Design Academy Reimagined: A Year-Long Sewing Masterclass
Twelve principles. Twelve months. One unforgettable year of growth.
In 2026, Cinnamon Miles is opening the vault and teaching the Design Academy like never before—fifteen years after she first published the landmark series that inspired thousands of sewists worldwide. This is a complete, modernized re-imagining, blending Liberty Jane’s iconic design principles with today’s techniques, challenges, and creative opportunities.
And this year, there’s more:
Historical fashion deep dives with guest instructor Shari Fuller. Designer spotlight showcases. Sew Powerful Purse crossover projects. And a brand-new challenge every month.
If you loved the original Design Academy, you haven’t seen anything yet.
What You’ll Experience All Year Long
✨ Monthly Design Principles — Taught by Cinnamon
Each month unwraps one of the 12 Design Academy principles—Proportion, Focal Point, Rhythm, Color, Minimalism, and more—revisited, expanded, and demonstrated with beautifully detailed Liberty Jane examples.
👜 Sew Powerful Purse-Flap Project
Every principle becomes a hands-on purse-flap challenge.
From appliqué to FPP, EPP, embroidery, colorwork, fabric painting, and couture techniques—your flap becomes a design canvas with real-world purpose.
📜 Historical Fashion With Shari Fuller
Shari brings her knowledge of 1700s fashion, colonial-era silhouettes, and the design traditions leading into America’s 250th anniversary. Every month, she interprets the same principle through her Thimbles & Acorns and Keepers Dolly Duds lens.
📸 Monthly Community Show & Tell
Celebrate your progress through monthly reveals:
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Doll garments, sewing challenges, outfit combinations, and more! Each month we'll challenge you with a theme tie-in!
🎉 Featured Designer Guest Highlights Too!
Get up close and personal with a select group of Pixie Faire independent designers! Each month we'll be highlighting a designer and her brand with an in-depth Q&A and showcase of their work as it corresponds to the specific month's theme.
Who This Is For
This year-long experience is perfect for:
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Sewists wanting structured, year-long growth
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Designers ready to sharpen their creative instincts
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Doll clothing creators seeking professional-level small scale sewing skills
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Quilters & bag makers who want monthly inspiration
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Sew Powerful supporters who want sewing with a purpose
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Fans of Liberty Jane, Thimbles & Acorns, and other Pixie Faire Designers who want to learn directly from the designers and connect on a more personal level.
Whether you’ve been sewing for decades or just picked up your machine, this series will elevate your craftsmanship and ignite your creativity.
Why 2026 Is the Year to Join
Because this isn’t just a class…
It’s a celebration of:
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15 years of Design Academy
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15 years of Liberty Jane design evolution
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Fashion History Focused on the 250th birthday of the United States
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The global impact of the Sew Powerful purse program
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The incredible creativity of the Sewing With Cinnamon community
2026 is the most ambitious teaching year we’ve ever created.
What You’ll Have By December
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A 12-month Design Book filled with sketches, notes, and samples
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A collection of 12 finished purse flaps —each based on a design principle
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Multiple doll garments, historical pieces, and advanced samples
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Confidence in fabric selection, proportion, color, embellishment, and sewing technique
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A portfolio that reflects genuine, measurable growth
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A deeper connection with a meaningful global cause
This year-long course will change the way you see clothing design—forever.
Enroll & Sew With Us All Year Long
Join Cinnamon, Shari, and thousands of makers around the world for the most creative sewing year of your life.
Unlock the entire 2026 series. Explore your creativity. Sew with purpose.
>> Registration is open now. Don’t miss out!
2026 Sewing With Cinnamon – 12-Month Course Calendar
Theme: The 12 Principles of Design Academy — 15 Years Later
Each month follows the four-part format:
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Part 1 — Cinnamon: Deep Dive Into the Original Design Principle
Revisiting the Liberty Jane lesson, showing updated examples, techniques, and a monthly project challenge.
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Part 2 — Sew Powerful Crossover
Cinnamon creates a purse-flap design using the same principle (appliqué, FPP, EPP, embroidery, painting, textile manipulation, etc.).
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Part 3 — Historical Fashion With Shari Fuller
Shari presents a colonial-era / 1700s example illustrating the same design principle, using patterns from Thimbles & Acorns or Keepers Dolly Duds.
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Part 4 — Community Project Reveal
Show-and-tell of member submissions: dolls, purse flaps, quilt blocks (March), and Sew-A-Thon prep (September).
MONTH-BY-MONTH PLAN
JANUARY – Principle 1: PROPORTION
(Here's an example of how the 4-part series will roll out each month)
Part 1 — Cinnamon:
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Re-teach proportion using updated Liberty Jane examples (jacket lengths, skirt balance, scale of print vs. garment).
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Community Challenge: “Design a Proportion-Perfect Outfit” - draw it, sew it, share it.
Part 2 — Sew Powerful Purse Flap:
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Use 1/3 vs 2/3 ratio for flap design layout.
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Possible Techniques: two-tone flap, off-center appliqué, bold color-blocking.
Part 3 — Shari (1700s Style):
Part 4 — Reveal:
The remaining month by month topics include a deep dive into each design principle:
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FEBRUARY – Principle 2: FOCAL POINT
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MARCH – Principle 3: RHYTHM / REPETITION
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APRIL – Principle 4: HARMONY / UNITY
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MAY – Principle 5: COLOR
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JUNE – Principle 6: FABRIC MATTERS
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JULY – Principle 7: SURPRISE
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AUGUST – Principle 8: WAISTLINES
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SEPTEMBER – Principle 9: HOMAGE
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OCTOBER – Principle 10: MINIMALISM
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NOVEMBER – Principle 11: DISTRESSING & EMBELLISHMENT
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DECEMBER – Principle 12: SEWING TECHNIQUE & ORIGINAL PROJECTS
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