​It was an honour for me to be asked by the Town of Annapolis Royal to represent our town this summer as a "Wandering Interpreter" and presenter of historic demonstrations.  With its rich history and many lovely vistas, Annapolis Royal is a wonderful place to be at any time of year, but especially in summer, with the warm weather, blue skies, and ocean breezes.  This year, after two difficult and empty summers due to Covid, it's so terrific to be able to see once again all the lively events and activities this little Town has to offer for visitors and residents alike. 

I've just added two new authentic sewing patterns for lovely bonnets from the early 1870's.  These are taken directly from original French sources and the pattern pieces are scanned full-size.  I've added my translations of any existing French text (not a garbled Google translation, but a real one -- I was originally trained as a linguist).  I've also included notes to help with interpretation and construction of each design based on my many years of experience in working with these patterns.   

​See these new items in the "Blog" section of this website under the "Free PDF Patterns" category (scroll down the page to find the two latest patterns).   Or use this link to go directly to the page:  

These patterns are free of charge, created especially for anyone who may have been reluctant to buy PDF sewing patterns to give the process a try at no cost (but note that they are still copyright -- do not copy or share, just give anyone interested the URL for this site). 

Once you've got the hang of using these digital patterns, give a larger garment pattern a try -- use the link below to go to my Etsy shop, 'The Fashion Archaeologist'  and browse all my currently available "History House" patterns.   ​

It took a massive effort, but I've finally managed to move all of my "Construction Help Photos" from my old, outdated photo gallery (that was no longer compatible with this website), to their new home here. 

For any of my customers who have purchased a pattern that included a link or links to the old help photos, please be aware that these will no longer work (the technicalities are beyond my ken, it's all Geek to me!).   I'll be attempting to update the links in the PDF versions of all Sewing Instructions which contain the old links, but if you've purchased a paper version in the past, the instructions won't be updated and you'll need to use the link below to access the new one. 

​Find the new "Construction Help Photos" here on my site: 

These photo tutorials are intended and designed for those who have purchased a 'History House' antique pattern.  Not every pattern will have help photos/tutorials, but I've tried to focus on the more challenging designs or those with particularly unique or unusual construction points.  I feel the construction of most of the other patterns is well explained in the Sewing Instructions that come with those patterns.  But there will be additions from time to time, so please check back again.  

And of course... you can also send me a message on Etsy or Facebook if you need particular help with some aspect of construction (see links below). 

Happy Sewing! 

There's hardly anything more wonderful than a new beginning -- whatever kind of beginning it may be.  In my case, it's the first post in my new blog on my new website!  I think that qualifies as exciting (at least to me it does!). 

For years I coped with a plain vanilla, ludicrously basic DIY website that really didn't serve my needs well, but at least gave me a spot on the internet.  Then came my Facebook page, which was much better in many ways, but still didn't give me a really efficient place to permanently organize and access all the thoughts, articles, and projects that I'd want to share.  With Facebook, everything moves down the scroll and out of sight so quickly.  Good luck trying to locate a short post on an obscure topic six months later! 
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