This decorated panel would have been part of a pair of women's trousers. It would have formed the lower leg, from knee to ankle. The upper part of the trousers was seldom decorated because it would have been hidden beneath a long chemise.
At the end of the 18th century embroidery designs began to develop into rigid and heavily stylised borders. The colours were strong and designers used greater quantities of metal thread than in previous centuries. The designs were always inventive.