As America celebrates freedom this week, it’s important to remember the role that women played. From seamstresses to spies, the fight for freedom was fueled in no small part by the efforts of a generation of women who were still considered their husband's property under the law.

Vogue 1959 is a wardrobe trio featuring a jacket, tunic and soft pant. This post features garment samples and sewing tips when you're ready to create your version.

When Vogue 1694, was being developed, it was the end of a long hot summer and my goal was to design a versatile warm weather dress. Named for a friend, the Felicity can be made either with sleeves or sleeveless, and features flattering lines that can be adapted to different fabrics in a style to dress up or down.

This is a simple, flattering shirt that I will wear all summer. The pattern itself runs larger than I wanted so I cut this version smaller and longer, while simplifying and lengthening the sleeves.

Such a good thing when the fabric tells you what it wants. American Beauty Italian Cotton Woven did that even before I decided I wanted to use it for a shirt. So many design possibilities, so much fun to play with. Three different stripes arriving from three different angles in three different colors along with that beautiful bouquet of roses was just too fabulous to miss.

In my life I can never have too many knit t-shirt/tunic tops, they make up the backbone of my closet, and I love both the planning and the making. Katherine and I have these kinds of garments in mind when we choose the designs and color ways for our French digital collection.