The Girl with the Silver Thimble

Sigrid Rothchild is what you might call a clothing anthropologist. A graduate in Art History from the College of Charleston, Rothchild enjoys applying her seamstress skills not only to the everyday alterations and adjustments that make up her day to day business, but to recreating historically accurate costumes from as far back as the 14^th century.
“I’m interested in the inside and outside of clothing. Not only how it looks on the outside but how it was originally put together,” says Rothchild.
It’s an interest that runs in her blood; that and a penchant for working in the world of broadcasting. From 1947 to 1952 her father, Sigmund Rothchild, hosted a network television show called Trash or Treasure, where people brought antiques onto the show for Rothchild to appraise. Sigrid has since followed in his footsteps in her own way, working in television and radio broadcasting for years in New York before heading south and meeting two of her future loves; her husband and her hobby-turned-full time job.
“We [Rothchild and her son, Alexander] were in North Carolina for a few years and had plane tickets to move to Hawaii when, a few weeks prior, I met my husband-to-be in Nantahala. I ended up giving the plane tickets away and later we moved here, to Charleston,” Rothchild says.
Not finding any work in the broadcasting field, she decided to turn her seamstress skills into daytime work and started a job at the Bridal House of Charleston in 1992. From there she picked up work with Jade Productions, the costume production company for the Miss South Carolina Pageant, and stayed with them until they closed their doors in 2000. After going back to school for her degree, studying historic textiles in France, researching historic fasteners in Europe, and working with a handful of bridal companies and costume creators around Charleston, Rothchild decided it was time to open her own shop. Three and a half years ago, at the height of the recession, she did just that and opened the doors to the Silver Thimble.
“It was terrifying, but I couldn’t wait. I was so worried that first year but the business kept building up and I started receiving calls from all over the place. I think part of it has to do with my code of business ethics: be upfront about prices and always be kind,” says Rothchild.
It also has to do with her incredible ability to create just about anything you throw at her; and the harder the project, the more she enjoys the challenge. In fact, her talents have landed her not only the job of Head of Wardrobe at the Charleston Performing Arts Center, she’s also in high demand within a very popular international association: the Society for Creative Anachronism.
“I’m a costume geek, I always have been,” says Rothchild.
The Society for Creative Anachronism, or SCA, is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to the preservation, research, and recreation of the crafts, arts, and experiences of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The Society holds several events each year and this past year, for the Twelfth Night celebration, she was asked to make the costume for the King and Queen of Atlantia, the kingdom which represents all of the coastal states from South Carolina to Maryland.
“When they asked me to do it I had to tell my husband that he would have to ‘take care of me’ for a while. I didn’t cook, eat, or sleep until the day of the event. I had my son helping me and even my husband helped out by embroidering grommet holes. We made it in time and the costumes turned out beautifully,” says Rothchild.
Even though Rothchild still gets regular requests for costuming for everything from dance productions to family outfits for Purim, she still enjoys the everyday tasks of bridal gown alterations, suit adjustments, and general tailoring. Just don’t ask her to make any boat sails or luggage.
“I learned early on that if I’m not happy working on something, you won’t be happy with the final product,” says Rothchild, smiling.
Her biggest hope is that more people will learn to appreciate the art and craft that go into creating beautifully hand-tailored clothing.
“It’s all about passion. Sometimes you see something that someone else created and it just inspires you. I love a challenge,” says Rothchild.
 
The Silver Thimble is located at 1757 Savannah Highway near the intersection of Savannah Highway and Wappoo Road. For more information, visit www.silverthimblecharleston.com. For more information about the Society for Creative Anachronism, visit www.sca.org or for the local chapter, visit www.tearseasshore.atlantia.sca.org.