Public History:
Pattern Projects
As part of the sewing community, I know how valuable plus-size patterns are - and how rare they can be in the realm of historic garments. I believe in making my research publicly accessible for the benefit of others, which also allows community makers to add their own expertise and commentary to these projects.
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I personally found my way to fashion history through sewing, and making patterns like these freely available may help others to do the same.
2021: Five patterns taken from extant 1920s 'stoutwear' dresses in the collections of Gina White, Sophia Khan, Lauren Marks, and myself as part of the FIT exhibit The Roaring Twenties and the Swinging Sixties (2021). Patterns created by myself; exhibit and patterns are available in perpetuity online through the Museum at FIT.
2023-present: Sew Last Century Patterns, a line of digital patterns I've taken from extant garments ranging in size from small to 4X and focusing on plus sizes.
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If you would like to use one of these patterns for a school assignment or scholarly project, contact me and I'll share it with you for free. (You will need to provide proof of the project and/or final product.)
2023: Pattern from an antique 1890s corset with a 33" waist in my collection. The pattern was created and graded by corsetière Michelle Fitzgerald.
2024: Cleaned and digitized a pattern from an 1871 issue of Harper's Bazar magazine for a "stout ladies" corset with a 29.5-31" waist. The pattern was graded for further sizes by corsetière Michelle Fitzgerald.