Vote for YWU's 2012 Historical Themes!

Voting closes at 12 midnight GMT, 8pm EDT and 5pm PDT on October 28th, 2011

And the Years for this year's Double Period Project competition are........ 1812 and 1912!

Janyce Hill of the Vintage Pattern Lending Library tells us all about her ambitious archival project, showing us a few of her patterns.

We intervew Izabela Zebrowska, an amazing costumer and proprietor of Prior Attire. 

We answer your questions about the Double Period Project and about lace knitting patterns.

This month we have two questions:

Joyce inquires about plus size articles and what style of dress she would look best in (and gets some wonderful responses);

Elizabeth writes and wonders how to adjust a 1770's waistcoat pattern for a man with a large stomach (and learns that it probably won't be that much trouble.)

This month on the Letters, Questions and Answers page we have:

• Two requests for men's clothing articles (and the answer)
• Regency pinafores as seen in Jane Austen films: did they really exist?
• A free, globally available wealth of Regency fashion plates in full color
• What does Dickens mean by a "comforter" in A Christmas Carol?

This month:

• Trisha asks about creating a dress form for a French fashion doll and patterns for it.
• Shawn inquires about the historically correct way to piece an 1880 chemise
• Cathy explains about the DPP Corsets competition and FR

This month we have two questions: One on ruffles and the effect of grain and the other on working with large, light colored projects.

We also ask for your feedback about our newly re-organised site - are you finding YWU easier to use now?

Athena asks about costuming events, and we ask you, the readers, if you'd like an event calendar on the site in the new year.

Grace, winner of this year's SPP, responds to a request for more information on how she created the beautiful decoration on her gown.