14:00 ‐ 17:00 BST (British Summer Time)

Hosted on Zoom by Sarah Woodyard of Sewn Company

For over 30,000 years clothing has been hand-sewn. Quilting for comfort, hemmed in bondage, seaming for profit or embroidered for enjoyment; hand sewing has stitched together humanity. Rooted in an 18th-century English and American hand-sewing practice - Sewn’s goal is to inspire people to reconnect to your past and your global community with a needle and thread. Owner, Sarah E. Woodyard, is committed to preserving hand-sewn clothing production through live and pre-recorded hand sewing workshops.

Inspired by the labour of historical dressmakers Sarah spent seven years apprenticing at the Margaret Hunter Millinery Shop in Colonial Williamsburg to learn eighteenth-century mantua-making (dressmaking) and millinery. After completing her apprenticeship she became a Journeywoman mantua-maker and milliner. Sarah also holds a Master of Arts in Material Culture from the University of Alberta. You can read her thesis about hand-sewing here. Join Sarah in this exclusive workshop to enhance your historical or modern sewing practice through hand-sewn seams.

Outline of the workshop
In this class you will learn to sew from the past, to be mindful of the present, to stitch a better future. Hand-Sewn 18th-century Seaming Techniques draws on the skills of anonymous mantua-makers and seamstresses and celebrates their labour through the preservation of their skills. This two-day course will be a deep dive into 18th-century hand-stitched seams based on Sarah’s study of extant garments and her hands-on experience practicing the trade of mantua-making. This course is designed for both historic and modern sewists.

The first part of the workshop will begin with a brief lecture about the techniques that will be covered in the workshop. Sarah will then lead you through three seaming samplers:

1. Backstitched seam
2. Seaming from the outside: topstitched seams
3. Running stitches for seaming.

The second part of the workshop will begin with a brief lecture about the techniques that will be covered in the workshop. Sarah will then lead you through three seaming samplers:

1. An Italian gown seam
2. Running-backstitched felled seam
3. Mantua-maker’s seam

Materials and Supplies (not included)
Note: All these techniques can be taught with medium weight cotton muslin or quilters cotton. However, please see below for suggested fabrics.

Backstitched seam:
2 pieces: 3 inch wide x 12 inch wide (7.5cm x 30cm)
Ideal: Wool broadcloth, worsted wool, silk taffeta, printed cotton or medium weight linen and thread that complements fabric choice (if using linen remember wax).

Seaming from the outside:
2 pieces: 3 inch wide x 12 inch wide (7.5cm x 30cm)
Ideal: worsted wool, silk taffeta, printed cotton or medium weight linen and thread that complements fabric choice (if using linen remember wax).

Topstitched seams:
2 pieces for lining: 3 inch wide x 12 inch wide (7.5 cm x 30 cm)
Ideal: medium weight linen and thread that complements fabric choice (if using linen remember wax).

Running stitches for seaming:
2 pieces: 3 inch wide x 12 inch wide (7.5 cm x 30 cm)
Ideal: worsted wool, silk taffeta or printed cotton and thread that complements fabric choice (if using linen remember wax).

An Italian gown seam:
2 pieces: 3 inch wide x 12 inch wide (7.5 cm x 30cm)
Ideal: silk or cotton and thread that complements fabric choice (if using linen remember wax).
2 pieces: 3 inch wide x 12 inch wide (7.5cm x 30cm)
Ideal: medium weight linen and thread that complements fabric choice (if using linen remember wax).

Felled seam:
2 pieces: 3 inch wide x 12 inch wide (7.5cm x 30cm)
Ideal: medium weight linen and linen thread size 60/2 or 80/2. (if using linen remember wax).

Mantua makers seam:
2 pieces: 3 inch wide x 12 inch wide (7.5cm x 30cm)
Ideal: cotton and thread that complements fabric choice (if using linen remember wax)

Notions (tools)

• Needles - recommend size 9 sharps, appliqué or embroidery needles
• Dressmaking shears
• Small snips
• Measuring tape or ruler
• Fine dressmakers pins
• Pencil

Optional but encouraged: thimble (should fit on the middle finger of your dominate hand. Not too tight but not too loose it falls off)

Cover/top left images: credited to Fred Blystone

Workshop Cancellation Policy
All places reserved on workshops are non refundable. However, if you let us know you are not able to make a workshop you have booked at least two weeks prior to the event, we will offer a credit note.

If you require additional information about this workshop please contact Catherine Harris, events@selvedge.org.