Love of sewing patterns leads to top collection

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — If a costume designer wanted to re-create a World War I era wraparound dress, a 1940s zoot suit or even a bodice from 1875, the sewing patterns are in Rhode Island.

The University of Rhode Island has the largest known collection of sewing patterns in the world, according to the collection’s curator, Joy Spanabel Emery, and the United States Institute for Theatre Technology.

About 50,000 are on paper and 62,000 are in an electronic database. They’re at the university because of Emery’s love of patterns.

Emery donated her personal collection of patterns and periodicals to the university years ago and has pains- takingly sorted through the donations sent there as word spread about the growing repository. Three more boxes full just arrived to be added to the overflflowing fifiling cabinets.

“This is much more than a hobby. It really is a passion,” said Emery, a professor emerita of theater at URI. “I’m learning things every day about pattern companies and the difffffffffffferent styles and I enjoy creating something that’s a legacy.” As a costume designer, Emery began saving paper patterns in the 1980s because everyday clothes often aren’t preserved over time.

The oldest patterns in the collec tion are from 1847, including a baby cap. The database can be used to trace the evolution of clothing and recurrence of trends.