Meet the Maker
Rebecca Russell is the founder of all things BeespokeVintage and the proud new owner of the beloved reproduction pattern collection formerly known as the Vintage Pattern Lending Library.
Her entrepreneurial journey has always been rooted in love, legacy, and making things by hand. She first learned to sew at age three, sitting at her grandmother’s knee with plastic needles and yarn cards. What began as childlike curiosity grew into a lifelong passion for historical fashion and storytelling through garments.
Over the past 40 years, Rebecca has immersed herself in historical dressmaking, vintage garment construction, and pattern restoration. She has sewn under multiple business names, taken breaks to raise her children and serve as a contractor with the U.S. military, and always returned to the rhythm of the needle.
She started BeespokeVintage to preserve and share vintage fashion history—to make it more accessible, less intimidating, and deeply meaningful for makers of all levels. After years of collecting and researching historical patterns, she understood firsthand how difficult it can be to find accurate, high-quality designs that meet modern needs.
In 2025, she took a leap and acquired the Vintage Pattern Lending Library, an archive of rare patterns dating from the 1860s–1960s. That moment transformed her one-woman custom clothing shop into a mission-driven business dedicated to preserving fashion history and bringing it to life through beautiful, usable sewing patterns.
With two M.Ed. degrees and an MBA in entrepreneurship, Rebecca brings both an educator’s mindset and a maker’s heart to her work. She doesn’t just offer patterns—she walks alongside sewists, helping them choose the right design, understand historical context, and confidently bring each garment to life. Her goal is to make every step feel approachable, encouraging, and deeply rewarding.
Through BeespokeVintagePatterns, she is building a space where history is not only remembered, but worn, loved, and made by hand—again and again.