Welcome to the homepage for Sarah Thursfield . I'm most widely known as the author of ' The Medieval Tailor's Assistant ', but I've been researching the history of dress for more than twenty years and sewing for more than forty.

From the earliest surviving needles to twentieth-century dressmaking manuals, my aim is to trace the development of clothing technology and the individual garments which make up the typical dress of any given time, because only by taking a long view can we make sense of the details.

I have a detailed knowledge of early cut and construction; the practical skills to interpret these for modern wearers and materials; and the ability to pass both knowledge and skills to students of all kinds.