Margo Anderson was born in 1957, and has been interested in historical costume since the age of six. She went to her first Renaissance Faire in 1973, wearing a costume that can charitably be described as "an ambitious effort." But even then she was hooked, and began creating Renaissance costumes, first for herself, then for friends, and, as her skill and knowledge grew, finally for customers.
One of her first jobs involved working on costumes at a casino showroom in Lake Tahoe. This introduction to professional-level theatrical costuming was followed by a position at Bob Mandel's costume shop in San Francisco. The next years saw Margo in a variety of sewing-related enterprises: in the wedding industry, she performed alterations and created custom wedding gowns. She also managed the sewing machine departments at several locations of a chain of fabric stores. By that time the Renaissance costumes she created for a few select customers had begun winning awards, including CostumeCon, and, at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire one year, Best Children's Costume, Best Adult Noble, and Best of Show. She also judged the Renaissance Pleasure Faire costume Contest (but not the same year, of course!)
(Some of these costumes can be seen in the gallery at Margo's personal website, One Tough Costumer.)While living in the Bay Area she worked in the costume shop at one of San Francisco's leading theatre companies. This return to theatrical costuming allowed her to work closely with some of the best designers, costumers, and tailors in the business, and her skills increased dramatically. Much of the professional technique she acquired in that job has been passed on as some of the detailed instructions in the pattern manuals.
She has been active in the Society for Creative Anachronism, where she is known as Lady Maudeleyn of Bryn Aur.
In 1999, an opportunity presented itself and she leaped at the chance to start her dream business, Historic Costume Patterns. Our patterns, and this website, are the fruits of that opportunity, and of over thirty years of study and practice.
A lifelong Californian, Margo lives with her husband, Wayne, and two sons in a small town in the Sierras.
...but on the weekend of September 7, 2002, she traveled to Michigan, where she had been invited to be the keynote speaker at the SCA's 2002 Knowne World Costume Symposium (click it for the official website). If you weren't lucky enough to catch her presentation, rest assured that the distilled essence of it will eventually be available on this website (in the "Thoughts on Costuming" section), and the principles will appear in a planned future pattern.