About
I'm Aubree. I've been drawn to making things with my hands for as long as I can remember, and this site is the notebook I keep as I learn the craft that has taken hold of me most: dressmaking.
How I got here
I've been interested in all sorts of crafts since I was a child. Making things has always been part of how I spend my time. But it's only in recent years that I decided to take up dressmaking properly, and it turned out to be the one that asks the most of me: patience, precision, a bit of maths, and a willingness to unpick something and do it again.
My first piece was a circle skirt, because it seemed the easiest thing for a beginner to cut and sew. I still made plenty of mistakes along the way! I've written it up, wonky zip and all, in My First Circle Skirt. Sewing the waistbands on my early skirts gave me a head start when I moved on to more complicated garments, such as shirts and dresses, with their collars, sleeves, buttonholes and closer fitting. I haven't attempted trousers yet. They're on the list, and when I do, I'll write up what I learn here. You'll find all my write-ups on the projects page.
I'm still learning, and I expect to be for a long time. That's part of what I love about it. There's always another technique to try, another fabric that behaves in a way I didn't expect, or another fitting problem to puzzle out.
What this site is
As I've learned, I've written things down: how a technique works, what to watch out for, which tools and materials suit which job, and the explanations I wish I'd found when I was starting. This site is those notes, tidied up and organised so they're useful to someone else too.
It's written as a personal notebook rather than a neutral encyclopedia. Where I have a preference or an opinion, I've said so. The step-by-step pages include diagrams to show what's happening inside a seam or on a pattern piece, and the calculators and charts cover the sums and lookups that come up at the cutting table.
Why the history matters to me
Dressmaking has a long and fine history, and I find it fascinating. The more I've learned about how clothes were made in the past, from Victorian corsetry to the bias-cut gowns of the 1930s and the New Look, the more I've understood why we sew the way we do now. So alongside the practical pages there's a history section covering Western fashion from roughly the Victorian era to today. I've listed my sources on each history page so you can read further.
Corrections and questions
Because I'm learning as I go, I'm sure I'll sometimes get things wrong or find a better way of doing something later. If you spot a mistake or have a question, I'd be glad to hear from you on the contact page, and I'll update the notebook as I learn more.
Where to start
Never picked up a needle before? Where to Begin is the short path through this site I'd hand a beginner, rather than the whole thing at once. Or browse the techniques, the glossary, or the history, whichever catches your interest.