1760 Ingeborg Norell

1760s Caraco Floral Print

This reconstructed floral design is based on an original 18th-century caraco jacket. Despite its simple material and small floral pattern, the garment itself is remarkably elegant, showing how refined tailoring elevates even modest textiles.

The small-scale floral repeat creates a balanced surface that supports the structured cut of the caraco, allowing the garment to maintain both visual clarity and historical authenticity.

Well suited for

Caraco jackets, petticoats, aprons, banyans, and informal gowns. Especially suitable for reconstructions where correct scale and textile character are essential.

Design & Historical Context

This design is reconstructed from an original 1760s caraco, similar to preserved examples such as those held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Caracos were everyday garments, often made in printed cotton or linen. To reflect the original appearance and structure, this design is offered exclusively in cotton linen.

Ingeborg Katarina Norell

Ingeborg Katarina Norell (born Stenborg, 1727), likely from Borgå, was a Finnish craftsman's wife and the first woman in Finland to be awarded a medal for saving a life.

She married the goldsmith Carl Gustaf Norell in 1764, and the family lived in Borgå and later Fredrikshamn. After his death in 1782, she travelled to Pojo, though the later details of her life remain unknown.

In April 1780, she saved a two-year-old child who had fallen into a well and was presumed drowned. Using life-saving techniques she had learned from a medical almanac, she worked for over an hour until the child revived. For this act, she was awarded a prize by the Royal Patriotic Society in 1783.