Feature Friday: Pemberley Threads
Sewing historical clothing is a challenging task at any time, but scaling down those designs into perfectly proportioned creations is a whole other impressive skill set! This month’s feature, Pemberley Threads, does just that, offering gorgeously detailed historic clothing patterns—but for 18-inch dolls!
Elizabeth, the artist behind the patterns, shared how this combination of dolls and historic clothing became inextricably linked, growing to be one of her biggest creative passions. “My creative journey began with my love of history, which started at an early age when I received my first American Girl doll, Samantha,” she explained. “Around the same age, when I was maybe five or six years old, I visited Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts for the first time. I was completely in awe, especially with the interpreters and the clothing they were wearing. It became a dream of mine to be involved in living history in some way.”
And that dream motivated her to start sewing and selling her creations at a very young age. “When I was eleven, I received a sewing machine for Christmas,” Elizabeth continued. “I taught myself how to follow a pattern and eventually began sewing for my dolls, opening Pemberley Threads on Etsy in 2011. Fast forward to high school, I volunteered and eventually worked at a few different museums as an interpreter, making my own clothing to wear and sharing my passion with visitors….While it was certainly a dream come true, I was completely broke and needed a way to pay for lengths of fabric, proper-fitting corsets, bonnets, and all the other completely necessary (and unnecessary) items I needed, so I continued selling on Etsy and building my doll-scale fashion experience. With encouragement from fellow designers in the field, in 2018 I published my first sewing pattern, and the rest is history. While my reenacting days have now been replaced with ones spent chasing my children, the dolls are still here, and I can live vicariously through them and their numerous new gowns and accoutrements.”
Elizabeth’s background in living history may have gotten her started, but she continues to find creative inspiration from a variety of historical sources. “I love visiting museums to view their collections of period clothing that have survived the centuries,” she shared. “One of my favorite parts of viewing these gowns in person is looking very closely and seeing the stitches, and thinking of who made them, and what their life was like when they were sewing that garment.”
“Another thing I like to do when I get into a creative slump, is take to my books!” she continued. “I find it helpful to keep a library of reference materials which helps inspire and provide a guide map for new projects. Some favorites are the Patterns of Fashion series by Janet Arnold, Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century by the Kyoto Costume Institute, The Art of the Tailor by Robert Doyle, How to Read a Dress by Lydia Edwards, and Costume in Detail: 1730 to 1930 by Nancy Bradfield, just to name a few.”
But books aren’t the only place she looks to refill her creative well. The online costume community also plays a big role. “I am inspired by so many of you who I have been following on social media and blogs for years now. The historical costuming world is such a fun, unique group of talented people, and I learn something new every day here. It is such a treat to open Instagram and see all of the lovely projects everyone is posting. So, thank you. Keep inspiring us. It’s part of what got me started on my own journey, and I hope to help people after me discover this passion we share for historical fashion.”
Though Elizabeth finds inspiration in original garments and other reproductions, translating these into a doll-sized scale does necessitate some creative adjustments. “Sewing for dolls is a bit tricky as many dolls have the build of a younger child, and I prefer adult fashions,” she explained. “This poses a unique challenge, and requires quite a bit of experimenting with the lines of the garment and the accessories used to achieve the correct silhouette. There are some styles I have decided just won't work for these dolls, as they would turn out too boxy or frumpy looking.”
But that doesn’t stop her for exploring new eras and designs with her patterns. “I tend to shift my focus every year or so; for a while I enjoyed recreating the fashions of the 1830s and 40s, but currently I have been enjoying the 1860s–1880s,” Elizabeth continued. “I just recently published my second pattern for the bustle era which I am very excited about.”
“My most exciting [project] may be this Victorian mourning ensemble,” she explained. “You will find plenty of frilly pinks, blossoming florals, and ivory lace throughout my projects, [but] I am a true gothic at heart, and my favorite will always be mourning fashion. The starkness and solemnity of it is really beautiful to me. These dresses are challenging, but I love the hunt for varying textures to make the outfit stand out, even while being cloaked in sadness.”
You can find more of Elizabeth’s beautiful work on her Instagram (@pemberleythreadsgirl) and Facebook page. And you can find all her patterns in her Etsy shop, https://www.etsy.com/shop/PemberleyThreads.