeves are covered below the elbow with geometric embroidery on a red ground, with navy and green thread mixed in. At the slits on each side of the hem are tree-shaped motifs rising upward, and a few small stains remain on the front.

BackgroundThe Met's record gives only the material, cotton, and the date, late 19th century; the place of making is left blank. The dress measures 132.1 cm at center back and 123.2 cm at center front, so the back is about 9 cm longer. A separate off-white dress (85797) came from the same donor, Mrs. M. A. Gordon, in the same year; on that one the embroidery is concentrated at the cuffs and neckline, while on this dress it spreads over the entire lower sleeves and down to the hem. Gathering red geometric embroidery on the sleeves and hem is seen in women's dress from the region of Palestine and Syria, but which village the dress comes from is not confirmed by the records.

Puzzle tipThe red embroidery is scattered over five areas, the neck, the two sleeves, and both sides of the hem, so sorting pieces by area fixes their positions right away. Join the sleeve embroidery by matching the run of the pattern, and fill in the broad off-white body using the red lines of the front opening and the shadows of the side seams as guides. The brass knob at the very top and the mannequin label are also good markers. The tree motifs at the two bottom corners both point upward, so take care not to place them upside down. 100 pieces suits it.