I'm headed to the UK to lead this year's Historical Fashion Tour. My group will be in Bath for the opening of the Jane Austen Festival, then in Winchester and London. You can follow us over on my Facebook page, where I'll be posting pictures and insights from the trip.

This tutorial will help you navigate through the plackets in my Regency Gown and Elegant Lady's Closet patterns.

My short tutorial shows how to make a perfect placket inside a seam.

My wonderful helper in the States finally managed to sort through the latest batch of Kangas from Kenya and post them for sale on eBay! I really scoured the markets high and low to find the prettiest Kangas with the nicest “Jina” (sayings) on them, and I think you’re going to love what we’ve got! Included

Thanks to the talented Katrina Casey of Edelweiss Patterns and her wonderful blog, Threads Magazine discovered my 1958 Party Dress pattern and asked to feature it in the July issue! Be sure to pick up a copy to see the full feature, which includes close-ups of Katrina’s beautiful cummerbund-style sash and rosette. I was so

We’re having a Spring Fling Sale here at S&S, and everything is 15% off through midnight Sunday, May 5! Please remember that Order Fulfillment is closed during this time, so all orders for paper patterns will be shipped beginning on May 6. ePatterns and eBooks, of course, are still delivered instantly. Happy Sewing

We wish you a beautiful Christmas and Happy 2013! Order Fulfillment is on vacation through January 1st, so any orders placed in the next ten days will be shipped on the 2nd. We do have our annual end-of-year sale coming up on December 26, so stay tuned! (Remember that ePatterns and eBooks are available at

When I created the Ladies’ 1958 Party Dress pattern, I knew my girls would want their own dresses to match! Because I’ve had a lot of requests for patterns easy enough for beginners, I’ve kept this pattern as simple as the adult version. Perfect for mother-daughter dresses!

(Looking for the paper version rather than the ePattern? Purchase from one of our many retailers worldwide! Please note that Patterns of Time carries my entire line and is well stocked.)

Thank you to everyone who voted, commented, and shared the images over on Facebook Sunday and Monday. It was fun to watch the tally, as people took sides and gave their reasons for their favorite image. In the end, this photo was the clear winner with 126 likes and 43 comments.

I’ve had many requests from customers for an easy dress pattern that even a beginner could tackle. When the 1950s won my fashion era poll in late 2010, I decided to create a party dress that would provide glamorous results without tears for beginners and also satisfy long-time vintage fashion enthusiasts. I hope this pattern fills the bill!

(Looking for the paper version rather than the ePattern? Purchase from one of our many retailers worldwide! Please note that Patterns of Time carries my entire line and is well stocked.)

I finally got the photos back from my amazing photographer, Steve Anderson, who did the shoot in Nairobi four weeks ago. I'm thrilled with the results and have to narrow down to one iconic image for the pattern cover, so I need your help!

We shot photos this weekend for my new Ladies’ 1958 Party Dress pattern, inspired by Ruth Orkin’s iconic “American Girl in Italy” from 1951. When my husband saw the original shot, he said, “Honey, that is the perfect setup for your new pattern!” Of course, Orkin didn’t set up the original–she just caught it as

Thank you so much for all the Kanga, dress, and necklace orders! We've now finished for this month, but I hope to send a new batch of Kangas home in the summer.

The Titanic Centenary Memorial dinner we attended on April 12 was a fantastic success. The event raised over $6000 for a community-based conservation effort on Kenya’s coast, and we ate an incredible meal reproduced from the last first-class dinner served on board the ship. Many of those in attendance dressed in retro fashions (including guys in

Well, our Internet went out last weekend and has been spotty this week, so I haven't had a chance to share the finishing of the dress until now. Your comments were all so helpful on the skirt options, and it was hard to decide how to arrange the overskirt, but I ended up going for expediency, as my deadline was fast approaching.

After stitching together the bodice, I experimented with several skirt variations. I'd love to get your feedback on these, as there are a lot of ways to put together a 1912 skirt.

Time to build the foundational bodice for the delicate saree overlay. This is where everything starts to come together--so exciting!