Sarah Meadows Walsh | @pins.abigail

Sarah Walsh is an independent researcher, school librarian and educator who became involved in living history through theatre. In 2015, she played Abigail Adams in the first fully staged all-female/nonbinary production of “1776.” A year later, she was invited to portray Abigail with an 18th-century reenactment group, and launched into studying Abigail’s life and letters in earnest. Having learned machine sewing from her mother at age 10, Sarah is now using historical clothing construction techniques and skills to create a wardrobe spanning the years of Abigail’s life. She is on Instagram as @pins.abigail, and regularly shares updates about her 18th- and 19th-century sewing projects and research. She lives with her family in the Washington, D.C. area, and has given first-person programs for a variety of sites and organizations including History-at-Play, the DAR Museum, City Tavern, Mount Harmon Plantation, and Historic Port Royal.

Naomi Ryan | @historymadetactile

Naomi R. spends her days leading construction teams through the preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration of historic buildings. She holds a B.F.A. in Theater Production and an M.S. in Historic Preservation. Historic costuming combines her love of both history and storytelling and she treasures the  opportunity to share the history of women of the past at live interpretation events. As a sewist, Naomi is primarily self-taught and finds the process of sewing by hand mediative and a lovely counterpoint to her hectic work-life. The practice of re-making gowns in the 18th and 19th centuries has fascinated her for years and she is excited about the opportunity to participate in this reconstruction. She believes that learning from the choices women made in the past as they altered the gown to fit the then-current fashionable silhouette will provide insights on what these women prioritized in the remaking. In case there wasn’t enough going on, Naomi and her husband, Jeff, are slowly rehabilitating an 1893 rowhouse in Old Town Alexandria, VA. 

What fascinates Naomi about this project is the opportunity to study an 18th-century dress in two ways. First, by examining all the details involved in making and remaking it. Secondly – the part she’s most excited about – by recreating it. Physically placing each stitch is going to reveal a great deal about how the original and subsequent makers put the garment together, how they worked with their fabric to reduce waste, and how the re-makers worked within the confines of those choices when they altered the garment later. This is the perfect embodiment of her Instagram handle, @historymadetactile. To get to do all this in the company of friends will be an added bonus!

Naomi Glaser | @naomiloveshistory

Naomi’s journey into historical sewing began in childhood, sparked by a deep fascination with stories like Little Women and the world of American Girl. She was captivated not just by the characters, but by the way clothing helped bring their lives and time periods to life. That early curiosity grew into a lifelong passion for both historical fashion and storytelling.

She began taking her work more seriously during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she found the time and space to fully immerse herself in sewing and researching historical dress. What started as a creative outlet quickly became something much more meaningful, a way to connect with the past in a hands-on, deeply personal way.

Naomi’s work is especially grounded in a commitment to highlighting Black history and women’s history, both of which are too often overlooked in traditional narratives. Through recreating historical garments, she aims to explore not only beauty and craftsmanship, but also the complex stories behind them, stories of labor, identity, resilience, and expression.

Her work can be found on all socials at @naomiloveshistory 

Lisa Neel | @twinsnneedles | @lisacneel

A visit to Mount Vernon in 2017 on the 4^th of July inspired Lisa to try her hand at 18^th Century style clothing. She made a pair of stays from a kit and fell in love with the era. Since then, she has completed twelve formal courses on original practice construction and cutting for the 18^th Century. She has studied extant garments held at Laurel Historical Society, the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, the Darnell Fashion Collection, and the Genesee Country Village and Museum.

Lisa has fully hand-sewn several full 18^th century ensembles including a 1730s silk mantua, three 1760s English gowns, two 1780s Italian gowns in linen, and a late 1780s Riding Habit. She’s also done her share of plain sewing by making many shifts, petticoats, neckerchiefs, and men’s shirts.  Sarah and Lisa have been friends and sewing/fitting companions for years and this collaboration is a perfect blending of their shared interests and skills. 

Katherine Shaepman| @ladykatehs

Kate has been very “hands on” and an avid creator since she was little. Much of her initial inspiration came from her Nana’s own crafting, summer visits to New England, and the outdoor time with animals that she often found so relatable in historic films. Sewing for fashion always seemed intimidating, but, in the spring of 2020, along with many others, she took the leap into historical sewing. A wonderful friend recommended Burnley and Trowbridge’s Youtube Sew-a-longs, and it wasn’t long before she progressed to taking trips to the heart of Williamsburg, VA for their in-person workshops. Eager to understand the ins and outs of hand sewn garments, she has been slowly stitching her way through an 18th century wardrobe. Most recently, Kate has had the privilege of assisting in those same gown creation workshops, and has been so grateful to pass on the love that this hobby has given her! For this project with Buttonwoods, Kate is excited to continue giving back to the community with her own bit of handiwork, and for the opportunity to help with telling the lesser-known stories from history, so they can continue to teach and inspire others.