The Next Stitch: September 2026

After a longer-than-expected break, I’m happy to be writing here again.

Life has been full.  Time has moved quickly (perhaps more quickly than we would like), and months have slipped by without a new post.  There have been busy seasons and quieter ones, plenty of unexpected twists and turns, and even some ordinary days that somehow all add up to something meaningful. 

Somewhere along the way, I stopped making time to write about it.  Not because there was nothing to say, but perhaps because I wasn’t quite sure where to start.

So, I’m dusting off this little corner of the internet.  Rather than trying to pick up exactly where I left off, I think it’s time to begin the next chapter.  

Tidying the Workroom

After every sewing project, I like to take a few to 30 minutes, depending on what state of disaster my sewing room is in, to tidy up.  Pattern pieces get folded into their labeled envelopes.  Sewing tools go back into their drawers.  Fabric scraps are sorted into the keep for future use or discard piles, and countless threads are swept up.  If I’m feeling particularly ambitious, I might even wipe down my sewing table, which is still the same 8-foot plastic folding table I got for my first apartment.  It’s a small, meditative reset in which I can fully close one project before getting ready for the next. 

Lately, I’ve been thinking that the Sewphisticate needs a similar reset. 

My time away from content creation has been a period of transition.  I’ve grown and changed in many ways – as a museum professional, as a costume hobbyist, and simply as a person – and naturally, the work I share will too.  For over a decade, the Sewphisticate has existed in various forms and across many platforms.  What worked a decade, or even five years ago during the midst of the global pandemic, doesn’t necessarily make sense for me now, as I balance my fulltime museum career with freelance projects, public programs, sewing, and, well, the rest of life. 

So, there will be some changes.  But there are also some threads that remain. 

The Threads That Remain

From project to project, try as we might, there are always the threads that remain.  Some hide in your sewing machines.  Others become tangled in the carpet, stuck to the bottoms of your slippers, or somehow manage to survive even the most thorough lint-rolling.  The same is true here.  The constant thread running through the Sewphisticate has always been my passion for researching, making, wearing, and sharing historical clothing. 

That is not changing.  The Sewphisticate will continue to be an educational and hobbyist resource for reproducing historical clothing; exploring fashion and social history; and practicing responsible and inclusive costumed interpretation of the past. 

Under this umbrella, I’ll continue to develop and offer the “educating” – that is educating + entertaining – programs that have become an increasingly important part of my public history work.  This includes my historical “getting dressed” programs (which explore nineteenth-century dress and social history through an interactive, historical get-ready-with-me format); living history pop-up programs; and lectures exploring Chinese American history and other underrepresented narratives in the building of the nation and its transpacific and global connections. 

Presenting a new living history pop-up program:
"Voices without Ballots: Chinese Americans in the Suffrage Movement"
at the New York Historical Society (April 2026)

Presenting: "Here Comes the 1880s Bride"
with the help of my friend and "bridesmaid," Kaela J.
for the Ashford Historical Society (August 2026)

An in-action shot from the "Here Comes the 1880s Bride" presentation,
and why I appreciated Kaela's assistance with the getting dressed portion!

And, of course, there will still be plenty of sewing.  Projects that go beautifully, projects that fight me every step of the way, questionable sewing choices, completed ensembles to celebrate, and the occasional sewing disaster.  In other words: the “sew” in Sewphisticate. 

Reworking the Pattern

One of the biggest changes will be how I share my content.

For a long time, the blog was the primary place where I documented sewing and history projects through longer-format blog posts.  But, as social media and costuming content expectations evolved, I found myself gravitating toward shorter, more spontaneous updates.  Instagram in particular has been a wonderful place to share the day-to-day process, quick project updates, pictures, and the occasional history side-quests.  

Going forward, the Sewphisticate will be a little more divided between these spaces:

Social media will be where you can follow along with the day-to-day sewing, research, events, and project updates.  Join our historical costuming community on Instagram @TheSewphisiticate and Facebook @TheSewphisticate. 

The Blog, meanwhile, will be a place to slow down.  I may not be writing as frequently as I once did, and there will be no expectations or pressure to keep a rigid posting schedule – and that is fine.  What you will find here is an archive of over ten years of learning and making; as well as the occasional, new deep-dive on a project post, a research rabbit hole, a reflection on museum work, or simply something that doesn’t fit neatly into an Instagram caption.

There will also need to be plenty of time for researching and developing new programs for in-person lectures, workshops, and events. 

Setting up my "touch table" for a living history program:
"A Century of Fashion: 1776 – 1876" for the Limerick School's
America 250 Culture Day (May 2026)

The Next Stitch

Over the next year, I’ll be doing a digital audit of all the Sewphisticate’s various platforms and giving each of them a refresh. 

The first phase is relatively simple: ensuring my handle, @TheSewphisticate, is consistent across platforms; updating bios and other about sections; refreshing photographs and branding; and making it easier to find and book presentations. 

Then come the longer-term projects: this includes combing through older content and archiving blog posts that are no longer relevant; as well as developing a better organization system for the thousands of photos and files amassed over nearly fifteen years of content creation.  I suspect that this digital deep-clean will take years, rather than months – and that’s perfectly fine too.  The Sewphisticate is something I hope to continue building. 

While this digital housekeeping is happening in the background, of course, there will be new things to make and share.  And there already is a rather ambitious sewing project underway. 

September Happenings

What better way to return than with a very busy month?

AASLH & NCPH Joint Conference 

Next week, I’ll be driving down to Providence, Rhode Island, for the 2026 AASLH & NCPH Joint Conference: The Work of Revolution! 

(Official conference logo, source AASLH)

This will be my fifth AASLH (American Association of State and Local History) conference as an independent museum professional; and my second year serving on the Programs Committee (in official capacity for the National Park Service).  I’m also rotating onto the Diversity & Inclusion Committee in October, and looking forward to an energizing week of conference sessions, learning, listening, and networking with fellow museum and history folk. 

Since this conference experience is on my own time and dime, I added an extra day to explore the Breakers and Marble House mansions in nearby Newport.  In eager anticipation, I’ve read both Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe, as well as their second biography of Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune.  I can’t wait to take in some of that Gilded Age splendor myself! 

September 24: 1880s Getting Dressed Program

As soon as we return, on September 24, I’ll be at the Henrietta Library for “Getting Dressed in the 1880s,” co-hosted by the Antoinette Brown Blackwell Society & Henrietta Historical Society!  This FREE program starts at 6:30pm, though the library requests advance registration: register for the program here. 

I’ve fallen rather hard for the 1880s...While I’ve given this presentation before, I’ve refreshed my notes to include more fun, period advice on all matters of dress.  One of my favorite sources was The Correct Thing In Good Society (1888), which is digitized by HathiTrust.  

There will also be a new dress this time.  In fact, it’s the first dress project I’ve completed since the 1880s wedding and seaside dresses I made back in June 2025.  You can follow along with the project in real time through our Instagram stories, and I’ll share more about the dress once it’s complete.  

For now, here’s a sneak peak:

Front of the bodice with 12 functional bee buttons.

Interior of the bodice, including synthetic whalebone (plastic), waist tape,
and hand whipstitched bias hem facing. 

The finished skirt, featuring a 7" ruffle at the hem
with eyelet trim and matching brown velvet ribbon.

September 26: Living History Pop-up Program

Finally, on September 26, I’ll be returning to the Cayuga Museum of History & Art for their Creative Explorers Family Day.  From 11am – 3pm, I’ll be offering my living history pop-up on “Hidden History: Chinese Soldiers in the American Civil War.” 

 

Families and visitors of all ages are welcome to drop-in for conversation, examine primary sources and photographs, and learn about important, yet often overlooked contributions of Chinese Americans during the Civil War.  The program is included with general museum admission; and families are completely FREE all day, 10am - 5pm. 

Program Description: Through this living history pop-up program, explore the untold stories of Chinese soldiers in the American Civil War with Chinese American public historian Anneliese Meck @TheSewphisticate.  Learn about courageous individuals serving on land and at sea, as well as their struggles for citizenship, civil rights, and belonging in the country they called home.  Families will interact with photographs and primary sources to redefine who gets a Civil War story – what “hidden histories” will you uncover?

And with that, I suppose we should wrap what has become a rather lengthy return post.  

There is still plenty to figure out.  The digital housekeeping will take time, as will finding a rhythm for posting on social media again.  But, the Sewphisticate has never really been about having everything perfectly figure out.  It has always been about the process: researching, making, learning, experimenting, and sharing what I discover along the way. 

So here’s to a new chapter, and to continuing to follow those threads wherever they lead!