Design & Make your own clothes with FREE SEWING PATTERNS

A Guide to make SEWING PATTERNS yourself and make DIY Fashion clothes. List of Free stitching patterns to design and sew your own clothes.
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By Sarina Tariq

You have two choices now that you have decided to make your clothes – either make your patterns with the help of tutorials on this site or buy commercial sewing patterns. Both are good but making paper patterns is a little bit more adventurous than getting ready-made patterns. Read on if you are up to it.

Related post : Websites to buy sewing patterns. 

Most of the clothes available in the retails shops today are made like cookies  – of the same pattern, of the same size. Without considering that God has made us all unique. No other body is the same unless you are a twin. Check out the post on How to dress according to your body shape for more on this.

I never get to the cash counter of a retail shop or look at a fashion magazine without thinking that I could make that myself. After learning to sew your own clothes, before long you will be doing it yourself.

Not that sewing is very inexpensive; It costs money to buy fabric and the factory-made general-sized clothing is sometimes very inexpensive. They don’t last long which is another matter. Think of yourself as a designer and you will be wearing good quality clothes which will last a very very long time.

FREE DIY SEWING PATTERNS

Basic Bodice Pattern

basic bodice pattern

A bodice top is something which you can alter to any style you want. Let your creativity run riot altering this pattern to what you want it to be

You can choose any of the 60 plus neckline types, 50+ types of collar designs or 40+ types of sleeves for your bodice. Make neckline patterns, yoke patterns and sleeve patterns and design your own clothes – keep in mind the different types of 12 basic dress silhouettes, 10 types of waistlines and 9 types of skirt lengths.

More dress patterns

Sew Flounce hem skirt

flounce hem skirt

Sew easy butteryfly sleeved top

butterfly sleeved top

Sew a full skirt with less fabric

how to sew a full length skirt

Sew comfortable Nightwear set- cami top & pajama shorts 

NIGHTWEAR-SET-sewing-tutorial

Sew easy & comfortable pants 

sewing easy to sew pants

Sew a simple Jeans top

sew top

Sew a Puffy sleeved top

free sewig patterns

Sew gathered skirt with pockets

Gathered skirt pockets

How to sew strapless tops

how to sew strapless tops

Sew a simple gathered skirt ( Dirndl skirt)

how to sew skirts

Sew easy everyday Top

everyday top sewing pattern

Sew a fitting Pencil Skirt

sew pencil skirt

Aline skirt – sewing pattern & tutorial (3 types)

how to sew Aline skirt

Off-shoulder tunic Dress DIY

offshoulder tunic dress

Sew a Tube top

tube top

Sew an easy one hour dress

diy dress

Make a simple & easy SHIFT DRESS

sewing easy dress

Make a basic skirt

basic skirt pattern

Simplest summer top- free pattern & tutorial

easy sewing patterns

Frill sleeved top – free pattern & tutorial

frilly sleeved top diy

Kurta Tunic Top Easy

easy kurta tunic top

Knit top – sewing tutorial

Sew a Knit Top

Make an easy loungewear

free sewing patterns

Re-fashion plain tops/t-shirts to look different and beautiful: 10 ways

make sewing patterns

Make a free size Long flared skirt

long flared skirt sewing pattern

A-line frock for babies/little girls – sewing pattern and tutorial

baby frock pattern

Simple gathered dress for girls

kids dress pattern

Peplum top

easy sewing patterns

A line skirt

a line skirt

Halter neck top pattern (3 ways)

halter neck top sewing pattern

Pleated skirt – DIY Pattern

PLEATED SKIRT pattern

Easy Peasy long shirred dress

easy sewing patterns

Turn scarves to tops – 2 DIY Scarf outfits. 

scarf outfits

Men’s Boxer shorts -pattern & tutorial.

mens boxer shorts pattern

Capri Pants Pattern

capri pants pattern

Flared sleeve top

flared sleeve top pattern

Bralette Top

bralette top

Asymmetrical skirt pattern

easy sewing patterns

Slouchy Velvet Blazer.

sewing pattern for slouchy velvet blazer

Batwing Shrug

batwing shrug

 

Aline dress

how to sew an aline dress

Sundress Pattern & sewing tutorial

sundress pattern

Mermaid skirt sewing pattern

mermaid skirt pattern

Frock designs for kids

frock design

Make a Dress – free sewing pattern

easy sewing patterns

Make a Panel dress – free pattern

panel dress sewing pattern

Make a boxy top with flute sleeves

BOXY TOP

Make a baby doll dress 

baby doll dress

Make a Flare Dress with bell sleeves- free pattern

flare dress free pattern

Free sewing pattern to make a tie front shirt

front tie shirt

Make a simple skirt with yoke

yoke skirt pattern

Make a drop shouldered top with shoulder slits

top with shoulder slits

Make an easy crop top.

CROP TOP PATTERN

Make an easy Tunic top

TUNIC TOP sewing pattern

Make a divided skirt / culottes

culottes pattern

Make a ruffled tiered and fringed skirt from old jeans.

how to make a skirt from jeans and fabric

Make Fisherman’s wrap pants ( 2 types). 

diy wrap pants pattern

Make a Camisole top

how to sew a camisole top

Make an easy  Bolero Jacket 

bolero diy sewing pattern

Make an easy sleeveless top 

sleeveless top pattern

Make a Lace vest with Mandarin collar

diy lace vest

Make a Panelled Lehanga Skirt 

lehenga skirt pattern

Make an Umbrella dress – free pattern

umbrella dress pattern

Make a tank top with embroidered yoke 

tank top pattern

8 ways to make a cape

cape patterns

Make a Boho style Top

boho top pattern

3 ways to sew Off shoulder top

off the shouder top sewing pattern

DIY Drawstring Lounge Pants 

drawstring lounge pants

Sew a Cami dress / slip dress

easy sewing patterns

 

Sew an easy open front drapey Jacket

easy jacket pattern

DIY Slip Extender 

skirt extender slip

Sew a Princess cut blouse 

princess cut blouse

Sew a Petticoat skirt

Sew an A line dress 

a line dress

9 Different types of fabric fringes 

fringe-trims

 free DIY pattern & sewing tutorial

pyjama pants pattern

fabric bow tutorials

bow belt

how to make a neck tie
tie for girls

 

leggings pattern

Draft pattern and sew  a half slip

make a half slip

Make an easy SHIRT SKIRT

This is made from a men’s shirt – step by step sewing instructions 

shirt skirt

Make a shorts with elastic waistband in the back and a fitting wasitband in the front. This pattern has a side opening with zipper and pant hooks. 

shorts pattern

Learn to sew different types of salwar kameez pants like Plain Salwar pants, Dhothi pants, chudidhar pants, Patiala Pants and Parallel pants.

how to sew salwar pants

Make DIY patterns to sew 8 basic styles of skirts –

A line skirt ,Gathered skirt,Half circle skirt ,Full circle skirt,Handkerchief skirt,Gored skirt,Tulip hemmed skirt, Layered skirt,Waistband.

You can design your neckline shape yourself with these patterns.

Learn to draft different styles of Sleeves for your bodice. Turn any sleeveless top or dress into a sleeved garment very easily. Change the sleeves of your existing dress to a sleeve that suits you.

Kaftan dress

A Kaftan is the best and easiest dress or tunic that you can make for yourself. In just 2-3 seams you have a beautiful garment you have made for yourself.

With this tutorial you can draft pattern to sew a simple A line nighty as well as yoked nighty; you will also find instructions to make a gathered nighty

Sew a simple and fitting sari blouse for your latest sari with this easy to draft and sew pattern. 

Breastfeed your baby in privacy in any setting with this stylish but simple nursing cover. There are 2 ways of making it – both very easy to make even for the ultimate beginner

More Sewing tutorials 

slouchy beanie hat pattern

Learn the ART OF DRESSMAKING

If you have been buying clothes off the shelf till now but now you feel you should make your own clothes – you are at the right place. You can now own clothes which are more fitting and more comfortable and can wear them with the pride of having made them yourself. Not to mention the kind of pleasure you get when you make something yourself.

Check out these 15 important dressmaking tips to follow if you want perfect sewing

Check out the post on the different Clothes categories and names available for you to make yourself

It is not very difficult to make sewing patterns yourself. In fact it is easy once you know how to. Just allow yourself to make small mistakes and then you are ready to go. Make the first garment in an inexpensive fabric and you will be able to forgive yourself for the mistakes you inevitably will be making with your first few projects

If you like a particular ready-made dress you can make a copy of it by making a sewing pattern from it – check out this tutorial for making a copy of your dress .

copy old dress

Check out these posts on How to take body measurements for making sewing patterns ;& 7 types of Body shapes – which one is yours ? ; How to take Hip measurement ; How to read a tape measure  and the  sewing tools you need to start making clothes.

If you are an absolute beginner at sewing, Check out this post with all  things a beginner who is learning how to sew should learn.

Drafting a pattern can be done on the paper or the cloth directly. Once you have made paper patterns, unless your body has not changed, you can keep on sewing with the same pattern again and again. 

Main advantages of using paper patterns 

1. Time saving, if making the garment / or a single piece of garment like a sleeve, again; as, once you make a pattern you don’t have to waste time the next time you are making a similar dress, in taking measurement and marking on paper etc ; you can just go about choosing your fabric and start sewing.
2. Ease of use is an obvious advantage as, if we mark directly on to the fabric and if there is some alteration in the measurement, the markings you have made may mess up your cloth.

Marking tools to transfer the patterns to your fabric

A very useful and cheap marking tool which will be available to everyone is a piece of soap. Use left over thin slithers of soaps from your bathroom and store them near your cutting table. They can be used to mark on fabric- the advantage being that unlike all the traditional marking tools I have mentioned below they can easily be removed by rubbing gently with a wet cloth.

How to cut your fabric by using a pattern

For more details on cutting fabric check the post ‘ Top tips  to cut fabric perfectly’ and how to determine the grainline of the fabric etc.

Pattern pieces normally represent a garment’s right half. Fold your fabric in half lengthways with right sides together. Place the paper pattern piece straight on fold and pin spaced about 10 cms apart;  cut accurately. Do not forget to place one hand near the cutting line for stability while you cut with the other hand.

Some tips when marking your own patterns on to the fabric

  1. Mark accurately – be as precise as possible
  2. You do not have to mark on the 2 fabric layers but while cutting this has to be taken into account
  3. Always test your marking tool (chalk or pencil or tracing wheel) to see the impact on your chosen fabric and whether the mark will remain, or will it stain the fabric etc
  4. Be sure to use a sharp pair of sewing scissors. If your scissors are blunt the edges will turn out ragged.
  5. Take long cuts rather than many small cuts on straight edges and short cuts on curves.
sew buttons
how to stitch hem of dresses

   

9 must know hand stitches - running stitch, catch stitch
Photo of author
Sarina Tariq
Hi, I love sewing, fabric, fashion, embroidery, doing easy DIY projects and then writing about them. Hope you have fun learning from sewguide as much as I do. If you find any mistakes here, please point it out in the comments.

72 thoughts on “Design & Make your own clothes with FREE SEWING PATTERNS”

  5. Here are voluminous and detailed sewing lessons, and numerous, free classic and trending patterns make this is a one stop sewing site. Thank you for sharing your ambitious garment construction website.

    Reply

  7. I would like to see a pattern for harem pants with crossing flaps in front. Can you please tell me how to enlarge or copy a pattern that is a size 16 into a size 20 for myself. I have been unable to find a reasonably priced patter for this single venture project..

    Reply

  12. This site is one of the most inspiring sites I have ever come across. I really love the rich and extensive contents. hats off to the writer of this article .

    Reply

  18. I noticed after doing a little research that finding boys clothing patterns have been hard 🙁 I don’t see any here either. Any sites you can recommend for boys sizes 12M-7 years for patterns?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  23. This is the best site I have come across for sewing clothing. I am experienced but have found lots of tips here. Love the idea of embellishing fabrics with lace – would also appreciate ideas on using fabric scraps to embellish clothing as I hate to throw them away! EG on pocket openings. Thank you/diolch/euharisto!

    Reply

    • Hi Marianne
      You can go down the page and and it will be connecting to the page with the self drafting patterns

  30. This is one of the most comprehensive sites that I have come across. I love sewing and when I came across this information I fell in love with it. The information is very inspiring and every time I go through the information I feel excited.
    Thank you very much for investing the time and energy in making that available. Very grateful.

    Reply

  32. Is there any way I can print out your tutorials? I like too many of them to save each in a window on my computer. They would be for my personal use, of course. Thanks in advance for your time to answer this … and the site!

    Reply

  33. Fantastic site and information. THIS is how home economics sewing should be taught! I will be sharing from my sites as time goes on. Well done and much appreciated. Passing on knowledge is a blessing. Thank you!

    Reply

  34. Hi,

    I came to this site by accident and now I’m hooked on it. So gorgeous & interesting. Haven’t started anything but I’m going to soon and let you know the result.
    Wish me luck.

    Reply

  40. I would love to make my own pants just with elastized waist. I have a big tummy and all my pants os to narrow around my hips. Also I don’t want the legs to narrow at the bottom.
    Thanks for your advise.

    Reply

    • Hi Michelle
      Yes, You can subscribe for it from the forms visible in the website (hint – one on top of the screen)

  44. Hi, thanks so much for adding me to your email list. I found a mitering technique on your site. I want to make pillow wraps. Do you have a pattern by any chance? I’m using a store bought wrap as a pattern but I wondered if you also have one. Thanks so much.
    Arlene Focht

    Reply

    • Hi Jennifer
      I do not think the princess cut choli as you say is the right one for you – that is a sari blouse. You can draft a simple lehenga top by following the pattern for the basic bodice

  49. I am trying to find a pattern to make a split turtleneck. Do you have one? I need to know where to place the split, on the shoulder seam or more towards the front also, should I use knit fabric?

    Reply

  50. It might be a little unusual to find a man keen on sewing, and although I have three daughters, so it isn’t hard to have projects to keep busy with, I don’t really sew anything for myself. Most of the clothes designs around are quite samey and not very inspiring (which I guess reflects the limited sense of adventure men have when dressing). I am a keen maker with anything but prefer working with natural fabrics, and have a drawer full of cottons and a drawer full of silks that I brought back from Cambodia and Thailand. Do you have any ideas and tips I might use when designing or making for myself?
    (As to websites, I have a sculpture one, just to introduce myself, and because I didn’t want to leave the box below blank 🙂 )but haven’t been brave enough to put one together of clothes or food yet!

    Reply

    • Hi Pete
      Thanks for your comment . I will add some men’s clothing here. You are so right , not much fun in men’s clothes – but I see it changing gradually

    • I’m really disappointed at the lack of men’s patterns on sewing sites like this. There’s nothing for men and 500 different things for women.
      I can tell from your response to Denis, there will be no men’s patterns any time soon. It’s been a year and a half, have you added even a single pattern for men besides boxer shorts? It’s really frustrating.

    • Hi Royce
      I understand your feeling; Will try to add some – but from my side I have to be motivated to sew for men 🙂 But with women’s clothes motivation is always there.:) Cheers

  51. Wow…the instructions to make patterns are very clear. Keep up the good work. Really happie to come across your website , inspires me to learn more and share more 🙂 You are making this world a better place to live 🙂

    Reply
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