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18th Century Wig Styling
Always dreamed of having one of those towering 18th century wigs? Some lessons from a workshop.
2 commentsLorna Tate (Scotland)
Lorna tells us about her life in sewing, from her first minidresses in the Sixties right through to a very modern bridalwear business!
Drawn Threadwork Cuffs
This versatile technique is seen from very early medieval period right through to the twentieth century and on all kinds of linen items.
Ask the Experts - Cathy Hay
This month I've bitten the bullet and taken the hot seat myself! Thank you very much for all your great questions, I had a terrible time trying to choose between them!
Laurie Tavan of Daze of Laur
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This month, our interviewee tells us all about her work as a designer and maker of fine historical costumes.
Laurie Tavan's obsession with costuming comes as something of a surprise to many people, including herself. She trained in the life sciences at Cornell University, diving into study of ornithology and marine ecology with great enthusiasm.
Nobody would have expected that just a few years after leaving school for the "real world," she would be on another track entirely, having fallen completely in love with historical costuming. She approached it with her signature single-minded zeal, personifying the concept that "anything worth doing is worth overdoing."
She brings to costuming a potent blend of rigorous historical research and free-spirited artistic drive.
18th c. Marseilles Cloth Clothing
Loren studies surviving examples of Marseilles cloth, not on display to the public, and finds out more about the quilted clothing of the period.
Ask The Experts - Katherine Caron-Greig
Katherine Caron-Greig is the epitome of the obsessed amateur costumer. A teacher by trade, she spends her free time collecting and recreating historical costumes for her own amusement. Despite her taxing profession, she seems to retain boundless energy for her sewing and now boasts a historic wardrobe of dizzying proportions!
With experience of almost every historical period of clothing, Katherine has a special understanding of the pitfalls and opportunities that await the passionate hobbyist. After being our interviewee last month, Katherine kindly agreed to get comfortable in our hot seat for this month's Ask the Experts!
Research for the Historical Costumer: Tips, Techniques, and Resources by Kendra Van Cleave
Research – just the word alone can make some costumers’ hearts flutter, while others’ sink. For some, it represents an irritating waste of time, blocking the creation process, while others find creative inspiration and satisfaction in getting it “just right.”
This series of articles will set out to achieve a few different things. First, for those who are new to historical research, or can’t stand it, we’ll discuss why you should consider doing research, and some resources and techniques that will hopefully make the process more efficient (and therefore, a bit less painful). For those who love it, we’ll get into many advanced resources and techniques that will bump your research knowledge and skills up to the next level.
Shari Atalla (Netherlands)
YWU attracts costumers and seamstresses from all parts of the world and all walks of life, but also from a wide variety of age groups.
This month our Reader Profile features one of our youngest readers. Shari's learning as fast as she can about the costume she loves and how to make it into a rewarding career...