This has been such a devastatingly sad and bizarre year, hasn't it?  The pandemic we'd hoped would never happen has profoundly changed lives around the world, and left so many dead.  As a creative person, keeping inspired and motivated during this moving horror has been a challenge, as I'm sure it has for so many.  Yet it's been that ability to turn to creative work that has helped me, and I hope others, maintain our sanity and sense of fun. 

Nonetheless, what's been going on all around us can't help but have an effect.  During this past year, I've found myself ignoring projects I should be working on, procrastinating over others, having difficulty applying myself consistently on many, but then suddenly diving into a flurry of activity on tangential things.  This is what seems to have happened lately; I found myself drawn to complete two ca. 1770-75 gowns, both from the same pattern I devised, both in cotton (which I rarely work with), and both almost entirely hand-sewn.   Both were in a sense rather pointless projects, since I doubt I'll be going anywhere in them anytime soon, but both gave me joy to make. 

Binge-watching old Star Trek episodes on Netflix provided hours of silly entertainment in the late evenings while I stitched away on one gown, then the next.  I almost began a third (and fourth!) gown -- had all the fabric laid out and yardage planned -- before I stopped myself and realized I should probably try to get back to focusing on pattern-drafting!  A nasty kitchen mishap in March had left me with a partly numb forefinger on my right hand, which was a good way to avoid pattern drafting -- until now.   I have most of my control of that finger back, so it's time to return to my "real" work. 
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So here are some photos of the two recently finished cotton gowns, along with a video just for fun!  By the way, over the next few weeks I'll be finishing work on the pattern for this 1770-75 gown design, along with a somewhat different ca.1760-65 gown (see my blog post on the "Countess Howe" pink gown).  Both designs will be included in one pattern, along with several accessories.  I'll be sure to announce here once the pattern is available!  (Click on "Read More" below, to continue)

Every so often I have a customer contact me to say they're having difficulty figuring out how to open and/or print a 'History House' pattern at home that they've just downloaded from my Etsy shop.  

Printing these patterns is usually a matter of just 3 or 4 simple steps once the PDF pattern file has been opened with Adobe.  I'm hoping the guidelines below will help with any questions that arise, and will explain some of the principles behind PDF patterns. 

My main (and first) recommendation to all purchasers of 'History House' PDF patterns is to read the Printing Instructions that come with the pattern download package, and follow them in order, step-by-step.  Otherwise, please look through this article to see if any of the advice might help. ​

Below is a copy of the Printing Instructions document that comes with every History House PDF pattern.  All our patterns are set up to be used with Adobe Reader software (see below).  If you're thinking of buying a PDF History House pattern, and you've never tried one before, I recommend looking at these instructions, and then trying the printing process with one of the simple free patterns (see the link just below, or at the very bottom of this article).   ​

I love what today's technology can do, but I'm definitely not capable of explaining  in any detail how it does its magic!  I leave that to the geek squad.   But here are the basics about History House PDF sewing patterns:  (click on "read more", below right, to continue)