*This giveaway has ended*
It’s a Regency Freebie Friday, and today you can download the “Marianne Regency Spencer Jacket” pattern in both 16″ and 18″ doll sizes!
Available through 11:59PM EST 3/11/22
Create an entire Regency era wardrobe with our extensive Regency pattern collection, available at www.pemberleythreads.etsy.com in the “Regency Sewing Patterns” shop section
Happy sewing!
Elizabeth
*GIVEAWAY ENDED* It’s time for another Freebie Friday at Pemberley Threads! Today, I am offering my “Molly Sleeve Variations” pattern for free, no strings attached. Use this pattern with the Molly 1830s Gown Pattern AND the Victoria 1830s Evening Gown Pattern to create unlimited different dress designs! Pattern includes 16″ and 18″ doll sizes. To download the free pattern today only (February 12, 2021 until 11:59pm EST) click the link (GIVEAWAY CLOSED)
(Click “Free Download”, which will open a new web page. You can print it out from there or save it to your computer using the save icon in the top right corner of the page. It is recommended that you save the file on your computer as it does not always work on certain mobile devices. If you are having trouble, please email me at pemberleythreads@gmail.com)
To purchase the Molly 1830s Gown pattern for 16″ dolls click here
To purchase the Molly 1830s Gown pattern for 18″ dolls click here
To purchase the Victoria 1830s Evening Gown for 16″ dolls click here
To purchase the Victoria 1830s Evening Gown for 18″ dolls click here
Add a pelerine over the dress bodice for added detail! Click here
Take your Romantic Era dresses to the next level and challenge your sewing skills with these beautiful detailed sleeve designs. They are a little tricky for new sewists but there are photos and instructions for each and every step to help you through. And as always, I am available for answering questions any time at pemberleythreads@gmail(dot)com.
Happy sewing!
Last weekend my husband and I brought the boys (and a few dolls) to Colonial Williamsburg. Actually, it was more like them taking ME there. After all, my husband is not the least bit interested in history and the boys are too young to know what street they love on, so I won’t lie, it was a trip for Mom 🙂
While Samantha was my first American Girl, I got Felicity soon after and quickly became obsessed with all things 18th century. When her movie came out I learned about Colonial Williamsburg and it has been on my bucket list ever since.
It was so much bigger than I expected! It actually did feel like stepping back in time into a lively 18th century town. This was my second time ever going out to a public place with dolls, so I was a little shy about the idea at first. However, I quickly got over it when I began finding so many amazing spots to photograph them.
One thing on my list of must-visits was Tarpley, Thompson and Company, a place to find period fashion for the whole family. It did not disappoint!
So much to look at! After that, we visited the tin shop where I met a friend from Instagram! Jenny works as an apprentice in the tin shop, and much to our surprise, she had made a tiny tin cup for my dolls! It was such a thoughtful gift and literally made my day. Its tiny and perfect and she even stamped her name on the bottom. Jenny was very enjoyable to chat with, and we can’t wait to visit her at the tin shop the next time we make the trip down to Virginia.
Elinor touring the tin shop.
Such a pleasure to meet these talented craftsmen!
Another highlight of our visit was the Governor’s Palace.
I actually didn’t make it to the palace until Sunday morning, the day they were closing because of COVID-19. I thought I may have missed my chance to see it, but thankfully they had it open to tour and the lack of crowds made it perfect for picture taking.
It was beautiful on the inside and out!
I didn’t get to take nearly as many photos as I wanted because I didn’t have much time in there (thank you, family who was waiting for breakfast) but I did get some photos out in the palace garden as well.
The art museums were one of the best parts of Williamsburg. Obviously my favorite section was the fashion display. So much to oogle at.
We obviously didn’t see nearly all of what was there and we are definitely planning to come back. I would have taken hundreds more pictures had I not had a baby in tow the whole time, but we had so much fun as a family and it was the perfect trip even with very young kids!
I’ll leave you with a small memento I found in the John Greenhow store for the dolls’ collection, a reproduction of the original teapot in the museum!
Thanks for stopping by and happy sewing, friends!
– Elizabeth
It has been a busy fall as well as a crazy start to the holiday season here at Pemberley Threads! I just finished my Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and I appreciate everyone who supported my small business over the weekend. It means a lot!
So much has happened over the last couple of months…
I released four new patterns since the beginning of September:
The “Jane” Regency Bonnet and the “Marianne” Regency Spencer Jacket pattern were on my list to do for awhile. Regency is probably my favorite era, so I knew I needed these staples in my collection. They are both available for 16″ and 18″ dolls.
I have been having fun with them recently since I made this Christmas outfit, seen below on the lovely Elinor.
I also released my first pattern for my 18th century collection: “Antoinette” 18th Century Cap and Stays. I am so excited to begin working in this time period, there are so many fabulous styles I want to recreate that it’s hard to know where to begin, so where better than the undergarments?
This pattern was a collaboration between myself and Olga Watkin of Swish and Swirl. She has a pattern for the shift, petticoat, stockings, and embroidered pockets that go under the stays! Be sure to visit her shop to purchase the “Georgiana” 18th Century Undergaments pattern at www.swishandswirl.etsy.com
Lastly, I found the time to write the “18th Century Housewife: Doll’s Sewing Kit” pattern. This is a staple accessory for your doll’s 18th (and even up to the 20th) century wardrobe. It is a fun way to use scrap fabrics to create something beautiful and useful at the same time. There are lots of existing examples from years past you can find on Pinterest for inspiration!
Of course, I couldn’t do this without my amazing team of pattern testers. Be sure to visit them below and you may find some Pemberley Threads fashions lingering there!
I was lucky enough to add two new members to our doll family. I found A Girl for All Time “Matilda” on Ebay and couldn’t wait to see her in person. She may be my favorite of all of them!
A dear friend was willing to sell me one of her Elinor dolls and of course I jumped at the opportunity. She is gorgeous in person and I couldn’t wait to get her in some signature Pemberley Threads fashion!
I have so much planned for 2020, and I wish I could spill all of the news now but it will have to be a surprise. One thing I can say is there are several patterns in the works, as well as a trip we have planned in early spring that will tie in to one of my new pattern releases!
THANK YOU so much for your support throughout this year, I can’t do it without my followers. I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and blessed New Year!
Happy sewing!
I have many people ask me where I find my fabric and supplies for creating my clothing. It’s actually a fairly simple list of go-to sources I buy from again and again. In this post I will share them with you!
You would be surprised what you can find at an antique store or flea market. There are many hidden treasures just waiting to be transformed into doll size clothing and accessories! Use an old hankie for a neck handkerchief, cut out pieces of lace off an old table linen to use as trim, not to mention the jewelry that can be carefully taken apart and used for mini brooches, necklaces and more.
I buy most of my bias tape, velcro, thread, etc from these stores. Unfortunately they don’t have an incredible selection for historic fabric and trims (though sometimes you might be surprised!) Its nice to have them nearby for the basics though, and I always use coupons. Amazon is also great for bulk pricing on things I use all of the time like snaps and hooks and eyes.
There are numerous shops on Etsy where you can find specialty items for specific projects, though sometimes it does take a bit of searching. For example, I buy my tiny flowers from Squish n Chips . They are beautiful quality and very reasonably priced!
I love referring people to this amazing little shop. If you live near Gettysburg, PA, you have to stop in. Its my favorite place to get almost everything I need for historic doll clothing projects including gorgeous period fabrics, quality lace and trims, silk ribbon, buttons and buckles and so much more. Visit their site at http://woodedhamlet.com/about_us or stop in to their brick and mortar location at
2215 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325
I’ve been buying from this site since I was a teenager just starting my Etsy shop. They have an amazing selection of quality cotton lace in all sizes and colors that are perfect for recreating historically accurate fashions for your dolls. The owner is very kind and helpful if you have any questions, and their prices are quite competitive considering they include shipping.
Visit their site: https://www.cottonlace.com/shop
There you have it! My master list. Happy sewing!
Welcome to my new site! I have so many things planned for this fall, and releasing my website was at the top of my list. I am so pleased to introduce you to the platform where I will be sharing behind-the-scenes and upcoming projects posts, as well as pattern updates and inspiration. Please follow me here on the blog, as well as Facebook and Instagram to keep in the know!
For now, I’ll share a little photo of some fabrics I bought for my Christmas release! I am excited to show you what I have planned. Stay tuned for my latest pattern release, which is actually two patterns from the same era, and will be available in 16″ and 18″ doll size.
Happy sewing!
Historical clothing and patterns for 16" and 18" dolls 