Feature Friday: At the Sign of the Golden Scissors
At the Sign of the Golden Scissors has long been a trusted name in the historical clothing world, with offerings of historically accurate patterns, fabrics, and notions all available in the shop, and this month, owner Emily takes us behind the scenes, sharing her experience as the shop’s second owner and how her love of history has shaped her life.
“I've always had a keen interest in history, having grown up in a late 18th century house. My parents actually helped to list our neighborhood on our state’s registry of historic places,” Emily explained. “My mom taught me how to sew when I was younger. She’s an avid quilter and made a lot of different things for my siblings and I when we were growing up. She taught me the basics of how to read a sewing pattern, the importance of grain lines, fabric care and identification, etc.”
That young passion led Emily to the world of living history, and eventually, to At the Sign of the Golden Scissors. “As a teenager I became interested in historical sewing and joined my first reenacting group. I had an internship with my local historical society where I had my first opportunity to examine antique clothing up close,” she shared. “I was hooked and started collecting antique garments of my own. I think it was around that same time that I really started sewing for myself and learning to draft patterns. At the time there weren’t many historical pattern makers, so books like Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion, Linda Baumgarten’s Costumes Close Up, and others were extremely useful, and still are!”
“After college was when I really began collecting vintage sewing patterns and getting more serious about wanting to recreate historical clothing as accurately as possible,” Emily continued. “I remember taking an 18th century stays workshop with the original owners of At the Sign of the Golden Scissors, Hallie Larkin and Stephanie Smith. I had the opportunity to try on a reproduction set of stays that fit me almost perfectly with the original set on the table next to me. It was definitely an ‘Ah Ha!’ kind of moment and experience, realizing that someone 200 years ago had nearly the same body shape and size as myself. In part, it was these two who helped me realize that historical accuracy really does matter in the living history field. And that often times replicating an antique item of clothing as closely as possible is more fun than taking modern shortcuts.”
This commitment to accuracy is more than just Emily’s preference, it’s the whole motivation behind her work. “My inspiration comes not only from antique clothing and textiles, but from the stories of the people behind them. Who created them, and how? When and where were they worn? Why was something altered or taken apart? Whether it is a gown, a pair of stays, or maybe just a single shoe or textile fragment, these items were made and utilized by real people. It is the little details and personal stories and connections that I find fascinating.”
“When I make an item of clothing that I plan to use for living history I don't think of it as a costume,” she explained. “To me it’s simply clothing, but also an extension of myself and something that can be used to tell the stories of people from the past. Clothing is tangible; it is relatable and makes for a great teaching tool to help the public understand our historical past.”
By purchasing the shop in 2021, Emily has now expanded her living history work to a much larger scale, and while that comes with its own set of challenges, she is happy to face them head on. “Since taking over At the Sign the Golden Scissors, one of my biggest challenges has been navigating the technical aspects of pattern making,” she shared. “When I was only creating for myself, I could work with wonky/messy looking drafts and mockups. Things only needed to make sense to me. Now, I am learning how to take those drafts and turn them into something that can be printed and utilized by the public. It is exciting and sometimes frustrating work, but I’m enjoying the process of learning new skills and I look forward to releasing new historical patterns for the business.”
But the shop is not the other place where Emily’s love of history takes center stage. “I think many people would be surprised to know that my sewing and pattern business is not my full-time job,” she explained. “While I do have a background in independent museum and textile studies, my day job is working with web-based resources of a historical nature for use by public libraries, colleges and professional researchers around the globe.”
“I work as a writer and content specialist for a company that digitizes historical documents and newspapers and markets them in fully text searchable data bases. (I'm sure many people are familiar with America's Historic Newspapers and the Archives of Americana.),” Emily continued. “My day is split between historical research and writing online educational resources covering all academic curricula. These school-focused solutions include primary sources and inquiry-based projects that support learning, enhance research and help develop critical thinking skills.”
“I am also a passionate vintage enthusiast,” she added. “While I don’t dress in vintage on a daily basis, I do enjoy sourcing and creating my own vintage style clothing. I truly believe in the motto, Vintage Style NOT Vintage Values, and that everyone should be able to dress in a way that makes them happy and feel good about themselves.”
You can find all the Larkin & Smith sewing patterns, 18th century sewing supplies, kits, vintage clothing, and more at the main At the Sign of the Golden Scissors shop, atthesignofthegoldenscissors.com, and you can follow Emily on social media for more inspiration and regular shop updates!
Instagram: @atthesignofthegoldenscissors and @emilysvintagevisions
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aththesignofthegoldenscissors
Patreon: www.patreon.com/c/AttheSignoftheGoldenScissors/home