Sew Straight And Gather Patterns? Best 51 Answer

Guys get ready – we’ve rounded up our favorite sewing patterns for beginners so you can start making your own clothes, accessories and more! Whether you’re returning to sewing after a few years without your machine or have never sewn a stitch, it’s a good idea to start sewing clothes with a simple pattern so you can perfect the basics before you move on to trickier projects. We all have to start somewhere, so fire up the sewing machine, try one of these beginner sewing patterns and we promise you’ll never look back. Scroll down to see our clothing patterns or jump to our easy accessories to sew patterns.

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Looking for more sewing tips for beginners? We have some expert guides to help you get started! Try our best sewing machines for beginners, a guide to sewing for beginners or discover our sewing machine tutorial.

Main image (above): The Scout Tee © Grainline Studio

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Best Sewing Patterns for Beginners: Clothing

Is there anything more satisfying than wearing homemade clothes? We’ve rounded up some of our best sewing patterns for beginners to get you started. These easy sewing projects will help you build your confidence while showing your individual style.

Take a look at our quick list below, then scroll down to see more images and purchase the patterns (or download them for free!).

Easy Sewing Patterns for Women’s Clothing Victory Rock: I AM Patterns

Kimono Top: Just sew

The Boy Scout T-Shirt: Grainline Studio

Silk Cami Top: Sew over

Dress pink: simply sew

Cleo Apron: Tilly and the Buttons

Moneta dress Colette

Cropped Inari T-Shirt: Named Clothing

Dress Amélie with a square neckline: simply sew

Coco dress and top: Tilly and the buttons

101 Pants: Merchant and Mills

DIY wrap dress: simply sew

Ultimate Sheath Dress: Stitch Over

Dress Leila: Simply sew

Breton dress: simply sew

Pajama Pants: The new crafting house

Maxi skirt: simply sew

Liberty dress: just sew

Beachcomber dress: MadeByJacksMum

Dress Olivia: The Sewing HQ

Rock Salida: Eternalmakershop

The Lara set: simply sew

The Sun Dress: The Enthusiastic Seamstress

I AM Pattern: The Rock of Victory

Start tailoring in style with this easy to construct beginner gathered waist skirt – it’s a great project for learning how to use your sewing machine, manipulate fabrics, add a button and finish with a hem. You can also try inserting a zipper. Want to customize the length or design? It’s easy to shorten or lengthen, and you can also choose from three different bag styles.

The Victory Rock pattern includes six sizes. Get the paper pattern for $15 or download the digital version at iampatterns.fr

Sew a starter skirt using The Victory Skirt © I AM Patterns

Grainline Studios: Boy Scout T-Shirt

What do we want? Easy to sew tops with a comfortable fit! When do we want it? Now! Known for their easy-to-follow instructions and time-tested sewing patterns, Grainline Studios fulfills our desire for an easy-to-make top that we can wear every day. This woven t-shirt has cap sleeves, a scoop neckline and is fitted at the shoulders. This beginner-friendly pattern gives you a chance to practice sewing basic straight seams, using bias tape, adjusting sleeves, and sewing basic hems.

The Scout Tee sewing pattern is available as a PDF or paper pattern at grainlinestudio.com and costs $14-$16

Simply sew: cropped kimono top

With just two pieces to cut out and sew together, garment construction doesn’t get easier than this kimono top from Simply Sewing Issue 3. It can be made from a variety of fabrics – make yours with a cotton print like we have for a crisp, structured feel, or try crepe or rayon for a looser, more draped look. And if the cropped length isn’t for you, it’s easy to lengthen to match your style.

Get the Free Kimono Top Pattern and find out how to make it.

Learn the basics of constructing a simple bodice with this free sewing project for beginners

Sew over: The silk cami top

Learn to sew like a pro with silky fabrics with this chic and simple bodice. You’ll practice sewing garments with a clean finish using French seams and learn how to add an all-in-one trim for a professional finish. Need help with your cami? Check out the Silk Cami Sewalong.

The pattern is available in UK sizes 8 to 18 from the Sew Over It pattern shop at sewoverit.co.uk as a PDF sewing pattern from £9.

Practice adding a slip with the Silk Cami Top—without worrying about inserting sleeves © Sew Over It

Easy to sew: dress pink

This chic dress is perfect for summer parties – or choose an autumnal pattern and pair it with a cardigan for cooler September outings. Available in UK sizes 6-20 (US 4-18/EUR 34-38).

This pattern can be downloaded as a PDF from Simply Sewing’s Etsy shop for £8.99.

The pink dress is a vintage-inspired style with a relaxed fit and ruffled hem details. © Magazine Simply Sew

Tilly and the buttons: The Cleo strap and bib dress

The trendy Cleo pattern has no cumbersome zippers to worry about and requires minimal adjustment. Make it dungaree style with buckles or dungarees with button closures. You can vary the length and optionally add topstitching and patch pockets on the front or back.

If you’re a total newbie to tailoring, fear not! The pattern includes easy-to-follow steps and instructions that break the jargon, as well as photos showing you how to sew each piece.

Buy the printed pattern for £12.50 at shop.tillyandthebuttons.com or download the PDF version for £11.50.

Sew your first dress with The Cleo dungarees © Tilly and the Buttons

Colette: The Moneta dress

Say hello to simple tailoring with bags with understated attitude. Blending elegance and comfort, this is THE dress if you want to learn to knit and make a garment in just a few hours or days (depending on your sewing time!).

Choose between three versions, all featuring a scoop neckline, fitted bodice and gathered skirt with welt pockets. You can customize the sleeves, collar, and bodice lining to suit your ability and style.

Sew it in sizes XS to 3XL. Find this PDF pattern for $14.00 at www.colettepatterns.com

Learn to knit and sew a dress in one weekend with The Moneta Dress © Colette

Named Clothing: Inari Crop Tee

Cropped t-shirts are trending and it’s easy to sew the trend! Not ready to wear cropped tops? No problem! You can turn your t-shirt into a loose fitting dress as this pattern gives you both options. Try sewing short sleeves with cuffs and adding slits on the side of the dress version.

If you are a little nervous about sewing with knits and heavier fabrics then this is the garment for you as it works well on light to medium weight fabrics with little or no stretch.

Buy the PDF or printed pattern for €13-19 from www.namedclothing.com and sew in UK sizes 4-18 (EUR 32-46, US 0-14).

Sew short sleeves with the trendy cropped Inari Top © Named Clothing

Simply Sewing Magazine: Amélie Square Neck Dress

Bring some vintage style into your wardrobe with this gorgeous square neckline dress pattern! This beautiful design includes a fluted sleeve option so you can put your new sewing skills to the test! It’s ideal for spring and summer days, but you can pair it with a cozy cardigan when the weather gets cooler in September.

This sewing pattern is available in UK sizes 6-20 (US 4-18/EUR 34-38). Download the PDF and instructions from Simply Sewing’s Etsy shop for £8.99.

Tilly and the Buttons: The Coco Dress and Top

Learn to sew with knitwear and you’ll open up a whole new world of tailoring… and Coco will show you how! Whether you want to make Coco as a Breton top or as a knit dress, this pattern has many variations to suit your style. Plus, it’s super easy to sew, easy to attach, and contains no zippers, buttons, or other fiddly parts.

Buy the printed pattern for £14.50 from shop.tillyandthebuttons.com or download the digital version for £11.50 here.

Who doesn’t want to sew their own Breton top or dress? (we do!) © Tilly and the buttons

Merchants and Mills: 101 Pants

We’ve been looking for a matching pant pattern for a long time when we came across these drawstring pants with side pockets and a false fly, cut to sit on the waist. Choose between three versions – cropped and tapered pants, wide straight pants or shorts (see image below).

Shop the paper patterns in sizes 8 to 18 for £14.50 at Merchandiseandmills.com

Make simple, dressy drawstring pants with the 101 pants and shorts pattern © Merchant and Mills

Just sew: DIY wrap dress

Twist, drape, tie… one dress, endless ways to wear it – and we’ll show you how to sew it! Portia Lawrie designed this convertible wrap dress tutorial for a clever multi-style dress that makes dressing for a party a breeze.

This is a patternless project so you can skip the pattern cutting phase entirely and make this dress using just your measurements (and your chosen fabric of course!). It’s easy and quick to do, and you can style it in a variety of ways.

How to sew an infinity dress

Sew your own party dress – no pattern needed with this free dress sewing project

Sew over: Ultimate Sheath Dress

You can never have enough shift dresses! Designed for beginners, the Sew Over It Ultimate Shift Dress pattern guides you through the tailoring process, from sewing bust darts to attaching neckline trimmings. There’s plenty of room for customization once you’ve mastered the basics, and it comes with a free maternity hack option.

This pattern is available in UK sizes 8 to 20 as a paper or PDF pattern from the Sew Over It pattern shop

Learn the basics of sewing with The Ultimate Shift Dress © Sew Over It

Simply sew: Dress Leila

This pretty dress is super comfy and perfect for lounging at home – or at the weekend for a casual style. It’s easy enough to make even for a beginner! The pattern is available in UK sizes 6-20 (US 4-18/EUR 34-38).

The PDF can be downloaded from Simply Sewing’s Etsy shop for £8.99.

Familiarize yourself with this easy sewing pattern for beginners © Simply Sewing Magazine

Just Sew: Breton Dress

This beautiful skater dress is incredibly comfortable and easy to wear. Give it a classic Breton look by opting for a striped fabric for the bodice, or get creative and make up your own color combination.

This pattern is available to download from Simply Sewing’s Etsy shop for £8.99.

This casual dress is very comfortable and easy to wear

The New Crafting House: Pajama Bottoms

Is there anything cozier than snuggling up in a pair of comfortable pajama bottoms? This easy sewing pattern from The New Craft House is a no-fuss sewing project for beginners and perfect for those chilly winter nights! Find out how to make pajama bottoms.

This pajama pants project is a great easy sewing pattern for beginners!

Simply sew: maxi skirt

A maxi skirt is a great piece of clothing to wear in summer and early fall. It keeps you cool on sweltering summer afternoons and keeps your legs warm on summer evenings. If you are struggling to find a maxi skirt that fits your figure then this is the sewing pattern for you as it can be tailored to fit your figure perfectly. Try making our DIY maxi skirt pattern today.

Simply sew: dress Liberty

This classic dress suits almost every occasion! Pair it with an elegant jacket for a special occasion or don a cardigan for a more casual look.

This Liberty dress sewing pattern is available to download from Simply Sewing’s Etsy shop for £8.99.

MadeByJacksMum: Beachcomber Dress

This easy to wear dress can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes and worn as a dress or tunic. It is a wardrobe essential for spring and summer days! This pattern is available in a variety of sizes from XXS to 5XL.

The Beachcomber dress pattern is available from the WavesandWild shop on Etsy for £8.11.

The sewing headquarters: Olivia dress

This beautiful dress is flowy and elegant! It has a gathered waist panel to ensure a comfortable fit and this pattern is suitable for the more adventurous beginner.

The pattern for the Olivia dress is available from The Sewing HQ shop on Etsy, priced at £9. It is available in UK sizes 6-20.

Rock Salida: Eternalmakershop

Is there anything more comfortable than a corduroy skirt? This super versatile skirt can be worn to work or at the weekend. While we think it looks great in corduroy, it could easily be made in denim or linen as well. This pattern is great if you want to try something trickier and take your stitching to the next level.

The Salida skirt is available from Eternalmakershop on Etsy for £20.50.

Simply sew: The Lara set

This fantastic kit includes both a DIY top and dress. We absolutely love the chic silhouette of the Lara dress – it even has pockets! This is another sewing project that is ideal for sewing beginners looking for something a little more challenging. This would be a wonderful outfit for an occasion where you need to look elegant and sophisticated.

The matching Lara top has a beautiful sheath silhouette – practical and stylish at the same time.

You can purchase the Lara set from the Simply Sewing Shop on Etsy for £8.99. Available in UK sizes 6-20.

The enthusiastic seamstress: The sun dress

Do you dream of warm summer days? Designed by The Avid Seamstress, this gorgeous summer dress is sure to become one of the staples in your summer wardrobe!

The Sun Dress pattern is available from The Avid Seamstress Shop on Etsy for £16.50.

How to make a wrap dress

Learn how to design your own sewing pattern that fits your own measurements with Portia Lawrie’s How To Sew a No-Pattern Wrap Dress Guide.

Try our DIY wrap dress pattern.

Best Sewing Patterns for Beginners: Accessories

Looking for more sewing patterns for beginners? Every outfit needs some stylish accessories to complete the look! We’ve rounded up some of our favorite easy sewing projects from Simply Sewing Magazine to get you started – they’re quick and easy to make and you’re sure to find something you love. Many of these patterns also make great gifts.

Take a look at the list below to see our collection of easy sewing projects and discover your next pattern!

Simple accessory for sewing fabric necklaces

DIY headband

Homemade hair ties

bento bag

Envelope clutch bag

clasp purse

DIY heat packs

Fabric necklace

New to sewing? This easy sewing project is a great way to use leftover fabric and turn it into a stunning accessory. Learn how to make a fabric necklace with Anna Alicia’s step-by-step tutorial.

DIY headband

This quick and easy sewing pattern can be made from fat quarters or leftover scraps of fabric you have hanging around. It is also an ideal sewing project for beginners. Find out how to make a headband with this sewing pattern created by Jennie Jones.

Homemade hair ties

Hair scrunchies are easy to make and go with any outfit! Try this easy beginner sewing pattern created by Jessica Entwistle and learn step by step how to make a hair tie.

bento bag

Off to the beach? This Japanese-inspired bento bag is perfect for all your holiday essentials – or to carry over your shoulder while shopping. Find out how to make a bento bag with our free sewing pattern for beginners designed by Jennie Jones.

Envelope clutch bag

While we’ve used a summery fabric here, you can opt for a more seasonal design and take this clutch to a wedding or formal party. Try Jennie Jones’ wonderful sewing pattern and discover how to make an envelope clutch bag.

clasp purse

Keep your coins safe by sewing your own clasp purse! This easy sewing project would make a wonderful gift for a young child and won’t take you long to master the pattern. Follow Jessica Entwistle’s sewing tutorial to learn how to make a clasp purse.

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DIY heat packs

If you’re new to sewing, making a DIY heat pack is a great way to practice some basic sewing techniques and get familiar with your sewing machine. Plus, they keep your hands warm in cold weather! Learn how to make your own DIY heat pack.

Have you fallen in love with a pattern only to find it doesn’t come in your size? A couple of ladies have told me that Itch to Stitch patterns don’t come in their sizes – some are smaller and some are larger than measurements. Maybe you have a tween who isn’t big enough to wear adult sizes but too big for kid’s cuts. Perhaps you have a paper pattern that is slightly outside of your size range (paper patterns come with a size range in an envelope, e.g. 6-8-10-12-14 in an envelope and 14-16-18-20-22 in another).

No need to despair. With a little time and effort, you can rank the pattern up or down.

This method is a pretty safe bet for changing up to two sizes.

The caveat is that the pattern must be evenly graded.

Evenly graded?

What does “even” mean? This means that at any given point (let’s say the waist) the measurements between sizes are the same.

Here is an example (hypothetical numbers):

Size 00 Size 0 Size 2 Size 4 Size 6 Waist 64cm 66cm 68cm 70cm 72cm

You can see that each waist measurement is 2 cm larger than the previous size.

However, this does not mean that each point of the pattern must increase by the same amount. In fact, it’s likely not to grow by the same absolute amount. Remember, when a person gains or loses weight, one part of their body would gain/lose more than others. And no matter how much weight she gains or loses, she would neither get bigger nor smaller.

Here is the example:

Size 00 Size 0 Size 2 Size 4 Size 6 Waist 64cm 66cm 68cm 70cm 72cm Length from neck to waist 35cm 35.25cm 35.5cm 35.75cm 36cm

While in the example the waist still grows 2cm per size, the neck-to-waist length only grows 0.25cm per size.

This is typical of women’s patterns. The “big ones” like Burda, Vogue, McCall, Butterick and Simplicity all have evenly graduated patterns. The independent pattern companies like Jalie and Silhouette also grade their patterns evenly, although some patterns have large size ranges, so they may only be evenly graded within a sub-range. For example, misses 8 through 16 are scored equally, and women 18 through 24 are scored equally. As long as three or more sizes are evenly spaced in a pattern, you can still use this method.

It doesn’t take much study to find out if a pattern is evenly graded. You can tell it pretty well at first glance. (This is the Vienna tank.)

Some of the Itch to Stitch patterns are not fully graduated evenly across all sizes. For example, with the Lisbon Cardigan, the larger sizes have progressively longer bodices, while the smaller sizes have the same bodice length. However, since there are more than 3 sizes in a range, you can still use this method to scale up or down.

Perhaps this is an unnecessarily long-winded explanation. Most of the time, you can still use this method.

Let’s start.

How to grade

(Click to see larger images.)

Step 1: Determine how many sizes up or down you need to go.

This is the body measurement chart for most Itch to Stitch patterns.

Note that for each size, add 1 3/8″ (3.5 cm) to chest, 1 3/8″ (3.5 cm) to waist, and 1 3/8″ (3.5 cm) to hips ) is increased. These numbers happen to be the same, but they don’t have to be for other patterns.

So if there are two sizes larger and two sizes smaller, the measurements would look like this:

Do you sort one size smaller/larger? Or two sizes?

Step 2: Draw a straight guide line on the pattern to connect the “corner points”.

Step 3: Measure the amount between sizes along each line. Unless you’re too disliked by the metric system, I think it’s easier to use millimeters (smaller unit is easier). But either way would work. I will use millimeters here.

Step 4: Using the measurements, draw in the next size (or next two sizes).

The same logic applies to demotion.

Step 5: Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 along the curves. More diagrams along the curves make it easier for you to connect them smoothly and accurately. There is no absolute number of lines to follow. You can do it sparingly, but enough to get used to drawing the curve. Try to have the straight guide lines perpendicular (the correct word is probably “tangent”) to the pattern lines, but you don’t have to be terribly accurate (we zoom in/out a size or two). You don’t have to draw straight guide lines along the straight part of the pattern lines; they are easy to connect.

In the example below, I’ll continue to go up only one size, but you’ll get the practice of going up two sizes, or going down a size or two.

Step 6: Connect the dots as smoothly as possible.

After drawing all the points and connecting them all, it looks like this:

Repeat this for each pattern piece and you’re good to go!

I hope this is helpful. Keep sewing!

When I first started sewing, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on sewing patterns that I wasn’t sure how to use, so I asked myself: where can I find free (but stylish) women’s sewing patterns that I… could print out from the comfort of your own home? I’ve searched everywhere for these free PDF sewing patterns but found very little (and what I did find consisted mostly of shapeless boxes). That was in 2011, and the internet has come a long way since then – these days, there are free sewing patterns for every part of a woman’s wardrobe, whether you’re looking for a top, dress, skirt, pants, coat, jumpsuit, or even swimwear and lingerie . Best of all, these free patterns have all sorts of stylish touches that set them apart from boring basics. After all, who wants to spend time sewing basics that they can easily buy anywhere?

The following 11 websites offer free sewing pattern collections for fashionable and trendy women’s clothing: Mood Fabrics, fabric.com, fabrics-store.com, Peppermint Mag, Fiber Mood, BurdaStyle (Russia), Bernina, Lekala Patterns, Grasser, Marfy and pattern-vault. com. All of these websites are from reputable fabric shops, pattern companies or sewing houses, so rest assured that the patterns are well-crafted.

Below is a summary of the types of free sewing patterns you will find on each site. Also, check out my recommendations for places to buy fabric and sewing supplies to create these patterns here.

A quick sidebar before we get in: While I love free sewing patterns as much as the next gal, I still mostly sew using Vogue/McCall’s/Butterick patterns, which aren’t free but typically go under $6 on sale. The reason for this is that I’ve sewn enough Vogue/McCall’s/Butterick patterns to know how to alter them to fit me, and by now I can usually just sew a pattern right out of the envelope (without a to make a test garment) because I know my standard set of adjustments almost always works. In contrast, most pattern companies offer few free patterns, so you won’t sew enough with a particular pattern company to learn how those companies’ patterns should be fitted to your body. Alternatively, when the free patterns are offered on a website or in a sewing magazine, these patterns are often created by many different designers using different slopers (a sloper is a basic form-fitting pattern that designers use to develop other patterns). This means that (1) the patterns can be based on many different body types, so they all fit differently despite being published in the same magazine or website, and (2) there may not be much quality control, so you’re never sure, that every pattern and instruction is of high quality. In addition to customization and quality control issues, I also think that PDF patterns can be a real hassle: I really, really hate printing out these PDF patterns and pasting them together, and I often think that free patterns are just as expensive as paid ones patterns when you consider the cost of the ink and paper and the value of the time you spend gluing the patterns together.

Project Runway’s fabric store has grown its online presence greatly in recent years and now offers an extensive library of free sewing patterns for a variety of clothing items (tops, pants, lots of dresses, jackets and coats). , including garment types not covered on most other sites (e.g. lingerie, swimwear, sportswear). There are loads of patterns that are super on trend – like these paperbag pants, this tie-neck blouse (similar to the one Kamala Harris rocked recently), and this maxi shirt dress, to name a few. They have a “fundamental collection” which I believe is intended to be aimed at beginners, although I feel that some of these projects are not suitable for beginners.

Their patterns don’t come with instructions, but there are blog posts that explain how to sew the garment (with photos). You need to sign up for their mailing list to download the free patterns.

A (small) tirad: I wish they had a view where you could look at the line art for all the patterns in a given category. It’s possible to filter the posts by category (e.g. Outerwear Patterns, Dress Patterns, etc.), but that only limits them to the blog posts with photos of the finished garments – not the line art themselves. It can be difficult at times to find all of them Construction details (or sometimes even the basic silhouette!) can be seen in the photos of the finished garments, and the massive number of patterns would just be so much easier to sift through if they made it easier to browse by line art.

Another (more substantive) tirade: I’ve found that mood patterns really are hit or miss. For example, I made this robe using Mood’s free pattern, and the result was a gigantic robe that made my arms look like those of an orangutan. I also made this wrap dress with a mood free pattern and the finished garment didn’t fit me at all. I don’t think you need to avoid their patterns entirely; I just think you need to proceed with caution. Do a search on patternreview.com first to see if anyone has reviewed the pattern. Second, don’t rely on their size chart; Instead, measure the pattern and determine the measurements of the finished garment, and then use those measurements to decide what size to cut. Third, always, always, always make a muslin to try out the pattern before cutting into your precious fashion fabric. I took this approach with the Primrose pants, and these ended up being a winner (although it took a muslin and a few alterations to get there).

Will you save money sewing your own clothes? Before fast fashion lowered the cost of ready-to-wear clothing, sewing was an economical solution for expensive clothing. But in an age where cheap clothes are just a click away, that’s not necessarily the case. Sewing your own clothes can be cheaper if you really want to, but often it isn’t.

So we evaluated several seamwork patterns against their ready-to-wear counterparts to compare costs. However, before we look at the numbers, it’s important to recognize that ‘cheaper’ doesn’t stop at the final price of a garment.

If you examine the additional costs of commercial clothing production, you will find high, ethically opaque costs such as environmental pollution and human labor abuse. On the other hand, when you sew yourself, there are invisible price tags in every project, like your sewing tools, equipment for your space, patterns used more than once, and little things like part of a spool of thread and a small piece of interfaces that are difficult on a small scale are to be calculated.

Keep this in mind as we compare the price tags of different types of ready-to-wear clothing and their seamwork equivalents.

Let’s look at the numbers

So how did we get all these numbers? We started with Everlane, a ready-to-wear brand that tells you how much their clothes cost to make. They post the cost of production next to each garment in their catalogue. Transparency isn’t the norm for most apparel manufacturers, so we look at Everlane’s pricing as it includes a breakdown, including fabric, materials (like hardware), shipping, duties, and labor.

To put this in better perspective, we’ve also bought some of our favorite ethically-driven independent labels, including shops that manufacture right here in the USA and claim fair wages and sustainable fabrics. So will these deals reflect similar costs as our home sewing projects? (In short, yes they do.)

After checking out independent brands, we shopped at Target for a dose of fast-fashion reality. Keep in mind that some fast fashion prices can be even lower than Target’s prices.

For the sewing patterns, we counted fabric, supplies, and labor. We used median fabric prices and added breakdowns for our base sizes 8 and 20. Labor costs were based on an average of $18 per hour. So keep in mind that you may buy cheaper or more expensive fabrics – and possibly sew for free.

Jeans

Everlane: $98 ($28.85 for production)

Indie Brand: $255

Target: $34.99

Seamwork Tessa: $148-$159.25

Fabric (at $15 per yard): $30-$41.25

Shows: $10

Labor: $108 (6 hours)

Button-down shirts

Everlane (Cotton): $75 (production cost $24)

Everlane (Silk): $128 (production cost $42)

Indie Brand: (Cotton): $160

Target: (Cotton): $20

Seamwork Rachel (cotton): $98.37-$104

Fabric (at $9/yard): $21.37-$27

Terms: $5

Labor: (4 hours): $72

Seamwork Rachel (silk): $124.50-$137

Fabric (at $20/yard): $47.50-$60

Terms: $5

Labor: (4 hours): $72

Jackets

Everlane: $175 (production cost $32.14)

Indie Label: $195

Goal: $50

Seamwork Francis: $205.58-$215.50

Fabric ($25/yard plus lining): $87.50-$97.5

Shows: $10

Labor: $108 (6 hours)

spats

Everlane: $68 (production cost $20.52)

Indie Label: $78

Goal: $30

Seamwork Tino: $53.50-$58.50

Fabric ($10/yard): $12.50-$17.50

Terms: $5

Labor: $36 (2 hours)

overalls

Everlane: $120 (production cost $48.82)

Indie Label: $250

Target: $29.99

Seam Headliner: $105.50-$122

Fabric (at $12/yard): $37.50-$54

Terms: $5

Labor: $63 (3.5 hours)

t shirts

Everlane: $24 (production cost $7.72)

Indie Label: $70

Goal: $9

Seamwork Ryan: $35-42.50

Fabric (at $10/yard): $15-$22.50

Terms: $2

Labor: $18 (1 hour)

a dress

Everlane: $100 (offered for $50 and costs $33.91 to craft)

Indie Label: $190

Target: $29.99

Seam Benning: $80-90.50

Fabric (at $14/yard): $42-$52.50

Terms: $2

Labor: $36 (2 hours)

Swimsuits

Everlane: $65 (production cost $21.38)

Indie Label: $153

Goal: $40

Seam Crosby: $101.75 – $109.25

Fabric ($15/yard): $33.75-$41.25

Terms: $5

Labor: $63 (3.5 hours)

underwear

Everlane: $15 (production cost $5.02)

Indie Label: $39

Goal: $5

Seamwork Dana: $25-$27

Fabric ($10/yard): $5-7

Terms: $2

Labor: $18 (1 hour)

Casual bag

Everlane: $55 (production cost $13.49)

Indie Label: $80

Goal: $25

Seamwork Lee: $66

Fabric (faux leather at $15/yard, lining): $25

Terms: $5

Labor: $36 (2 hours)

What do these numbers mean?

The Pattern Tutorials 15: Cut out pattern and fabric

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BEGINNERS: SEWING PATTERN AND CUT FABRIC

Hello, Rachel is here on the blog today with the next installment in our popular pattern tutorial series. We get a lot of emails asking how best to cut patterns and fabrics. We thought it would be helpful to share some resources and sewing tips on how to make the process of creating your sewing pattern as painless as possible. Taking the time to prepare everything at the beginning of your project can really help you achieve a more accurate fit and simplify the sewing process. From ironing your pattern pieces and marking notches to prewashing the fabric, we cover all the steps you can take to sew like a pro.

How should I prepare my pattern?

Traditionally, sewing patterns are printed on large sheets of thin tissue paper that you can cut out or trace directly. In recent years, the sewing industry has transformed with the emergence of independent designers who often print their patterns on thicker white paper or offer them as digital patterns in PDF format. If you need help printing PDF samples, take a look at our previous blog post in the series. Whether you printed your own pattern at home or purchased a ready-made paper pattern, follow these tips for an optimal manufacturing process.

To press

Pressing isn’t just for fabric! If your paper pattern has been wrinkled or folded in any way, first press it with an iron on low heat. This will give you a much more accurate cut of your fabric. A crease here and there can shorten the pattern piece by several millimeters and affect the fit of your garment. Make sure you do a little test on the pattern first, some inks on pattern pieces can smear under the heat. Also avoid doing this if you taped your PDF pattern together as the heat will melt the tape. Alternatively, if you’re not in a hurry, you can flatten pattern pieces under a large book.

paper scissors

Use sharp scissors to cut out paper patterns. Make sure these scissors are only used for cutting out sewing patterns and nothing else. Using these for other tasks will dull the blades and make future pattern cutting less accurate.

cutting method

There are two ways to cut your pattern pieces, exactly or the “quick cut” method. If you decide to cut out the pattern pieces accurately, make sure you carefully cut along the pattern line. If you fall on one side of the line, a few millimeters can be added or removed. At the crease, this can be as much as half a centimeter, which will end up affecting the accuracy of your fit. With the “quick cut” method, the pattern pieces are roughly cut out, leaving extra paper around the pattern pieces. This method means that you don’t cut the pattern pieces accurately until they are pinned to the fabric. The benefit is that this saves time and can improve accuracy, but the downside is that you’re using your fabric scissors to cut out the paper and fabric, making them dull faster.

persecution

If you have the time and feel you need to make changes to your pattern, we definitely recommend tracing all the pattern pieces first rather than cutting into your paper copy. This is less of a problem with PDF patterns as you can reprint them (but you might not want to re-glue all the pages together!).

I have both a single and double tracing wheel – the single one is useful for tracing patterns and the double one is useful for adding seam allowances to a pattern. A tracing wheel is ideal for this because you can transfer the pattern lines for your size exactly onto the paper underneath. The duplicate tracing wheel is the newest addition to my pattern cutting toolbox and I don’t know how I lived without it! If you have a pattern with no seam allowances, you can trace and add at the same time. It’s also useful to add seam allowances after making changes to patterns, e.g. B. grading between sizes. It’s great for tracing dot and cross paper because, as the name suggests, it has small dots and crosses on it, usually spaced 1″ or 2″ apart. You can use these to quickly draw lines at 45 degree and 90 degree angles. Because the paper is lightweight, it’s ideal for tracing and pattern changes. It comes on a long roll for easy storage. For more useful tools for cutting and tracing patterns, see our previous blog post on this topic.

Need to add seam allowances?

Before proceeding to the next step, read the instructions for your pattern and check how the pieces are arranged on the pattern. It’s always worth doing this to make sure you haven’t overlooked anything, e.g. B. Instructions for adding seam allowances to your pattern pieces or for lengthening a pattern piece, e.g. B. a gathered skirt. There’s nothing worse than cutting out the fabric to find out that the seam allowances need to be added first! If you need to add seam allowances, the designer may have left enough room around each pattern piece to do so. I would recommend using a double tracing wheel to add seam allowances (remember you don’t need to add them to the edges of the pattern pieces that will be cut on the fold). If there is not enough space around the pattern piece on the existing paper, cut out each piece and glue onto a larger piece of paper before using the double-sided tracing wheel to add the correct seam allowance. If you don’t have a double copy wheel, you can also use a tape measure and pencil and carefully mark the seam allowance as you go around each piece.

How should I prepare my fabric?

The prewash

Probably the most boring step in sewing, pre-washing the fabric! We know that feeling of wanting to get started, but it’s so important to prewash most fabrics in a home washing machine. Depending on the fabric, it may be better to steam or dry clean it. This is important because fabrics can shrink, sometimes by as much as 5%. You should wash the fabric on the same setting that you plan to wash your finished garment on. This way the shrinkage occurs before sewing and not on your beautifully finished garment (which will then no longer fit!). It may not just be a shrinkage, other properties of the fabric may also change, e.g. This is the case, for example, and this can also affect the fit of the garment. After washing, make sure the fabric dries thoroughly before storing away in your stash. If you prewash your fabric beforehand, why not put a tag on it so you know it’s already been done? Use our free downloadable fabric stash markers here.

Iron

Take the time to iron your fabric to ensure all creases have been removed. This is the best way to ensure you don’t end up with pattern pieces that are larger than they should be. Each fold can add a few millimeters to the size of your garment. Be sure to use the correct temperature setting for your fabric. To check this, test a piece first and make sure it doesn’t mark or melt the fabric if it’s synthetic.

Top tips for pinning and cutting out your pattern pieces

place

Much easier to pin and cut out your pattern pieces with plenty of space. Make sure you lay out your fabric on a large, smooth table that you can move around on to get the best angle for pinning and cutting. Make sure the table is dust free and remove all items to give you as much space as possible. If this is not possible, cutting will work on a hard floor or you can invest in a cutting mat.

Fold your fabric

Read the instructions and check if your pattern pieces are cut individually or “on the fold”. If the pattern pieces are cut “on the fold,” you will need to fold your fabric in half. It is best to fold it “right sides together”, i. H. the beautiful side, which is usually printed, in itself. The reason we do it this way is so that if you need to mark something on the fabric, like z, you’ll see). With solid color fabrics it can sometimes be difficult to tell which side is which. Look at the edge (edges of the fabric) and you should see small holes where the fabric was attached to the cutting machine. These small holes are raised on the “right side”. When folding the fabric right sides together, the easiest way to do this is to match edge to edge along the edges. The advantage of cutting your pattern pieces from fabric folded right sides together is that you can cut out a pair at the same time, e.g. a pair of sleeves. You can also cut out a pattern piece “on the fold”, placing the center front or center back of the pattern piece along the fold of the fabric. When you cut it out and open it up you have a completely symmetrical pattern piece. Once your fabric is laid out, smooth out any creases or creases so it is perfectly flat.

Laying out the sample parts

It may seem obvious, but the first thing you should do is roughly lay out your pattern pieces according to the cutting plans to make sure they actually fit. There’s nothing worse than starting to cut out and ending up realizing you didn’t leave enough room (especially when you’re out of fabric!). If you don’t have space, try shifting the piece around a bit, keeping the grain parallel to the selvedge. I often find that there is more fabric than I need when using lay plans. So if you haven’t ordered your fabric yet, or are browsing your stash for options, this can save you a few pennies.

Pinning or using weights

Use tailor’s needles and make sure they are sharp. If you are using a delicate fabric like silk, you can get special needles for that. There is a balance between the number of pins to use, too many will distort and pull the fabric or bunch it up and too few will mean your cut won’t be accurate. Alternatively you can use pattern weights which are much quicker to apply and will keep the fabric flat on the table surface but if the fabric is slippery you may not get an accurate cut.

read pattern symbols

Interpreting symbols on sewing patterns can feel overwhelming at first, especially when they often vary from designer to designer. Why are they important? Transferring the symbols from your pattern onto the fabric will make sewing the different pieces together much easier later on. They also provide reassuring confirmation that you are following the sewing steps correctly, such as when your seams and notches line up. For help interpreting pattern symbols, see a previous blog post we wrote on the subject here. Make sure you lay out the parts according to the instructions e.g. “Cut on the fold” or “Cut a pair”.

Checking the grain line

Each pattern should have a grain line that shows you the pattern’s orientation relative to the selvage (edges of the fabric). Place your pattern on the fabric and use a tape measure to measure from one end of the grainline to the selvedge and from the other end of the grainline to the selvedge. These two dimensions should be identical. If it doesn’t, carefully adjust the pattern piece until it does. Our top tip is to put a needle through the top and bottom of the grain line, which will hold the pattern piece to the fabric and prevent it from moving (be careful with more delicate fabrics).

Marking symbols on your fabric

Sewing a garment is much easier if you have marked symbols on your fabric before cutting out the pattern pieces. Symbols you may want to mark include darts, buttons, buttonholes, notches, and stitch points. For that there are different possibilities:

Marker Pens – always choose a water soluble or disappearing pen. The advantages of this are that you get exact marks and they are easy to see on your fabrics. If you use pins, always test them on a piece of fabric first and wash or iron it, you need to make sure it goes away! Also remember the disappearing pins, if you get interrupted in your sewing plans these may be gone if you still need them.

Thumbtacks – these are achieved by using a needle and thread to create a knot in the exact spot that needs to be marked. It’s very accurate and they won’t go away easily, but it takes the longest and they have to be removed afterwards.

Chalk and crayons – when we first discovered crayons it was an exciting day! You can use this by rolling the pen up and down the fabric and it leaves an accurate chalk line, magical! If you prefer the traditional methods, you can achieve a smooth line with tailor’s chalk, which can be easily dusted off the fabric. The downside of tailor’s chalk is that bits can break off if you press too hard, and you need to keep the edge sharp to get a clean line. Plus, having your pieces of fabric together can brush the chalk off completely.

Scissors – These are small sharp edged scissors and they are ideal for quickly and accurately cutting into fabric to mark nicks on the raw edges. Be careful not to cut too far into the fabric (as little as 3mm should be enough), especially in case you need to make adjustments later.

cutting out

Use good quality fabric scissors that you don’t use for anything else. Make sure the blades stay sharp. As you cut around each pattern piece, instead of lifting the scissors off the table, hold them flat with the bottom blade of the scissors against the underlying surface. Alternatively, you can use a rotary cutter, which is smoother and faster than cutting with scissors, minimizing fraying. You just have to be careful that it doesn’t slip and you cut yourself or your pattern! When using a rotary cutter along straight lines, a metal ruler can help you get a better cut. For really slippery fabrics like silk, sandwich the fabric between sheets of tissue paper as this will help hold it in place.

Keep your pattern pieces organized

After you’ve cut out all of your pieces, don’t over-treat them as this can cause bent edges to stretch. It’s also worth marking the wrong side of each piece (if it doesn’t appear from your print) so you don’t mix them up later.

23. Reusable Photo Coffee Cozy

All you need for this project is the most basic sewing skills (plus a printer that can produce high-quality photos and some iron-on transfers) that will have you cozying up a personalized coffee in no time. Of course, you could always buy an eco-friendly alternative to the standard disposable coffee cup sleeves… but why not choose something that, well, looks a little less sleepy?

Get the tutorial

With a baby at home, I’m always happy to have a sewing project to start and finish during my son’s nap. These 1-hour sewing projects include quick gifts, quilted items for your home, and other fresh sewing ideas to inspire you when you’re short on sewing.

Download the free patterns now or pin them for later! Happy sewing!

1. Simple lined zip pocket

Once you get the hang of sewing zippers, it will take you less than 1 hour to sew this pretty lined pouch… maybe even 30 minutes! Make one for a friend, yourself, or a child. This bag is great for organizing small items in your purse (like chewing gum, mints, lipstick, etc.).

2. The hour basket

Do you have 1 hour to sew? Then you can make this pretty lined storage basket with fabric handles! Use it to store your finest fabrics, your child’s books or even Easter eggs. This basket only took me about 40 minutes to sew and I made two more in different sizes using Kelly’s quick and fabulous tutorial.

3. Quilted pot holder

Do you like to cook (or know someone who does)? Treat yourself to an extra large potholder with pockets for the kitchen, or pair it with a set of wooden spoons for a cute little housewarming gift! This easy hot pad pattern only takes 2-3 fat quarters depending on how scratchy you want to make it. You can make your own bias binding to add an extra dose of cuteness, or use boxed binding to make the project even quicker!

4. Tote bags

If you love reusable grocery bags but don’t like the look of store-bought bags, you can sew your own with this quick and easy tutorial! Make two sizes (large or small) and you will take books, clothes and other items with you wherever you go.

5. Charity smock

Here’s a sewing project that will bring warmth to a family in need! These tiny little NICU gowns are designed for babies weighing 3 to 5 pounds. When babies are in the NICU, it can really be a gift to parents to see their little ones wearing any type of clothing. (It’s hard to get clothes with all the monitors and cords.) Make one to donate to your hospital’s neonatal unit.

Download the free NICU gown sample here.

6. Number of beanbags

We love quick sewing projects and this kids toy gives you a chance to use all those fun fabric scraps in your collection! Make some easy applique bean bag chairs with this free sewing pattern. If you’d rather not sew yourself, you can pick up this numbered beanbag set from Amazon.

7. Car Garbage Bag / Reusable Lunch Bag

Does your car collect clutter? Receipts and gum wrappers are gone (poof!) with this easy 1-hour sewing auto garbage bag tutorial. As a bonus, you can make another one to carry your lunch to work.

8. Summer Headbands

Would you like to sew something in summer? These two headbands are easy to sew and will help you look great on all your outdoor adventures this summer. The best part is that it only takes an hour to make!

10. Boxy quilted bag

Using only two fat quarters (one for the lining and one for the zipper), this free boxy bag pattern is easy to sew (even for a beginner)! With no lining to sew, the quick pouch is great for storing cosmetics, pens, sewing supplies, and more.

11. Rainbow Napkins

How fun would it be to set the dinner table with these beauties?! Make a set of coordinating dinner napkins with professionally mitred corners for your next dinner party. This pattern is easy and fat quarter friendly!

12. 15 Minute “Burrito” pillowcase

What is the burrito method? You only need about 1 yard of fabric and 15 minutes to sew a pretty pillowcase for your bed with this magical sewing trick! Learn how to neaten the seams with a sewing machine or serger with this free pillowcase pattern.

What are your favorite 1 hour sewing projects?