Dress trimming

Object Type
Making net by hand is one of the oldest textile techniques, its earliest uses the practical ones of hunting and fishing. When the basic tools of shuttle and size gauge were refined to make a smaller mesh the use of net for decorative purposes became possible. In the 18th and early 19th centuries netting was a popular pastime for amateurs, as well as a commercial craft. For dress trimmings and accessories it was worked in coloured silks, in linen or as here, in cotton thread.

Ownership & Use
The prevailing fashions in women's dress at the beginning of the 19th century required lightweight fabrics that draped easily. The fabrics were often plain, or if patterned tended to have small motifs, so there was much scope for the further decoration of an outfit with accessories and trimmings. Woven ribbons and braids might be purchased, but lengths of trimming such as this could be netted at home.