Thank you for all your hard work making these two fabulous sites! It is easy to overlook just how much work is done by bloggers, forum admins, etc. Every time I visit your sites, I'm just amazed by what a fabulous resource you provide.

Miranda, UK

I just finished reading your article on binding corsetry and I cannot tell you how impressed I am with the instructions.  I have been making costumes (the 18th century at the Costume Design Center for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation) for 36 years, widening that field of study to the 17th and 19th centuries after retirement 7 years ago, and these are the most clear and concise instructions I have seen.  Congratulations to your teacher.

Nancy L. Glass, Virginia, USA

What YWU is doing is extraordinary, and *the* answer to those of us who can only move ahead with the resources you provide because for whatever reason, local courses/information are just not available to us.

To those that ask about my skills, I am quick to tell one and all that I would be light years behind if it were not for the internet and now especially Your Wardrobe Unlock'd. Location and finances are no longer an obstacle to learning.

We are given every opportunity to let you know what we are interested in for future content--so if we have any reason for complaint it is our own fault!

Charlene, Canada

Thank you so very much for responding to my note so quickly. I just joined and am thrilled! ... Your site is simply a dream!!! I am so grateful and excited to be part of it! My sewing machine will be smoking! A million thanks for taking your amazing skills and offering them to others!

Mary, USA

I just signed up for YWU and can't believe I waited so long. It's brilliant!

Richard, USA

Cathy, had the email and that's excellent service, thank you. The site is bloody amazing and has so many bits of information, I love it, it's awesome. The stuff I have found on there is what I have been looking for for the last year or so, about drafting patterns etc. Also some fabulous tips on costume making which are invaluable. I have to thank you for such a brilliant resource at such a brilliant price.

Johanna, UK

It's like adding all the people who write costume books and make costumes professionally to your friends list.

"Ravenrigan", via Livejournal

Hi Cathy, Another great reason to subscribe - you are real people and respond to problems... and it's obvious you work all sorts of over and above hours as well - I am impressed!

Adrienne, Australia

Oh, my goodness, only my first few weeks as a subscriber and I am wowed by the wealth of detailed content. The single pattern series is superb, for example. I look forward to my stolen moments away from work and children to devour articles.

Natalie, Kentucky, USA

I've been sewing (mainly in isolation) for over fifteen years, a few of your masterclasses later and my eyes are open to where I have been going wrong and letting myself down. [You] made me truly believe for the first time that I was not scratching around in the dark, and that I could do it.

Thank you more than I can say.

Laura, UK

This! Worth every penny! :D I loved the binding tutorial, and the body block tutorial I've used more than once with success. The corset tutorial was a beautiful walk through and easy to follow. The fabric sources are invaluable and I'm looking forward to using some of Lynn McMasters' millinery feathers. And that's just the stuff I may get to this year. LOL

Eggie, USA

The [Victorian corset] drafting was probably one of the easiest pattern making experiences I've had. Your instructions are wonderful. Now it's up to my sewing abilities! *Eep*

Anie, USA

I just want to let you know I used the pattern drafting instructions and the corset fits like a glove, better than any pattern!

Amelia, USA

This has been my most favorite read, each month gets better, I absolutely adore your magazine!!

Josie, USA/Germany

I used the tip [in the Ask the Experts feature] on basting velvet with ladder stitch last night and it worked a treat. It adds a little extra stability when it goes under the machine. Thank you!

Debbie, UK

I'm so excited! I was browsing for some advice on pattern drafting or alterations the other day, and found [a] wonderful online magazine for costume and corset making! I've just started my subscription today, and I'm so happy with all the wonderful info on the site!

It's only been up and running a few months but there are 2 fantastic tutorials on the basics of drafting a pattern and how to use this to make a 19th century corset from your own measurements! I have searched long and hard for something to enable me to make the things I dream about...and now I can!!

membership is just over £7 GBP a month which I think is an absolute bargain when you think about the cost of a pattern that wouldnt fit you half as well! theres lots of advice on there from people I've heard of, all of it sound and valuable... what a little gem!

Bethan, Wales

I also wanted to say thank you for doing such a great job with Your Wardrobe Unlock'd and Foundations Revealed. The content isn't always what I'm looking for, but the quality is always impeccable! I've come to understand how much work goes into planning and maintaining a website like this, keeping it updated and fresh, and making sure we get new articles on a regular basis. It's a hard job, and I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate that you and Marion are willing to put so much effort into it. As a dressmaker, my skills have grown and improved specifically because of what I've learned here. A lot of it is information you can't find elsewhere.

Lisha Vidler, USA

Thank you so much for such a wonderful site! This is just what I needed. I love making costumes, and wearing them too... thank you for so many wonderful ideas, I am going to schedule some times just to read all the wonderful things.

Brielle, Oregon, USA

I am a happy subscriber to YWU and have been for the last three issues. This is a completely unsolicited testimonial, but this is a great online magazine, chock full of really useful and helpful information, with much more to come, from what I understand.

Personally, I think it's worth every penny of the subscription price! Definitely take advantage of this opportunity to check it out... if you are into costuming at all, you will be floored by the awesome information in this online magazine!

Joan, California, USA (overheard on Livejournal.com)

The 'Unlock Your Dream Wardrobe' Masterclass is so inspirational; I've hung a bunch of the quotes around my sewing space already. Thanks for the wonderful resource!

Maura, USA

I think it's been worth every cent of my ten bucks so far. I've already found two new resources and a couple new techniques which will actually help me save time.

Leslie, USA

I love this new issue - the interlining advice and link is great! There is always something that makes it worth it!
Mona, Canada

It's like having a magazine just on historical costuming at my disposal.

Steph, USA

I found [a] link to Your Wardrobe Unlock'd about a week or so ago, and I've been very pleased with it so far. It may be new, but it'd definitely heading in the right direction. I've already used the corset drafting instructions to much success!

Amanda

I have much enjoyed the wardrobe unlock'd site ... Pointed a person or two to it after I subscribed, because it is made of awesome and needs to be shared and supported.

J, California, USA

If you sew, you need to know

Your wardrobe unlock'd is an online magazine run by professional costumers and seamstresses, and a few armatures [sic] who are very avid about sewing. The Website is a treasure trove of sewing tips, including several master classes, which offer tips on just about every aspect of sewing possible. In my opinion, the most helpful feature of their site is the articles on drafting. They literally walk you through step by step, teaching a person how to draft a corset. The ladies who put this site together give web references to where you can find the best costuming gear, and what supplies you need to do everything yourself. The entire point of this website, as stated many times, is to help learning costumers and seamstresses take their work from looking home made to looking professional. The information on this site is extraordinary.

The site has only been running [since December 2007], yet it already has a wealth of knowledge that it would have taken me years, if not my entire lifetime to learn on my own. The downside is that there happens to be a subscription charge. The good thing is it's only $11.97 monthly, and you can cancel at any time.

I give this website a A+ for doing such an amazing job. I really hope that they keep up the great work. In a way they are bringing back the idea of apprenticeship-- an accomplished seamstress passing down her information to a novice.

(Overheard on the Web)

Keep up the great work - I am super happy with your updates and articles!

Erica

You are one of the examples I use when I seek excellence in my own work. I am simply thrilled that you are willing to make a place for people to want to learn and achieve.

Moira, USA

This is the first corset I've drafted from scratch. That's right ladies and gents, I didn't use a pattern at all - I used the corset drafting class from Your Wardrobe Unlock'd, and drafted it all according to my own measurements. So it should fit like a glove, right? I just had a feeling that it was going to go fubar and have a gazillion re-do dummies. But, omg, it fit like a glove!

Hanna, Sweden

First off , thank you. I will get this taken care of today... I appreciate everything you all have done, so if ever asked, your customer service rocks! Have a great day!

Nanette, Ohio, USA

Thank you for such wonderful pages. I've let just about every costumer that I know, professional or otherwise know about them.

Mary, Florida, USA

I subscribed to the websites this weekend and I am amazed and dazzled by the content within. Fantastic work!

Noelle, CA, USA

How kind of you to email me. When I receive your updates it's like receiving email from a friend. Thank you for that... I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed Your Wardrobe Unlock'd since I joined just a couple of months ago. I check in several times a week.

Prentice, PA, USA

It's amazing how the site feels like good friends. Your kind response is proof that I am correct.

Sherry, OK, USA

I love both sites and have grown from both of them. [They] have made me feel less alone about my passion and about my experience level, and have helped to bridge the gaps [in which] I have been lacking. For this I thank you and the entire staff.

Margaret, Illinois, USA