Sew Spectacular with Sarah Howard Stone

Posted on June 1, 2011 by bob in Features

Caroline Wood in a beautiful bonnet sewn using techniques taught by Sarah Howard Stone.

by Patsy Smith; photos by Bob Corley, Heath Stone, Patsy Smith

(Editor’s Note:  French hand sewing is an art used to create heirloom garments and linens to keep or give as treasures for special occasions. It imitates fine French hand sewing of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. French hand sewing, often referred to as heirloom sewing, is characterized by fine, often sheer, usually white cotton or linen fabrics trimmed with an assortment of lace, insertions, tucks, narrow ribbon, and smocking. Typical projects for French or heirloom sewing include children’s garments, especially christening gowns, and women’s blouses, graduation dresses, wedding gowns, and lingerie.)

Royalty lives and walks among us. Long considered the Queen of French hand sewing in the U.S. and a pioneer in that delicate art, 81-year-old Sarah Howard Stone’s influence on this timeless craft is not bound by distance or time. A Texas visitor drops by Stone’s shop, a planned visit and chat on a lengthy trip, while local grandmothers scour the store to match ribbons and lace for their soon-to-be breathtaking creations that will reach across generations.

Stone shares a laugh with visitors to her shop in Old Cloverdale.

Sitting quietly in the heart of Old Cloverdale, the bright, airy store-workshop is an oasis of calm one minute and a whirlwind of activity the next. Using patterns and techniques learned from books written by Stone, along with her freely given critiques, practitioners of French hand sewing create beautiful apparel for their children and grandchildren. The garments she inspires are works of art, heirlooms to be passed down, cherished, and cared for.

A Montgomery native, Stone first learned to “roll and whip” from her mother and became so taken with the art she created new stitches along with innovative techniques.

“As women became interested in learning the techniques,” said Stone, “it became a blessing for me to teach classes, because the things I fashioned in my mind could come to life much more quickly than if I had to make them all myself.”

For five decades Stone has influenced French hand sewing, and sewn regularly with groups for many of those years. The fortunate recipients of her creations and instructions include the ordinary, and the extraordinary.

Several women in Montgomery who sewed with Stone (the self-titled “Sew and Sews”) created a christening gown and slip for Lady Bird Johnson’s grandchildren. Stone’s sewing group in Monroeville fashioned then-Governor Lurleen Wallace a peignoir ensemble. And one of Stone’s books found its way to Princess Diana following the birth of Prince William. In fact, requests for her books come from as far away as Italy and Africa.

“Eventually,” she says, “even Montgomery purchased copies for its public library.”

Stone taught her first class in 1958 at the Montgomery YWCO using patterns drawn on brown paper bags in the middle of her living room floor. She soon began buying antique French and Swiss laces along with Swiss loomed fabrics. As word of her talent spread and people started sewing groups for her to come and teach, these and other items accompanied her “trunk shows” from town to town.

French hand-sewn garments are meant to be appreciated and enjoyed, and in 1965 Stone held the first of many fashion shows at the Jefferson Davis Hotel ballroom. These were held for several years to endow the Mary McLemore Scholarship Fund in honor of her dear friend from St. John’s Episcopal Church.

In the 1970’s Sarah partnered in a business on Mulberry Street called “Sew It Seams,” featuring all the fabrics, tools, and laces needed to fashion her garments. After selling that store she opened “The Other Place” on Old Selma Road.

“Surprisingly,” she gratefully acknowledges, “even with the drive people did not stop coming to see me for help with their projects and to buy my materials and laces.”

Stone’s daughter Melissa pioneered French hand sewing by machine, a technique still widely used today, and started traveling with her. Together they crisscrossed the state teaching classes – Dothan, Anniston, Greenville, Brewton, Selma, Mobile, Birmingham. They were soon traveling up to 2,600 miles a month, including trips to the Embroiderer’s Guild in such places as Colorado, Arkansas, Connecticut, Virginia, and the Carolinas.

“Melissa once told me,” Stone said, laughing, “there was not a place in America where we could break down that we couldn’t call someone for help.”

Her influence is so great she was once told by a lace distributor that her customers were the largest consumers of round thread lace in the world.

(l-r) Frances Brooks, Bennett Earnest and Lola Campbell enjoy the Garden Party.

In 1980, weary of traveling and teaching, she wrote her first book detailing and illustrating her techniques. It was followed by a second book and several patterns. As testament to the timeless appeal of French hand sewing and the quality of her instruction, Stone’s books and patterns continue to sell. Her work has even been featured in Creative Needle, a nationally distributed needle arts magazine.

Stone’s most treasured creation is a 12-foot detachable train she designed for her daughters’ wedding gowns.

Bordered by 25 medallions fashioned by hand sewing techniques and embroidery, the train took more than two years to complete. Some of the medallions feature designs painted on the ceiling of St. Johns church during the 1800’s. Other medallions were designed to record important events in each daughter’s life – births, baptisms, confirmations, weddings.

While she savors a lifetime of memories, one of her fondest is being locked up. On purpose. In the Metropolitan Museum.

“I was allowed to be “locked in” with the costumes stored there and to study them,” she recalled. “From that experience I came home with the idea for my pattern, “Bijoux.”

Stone’s son Bill works with the family business, Sarah Howard Stone, Inc., and since 1986, Ann Schaum has taught classes there. This small but dedicated cadre continues to attract new devotees to French hand sewing and to improve the skills of those who may have learned decades earlier.

(l to r) Louise Stewart, Mallory Mathiews and Ellie Adams in their heirloom finery.

In addition to materials for hand sewing, the shop sells a product created by her husband to restore discolored antique garments.

These days Stone seldom travels beyond the city to teach classes and sew, limiting those trips to Selma. The Cloverdale shop is where she spends most of her time, and young followers still come there to learn her techniques, including the daughters and granddaughters of those first trained by Stone. Many of the mothers and grandmothers still sew with her and remain steadfast friends and ardent supporters, well aware that their mentor’s devotion to the craft was not inspired by money.

“I’ve done it for the love of the art,” Stone says. “I consider each garment like a painting, and I approach it as such.”

At the Garden Party, Stone shares a special moment with Ann Wilbur.

Joyce Whittaker with granddaughters (l to r) Alexandra Thomas and Cori Jones with their friend nd their friend Alivya Gipson.

Each Spring a garden party is given in Stone’s honor featuring the artistry of her students. During the gathering children romp across hostess Bonnie Moore’s lawn and scamper through the garden, outfitted in what will one day be a family heirloom they, too, can hand down to their children and grandchildren.

Some children stop and offer “Miss Sarah” a hug and a kiss. It’s a heartwarming sight, fulfilling for the Queen of French hand sewing, for it’s her knowledge and skill that brought these families here and clad their children in pre-heirloom finery.  Yet the feeling of accomplishment you sense from Stone isn’t based on her own talents or the half-century of patient instruction she has handed out. Rather, it derives from the dedication and skill of those around her.

Heather Clark and children Baylee, Aidan, Anne Elaine, J.E.B.

Surveying the families at the garden party, Stone turns to Ann Schaum.

“They’ve done a beautiful job this year, haven’t they,  Ann?”

High praise indeed from such respected royalty.

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