Free sewing pattern: Yvonne Empire Waist Dress

This dress pattern is made after I received a request from a reader on Tiana’s Closet. She asked me (a few times) for an empire waist dress, with V neckline and short sleeves. After a long time of procrastination, I finally finished designing this Yvonne empire waist dress.

At first I was quite reluctant to make an empire waist dress. To me, this style is often made for pregnant women – higher waistline and plenty room at the skirt to accumulate the baby bum. But when I tried with many styles, I realized that this style can also be elegant and flattering if the skirt is cut the right way.

The Yvonne dress has all bust darts turned into gathering at the empire waist line, and the skirt is fairly fitted at the waist and flared down the hemline. This helps to draw attention to the bust and covers the (possibly) not very slim waist of the wearer.

Let’s have a look at the 3D simulation of the Yvonne dress. I was quite happy with it, so I played around with the prints and color. You can explore your own way of choosing a suitable color for this dress.

How do you think about this dress? If you are interested, download and print the pattern and start the project.

The pattern is made using layered PDF, please check for your desired size before printing so you won’t waste your paper. If you still do not know how to print a layered PDF, please check for the instruction here.

You can print this using your home printer and A4/Letter paper. I calculated the printing area so that you will be able to use either type of paper to print the pattern out perfectly. Always print the first page first and check with the test square if you are printing at the right scale before you print out the whole pattern.

Some PC may print smaller than actual size even when you choose 100% scale – I don’t know why this problem exist, but my HP laptop cannot print true to size. I have to scale up to 103% to get the right size. You may need to check with your PC to see if it prints true to size, if not, scale up a bit.

Cutting instruction:

After taping down all the pages following the instruction, the overall layout of the pattern pieces is like this:

Free sewing pattern and instruction at my official website: https://tianascloset.com/index.php/2020/05/28/free-pdf-sewing-pattern-yvonne-empire-waist-dress/

Free PDF sewing pattern: Minju ruffled paneled dress

I am having a style crush on this beauty – a Ruffled Paneled Mini Dress by Minju Kim, a Korean fashion designer. It is a dress in her Spring-Summer 2020 collection. Look how playful it is with contrast yoke and a ruffled flounce back!

I am sharing this newly made pattern inspired by Kim’s design – the Minju ruffled paneled mini dress.

This dress features an slightly above the knee length (I just lengthen it a bit in comparison to the original dress – I know many of you do not want to show off too much legs, of course, if you want it short, just cut off some from the hem). The yoke is made with contrast color. You can experiment with mixing different color combos, or some embroidery decorations – and see how beautiful it may turn out to be.

Below are just some examples of the Minju dress in 3D simulation:

And here’s another color option:

Do you think that this lovely darling is worth a try? Pick up your scissors and start cutting!

The pattern is made using layered PDF, please check for your desired size before printing so you won’t waste your paper. If you still do not know how to print a layered PDF, please check for the instruction here.

You can print this using your home printer and A4/Letter paper. I calculated the printing area so that you will be able to use either type of paper to print the pattern out perfectly. Always print the first page first and check with the test square if you are printing at the right scale before you print out the whole pattern.

Some PC may print smaller than actual size even when you choose 100% scale – I don’t know why this problem exist, but my HP laptop cannot print true to size. I have to scale up to 103% to get the right size. You may need to check with your PC to see if it prints true to size, if not, scale up a bit.

Cutting instruction:

After taping down all the pages following the instruction, the overall layout of the pattern pieces is like this (I chose size L as sample):

The pattern pieces are to be cut as follows:

A. Main Front – cut 1 on fold

B. Front Yoke – cut 1 on fold

C. Main Back – cut 2

D. Back Ruffle – cut 1 on fold

E. Front facing – 1 piece main fabric + 1 piece fusible interfacing

F. Back facing – cut 2 pieces main fabric + 2 pieces fusible interfacing

For sewing instruction and pattern download, visit my official website: http://tianascloset.com/index.php/2020/05/23/free-sewing-pattern-minju-mini-dress/

Free PDF sewing pattern: Bianca ruffled back hi-lo blouse

The pattern for today (a really sunny day – summer is here!) is the Bianca ruffled back hi-lo blouse. This is a pattern I made for myself to prepare for the hot days coming.

I have played around with this pattern and made a 3D simulation of it. Let’s check out the look!

This is the front view of the blouse. It is loose fitting with a V neck. The bust darts are slanted at the side. The front hem is slightly curved upwards.

And this is the back of the Bianca blouse. It is divided into a yoke and a ruffle lower part. The hem is curved downwards, creating a hi-lo look for the blouse.

And here’s the side view if you want to know how it looks at the side.

This is yet another super quick and easy project, and you can finish it within just one free afternoon.

The Bianca blouse can be easily mixed with shorts, jeans or skirts, and if you want to warm up a bit, put on a jacket, or a cardigan, and you are all set! Slippers, sandals or sneakers can go along well with this blouse, too.

I made the pattern in 10 sizes, from XXS to 5XL, so hopefully it will fit just almost anyone! Plus size ladies, welcome!

As usual, the pattern is made in layered PDF format where all sizes are stored in just one file. You can choose to print just your desired size(s) instead of a pile of messy pages where you have to trace your size from the colored lines. If you are not sure how to print out layered PDF files, check out my Printing Guide.

Of course, check out my Size table to see if your size is available before downloading the file.

Cutting instruction

After printing, cutting and taping all 19 pages together, you will get this:

The pattern consists of 6 pattern pieces:

1. Front piece – cut 1 on fold
2. Front facing – cut 1 main fabric + 1 fusible interfacing
3. Back yoke – cut 2
4. Main back pieces – cut 1 on fold
5. Back neck facing – cut 2 main fabric + 2 fusible interfacing
6. Armhole bias binding – cut 2 on bias

For pattern and sewing instruction, please visit my official website: https://tianascloset.com/index.php/2020/05/21/free-pdf-sewing-pattern-bianca-ruffled-back-hi-lo-blouse/

Free PDF sewing pattern: Men’s basic round neck T-shirt

After a long time sharing patterns for ladies, I have been asked by a few readers about a beginner pattern for gentlemen. As a result, I am posting today the pattern for men’s basic round neck T-shirt.

This design features a regular fit, round neckline and short sleeves. It is a favorite item for those who love simple style. Personally I love wearing my husband’s T shirt because they are slouchy and comfortable. I bet many of you do feel the same way.

This must be the must have item in all men’s wardrobe, and I believe anyone will be happy making it. It does not require much skills – but of course if you choose stretchy knit fabric, you need to know how to work with this tricky material. I will come back with a guide to sewing stretchy knit fabric when I have time (not today, though).

The basic T shirt can be made with various materials, but mostly stretch jersey fabric, made of cotton or natural fibers which are breathable and gentle to the skin. It can also made of special materials when used for sport activities like running or tennis.

As usual, the pattern is made in layered PDF format, and you can have all sizes in one file and choose to print only your desired size. You can check the Printing Guide for more information on how to print a layered PDF file.

After cutting and taping all the pages together, you will have something similar to this (I chose size 5XL as sample):

To download this free PDF basic round neck T shirt sewing pattern, visit my official website: https://tianascloset.com/index.php/2020/05/18/free-pdf-sewing-pattern-mens-basic-round-neck-t-shirt/