Clothing sewing patterns

The Boxy Tee is a beginner pattern of about 1 hour 30 minutes. It has a bias-bound neckline and an optional pocket, and it is cut for light to medium woven fabric only, not knits. The Elastic-Waist Skirt is a beginner pattern of about 1 hour 30 minutes, cut as one panel that is 1.6 times your hip all round, so it is full but not bulky. The Sleep Shorts are the quickest at about 1 hour, with a 3 in inseam and 8 in of ease at the hip for a relaxed fit. The Barrel Pants are the most work of the four, an intermediate pattern of about 2 hours with in-seam pockets and a paperbag waist.

All four come in seven sizes, XS to 3XL, and every size is included free in the app.

The Wrap Pants are a beginner pattern of about 2 hours 30 minutes with no elastic, no zipper and no buttons. They have 6 in of ease at the hip, and a 12 in front overlap that closes the waist to about your waist plus 4 in, with a 28 in inseam you can lengthen or shorten. The Tunic and Pants Set is an intermediate pattern of about 4 hours: a tunic with sleeves and matching pants with in-seam pockets and an elastic waist. It is sized by bust for the tunic and by hip for the pants, in one XS to 3XL range. Both are part of Sewzy Premium.

The Girls A-Line Dress is a beginner pattern of about 2 hours, in eight sizes from 1 to 8 years. It has a keyhole opening at the back, bound neck and armholes, and an optional pocket. Choose the size by chest, and between sizes adjust the length at the hem. It is part of Sewzy Premium, and it also sits in baby and kids sewing patterns.

Which size should I choose?

For tops, choose by bust. The Boxy Tee and the Tunic and Pants Set run from a 32 in bust in XS to a 52 in bust in 3XL, and the Boxy Tee finishes at 42 in around the chest in XS and 62 in in 3XL, so it is meant to fit loose. For pants, shorts and the skirt, choose by hip: XS is a 36 in hip and 3XL is a 56 in hip. The Wrap Pants, Barrel Pants, Sleep Shorts and Elastic-Waist Skirt all use the same seven hip sizes. Measure at the fullest part, take the number that is nearest, and check it against the size chart on the pattern page.

If you are not sure how a pattern size maps to your body, read what size sewing pattern should I use, or try the sewing pattern size calculator.

Fabric notes

Every adult pattern here is for woven fabric, not stretch knit. The tee wants a light to medium woven such as linen, cotton lawn, double gauze, chambray, tencel or poplin. The skirt and shorts like drape: cotton lawn, linen, rayon challis, double gauze or chambray for the skirt, and cotton lawn, flannel, double gauze, seersucker or soft shirting for the shorts (an old duvet cover makes two pairs). Avoid stiff or thick fabric for the skirt, because the gathers get bulky. The pants and the tunic set look best in a fluid medium weight, such as linen, linen-cotton, washed twill, tencel or viscose crepe. The girls' dress takes quilting cotton, lawn, double gauze, linen, chambray, seersucker or needlecord.

Fabric needs grow with the size. The Boxy Tee takes 1¾ yd of 45 in fabric in XS and 2¼ yd in 3XL, and the Barrel Pants take 2¾ yd in XS and 3¼ yd in 3XL. The Sleep Shorts take 1 yd up to size L and 1¼ yd above. The Elastic-Waist Skirt takes 1¾ yd in XS and 2¼ yd in 3XL. Wider fabric needs less, and the pattern pages list both widths. The girls' dress takes ¾ yd at age 1 and 1½ yd at age 8. The pants, shorts and skirt use 1½ in wide non-roll elastic, cut to your waist minus 2 in, so buy that with the fabric. See how much fabric do I need if you are planning a cut.

Wash and dry your fabric the way you will wash the finished garment before you cut it, because cotton and linen shrink.

All seven compared

Photos are renders of the finished items. Seam allowances are ⅜ in and included in the pattern.