I'm Jenni, the maker behind Historically Dressed. I have 35+ years of sewing experience, beginning with doll clothes, then progressing to people clothes, then historically authentic costumes, and everything in between, from home decorating to crazy Halloween costumes! Professionally, I worked in IT for many years, even going back to school for computer science, while on the side, I enjoyed sewing all kinds of things, as well as occasionally giving sewing lessons or talks about historic costume. A shortage of jobs in my area that matched my skillset led me to take a leap of faith and go pro with my sewing, taking a position as Costume Technician for Plimoth Plantation (a "living history" museum in my area). Everyone always tells you not to make your hobby into your job, because you'll start to hate your hobby. . . But the opposite was true for me! I loved getting to make things all day! When the 2020 pandemic hit, and I suddenly found myself furloughed from my job and sitting at home with lots of time on my hands, I grabbed the opportunity to focus seriously on a dream I'd had for decades: to have my own small business selling handmade historical things and patterns. I designed and crafted the first collection, and then dusted off the programming skills to build the web site you now visit.
Currently, only a small selection of historical costume items for ball jointed dolls are available, but I am already hard at work on the next ball jointed doll collection, as well as some fun things sized for American Girl and similar "playscale" dolls, including some new doll knitting patterns! If you'd like to be in the loop when new offerings are released, I invite you to sign up for the mailing list, and feel free to follow the Historically Dressed Instagram for a sneak peek of what's in the works and what goes on behind the scenes.
Aside from the crafting I do for Historically Dressed, I also still enjoy sewing for myself (modern and historical things), as well as collecting, making, and restoring dolls of all kinds. When not crafting, I enjoy web development, snuggling my three cats (Ginger, Taffy, and Woody), reading, and noodling around with my collection of 1980s My Little Ponies, (and even have an Instagram account where I post and blether about my pony collection!)
Thank you for your visit to my site, and for taking the time to read about me and my dream!