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We are celebrating Folkwear's 50th anniversary in 2026. Our oldest copyrights are from 1976, and we wanted to celebrate this milestone for Folkwear. Folkwear has 50 years of creating sewing patterns for historic and folk clothing from around the world. Fifty years of researching, designing, creating instructions and illustrations, publishing, and packaging. Fifty years of testing and sewing samples, of embroidering, of lace insertion, pintucks, quilting, and more.
We are so excited to celebrate this important anniversary with you! We have many fun things planned for the entire year.
Pattern Releases
We will be releasing one pattern almost every other month for the year, starting in January. Most of these will be patterns that have been out of print, but we have at least one new pattern planned. Bringing patterns back into print is a lot of fun, and a lot of work. We digitize the pattern, often grade up (if possible) to expand the size range, re-publish instructions, and create a PDF pattern. We love working with old Folkwear patterns, and think our 50th anniversary is a great opportunity to bring some treasures back into print.
Pattern Contests
We will have several fun contests throughout the year! Starting in February, we will run month-long contests every other month. Winners in each contest will receive a Folkwear gift card, and all participants will get a coupon code to use anytime during the year. You can submit garments from past contests in most of these, garments you made many years ago, or made just last week.
Details: Contest will open on the first of each month and close on the last day of the month, with details each month on our blog. Please send the best, clearest, least cluttered image you have, in as high a resolution as possible (300dpi, if possible). But, we aren't too picky! We just love to see what you make.
Anniversary Gala
We are starting to plan an anniversary party here in Asheville for sometime in September. A party to wear your favorite Folkwear outfit, or make a new one to show off. This would be a great time to visit the area if you live out of town. Ticket proceeds will go to support the area's continued recovery from Hurricane Helene. More details to come on this!
Open Studios
We will continue to have our studio open to the public with small displays from our sample collection. Open Studios will be on every first Friday and third Saturday (as long as these are not holidays).
More fun things throughout the year
If you order from us, you know that we send small postcards in each order with information about Folkwear. We are going to have special cards throughout this coming year for each illustration of patterns we have in print. Our iconic illustrations were done by Gretchen Schields -- right from the beginning of Folkwear. So these postcards can be collectible items. Store them with your patterns, use them for pattern notes, put them in small frames, or in your own special sewing journal. You can color them, write on them, mail them, and more. We will send at least one postcard in every order, and we will be changing the illustrations each month.
Lookbooks. We have created small commemorative Folkwear lookbooks that are booklets of our gorgeous pattern illustrations. These small lookbooks will be included in every order over $50. And, will be available to pick up in our studio. These booklets are a fun way to remember Folkwear patterns. Thumb through these beautiful illustrations, color them, remember the romance of Folkwear. Every three months, we will be changing the lookbook to have new illustrations. You can collect all four!
Be sure to sign up for our newsletters to know all that is happening all year! Sign up here.
