Smock-Dress thumbnail 1
Not on display

Smock-Dress

1987 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Little girl's smock dress of ivory cotton, with a round neck and raglan puffed sleeves. The fullness of the dress falls from the neck and is smocked in stem, cable and chevron stitches in pink and teal blue, with pink satin baby ribbon threaded through the bottom rows. The lace-edged sleeves are similarly smocked and ribbon threaded. The dress fastens at the back with a button and stitched loop at the neck, and a press stud below that; and the ends of the ribbon threaded through the neck smocking tie across the back.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cotton, smocked and ribbon-threaded
Brief description
Girl's smock-dress, Martha Pullen, American, 1987
Physical description
Little girl's smock dress of ivory cotton, with a round neck and raglan puffed sleeves. The fullness of the dress falls from the neck and is smocked in stem, cable and chevron stitches in pink and teal blue, with pink satin baby ribbon threaded through the bottom rows. The lace-edged sleeves are similarly smocked and ribbon threaded. The dress fastens at the back with a button and stitched loop at the neck, and a press stud below that; and the ends of the ribbon threaded through the neck smocking tie across the back.
Dimensions
  • Centre back length: 42.5cm
Gallery label
3. SMOCK DRESS
Designed by Martha Campbell Pullen (North American)
Made by Martha Pullen Co., U.S.A., 1987
Cotton, smocked and ribbon-threaded
Given by Martha Pullen
Misc.629-1988

Martha Pullen has developed an extremely successful
retail and wholesale business built on traditional
techniques of smocking and embroidery. Her business
includes the supply of clothes patterns with smocking
instructions, kits, sewing tuition at the Martha Pullen
School of Art Fashion, and a quarterly magazine
Sew Beautiful.
Credit line
Given by the designer
Object history
Possibly photographed at Museum of Childhood for feature in the Martha Pullen Company Inc's "Sew Beautiful" magazine, notably for Christmas 1988.
Collection
Accession number
MISC.629-1988

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Record createdMarch 27, 2008
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