Casgliadau Arlein

Apron made from black and white check tabby-woven wool (singles yarns). Worn by Susanna Berrington Gruffydd Richards of Ty'r Eglwys, Llanofer [Llanover]. She was a harpist to Lady Llanofer, after her father Thomas Gruffydd.

Side edges are selvages. Full width of woven fabric has been used (width = 88cm). Lower edge has a 3.5cm wide double turn-back stitched in place with large overcast stitches in a brown thread (S-twist) which has probably faded from black. 15.5cm above the hem, there is a 5cm wide stitched horizontal pleat, which may relate to the apron having been altered/shortened. If the pleat was let out, the apron would have been 10cm longer. At the waist, the fabric is gathered tightly into a waistband: a black silk ribbon encapsulates the upper edge of the wool on both sides (although it is wider at the front; full width of ribbon = 2.2cm). The ribbon is stitched with overcast stitches on the back and (mostly) running stitches on the front using black thread. At the sides, the ribbon would have extended to be used to tie the apron. However, both ends are torn, leaving only 1cm at the left side and 16cm on the right side. Below the black ribbon a brown S-twisted thread can be seen: this was used for gathering the fabric. The black and white check pattern is formed from intersecting stripes of black and white (each stripe is made of 8 yarns = width of c. 0.5cm). The pattern is regular in the centre of the apron, but changes on the sides and lower edge.