Welcome (Back) to The Sewing Academy!
We’re committed to bringing you well-researched historical information to help you bring history to life! With a focus on 1830 to 1870 domestic life, we hope you’ll enjoy exploring clothing, culture, and interpretive aids through free projects and articles, books and patterns to purchase, or virtual or live workshops! Welcome back – we’re glad to be here. It’ll take a bit to get everything re-built, but we’re on our way!
Are you looking for…
Great Auntie Maude’s Curious Compendium of Mid-19th Century Knowledge
Free downloadable projects and articles to help you reach your living history goals; click the image to visit!
Workshops and Training with Elizabeth Stewart Clark
Participate in hands-on or virtual sessions, and increase your interpretive toolbox.
Purchase Books & Patterns
Our books and patterns are licensed for at-home, non-commercial use only. Your support of our intellectual property and licensing rights makes all the difference!
Frequently Asked Questions
What resources do you provide for historical interpreters?
We offer books, patterns, projects, and instruction covering domestic life 1830-1870. Everything is drawn, written, and edited by real people (typically Liz herself, or through a collaboration between Liz and another real researcher!)
How can I access your resources?
The Sewing Academy website is the only current authorized access point for all of our resources. If you are finding unauthorized distribution, please help protect our intellectual property and let us know.
How can I share Sewing Academy resources?
If you like what we do, please share links for others to access their own authorized resources directly from us! This makes sure everyone has the most up-to-date content – we do revise resources as research warrants!
Can I contribute to your resource collection?
Absolutely! Please email Liz to see what might be possible!
How often do you update your resources?
Liz is always researching, and it’s been a constant habit since 1991! Most of our resources are delightfully stable – solid research is easy to maintain. However, new information is available all the time, and Liz is not shy about integrating that into current and future resources. You can be assured you’re always getting our best effort, and we are eager to add new information to what we already understand and share!