Basic dress block #2

I am posting here the basic dress block with the shoulder darts moved to the armhole and a half sleeve. The basic dress block with shoulder darts and long sleeve has been posted on my blog here. I am calling it dress block #1.

I plan to make some tutorial on pattern drafting, and that’s why I am going to post all the basic dress blocks with the darts moved around so that you can download whatever pattern you want and draft along – just to save you a lot of time drafting the basic blocks. And to save you some more time, I removed the seam allowance. You will not need to cut it off like the basic dress block #1 before starting to modify the pattern to your ideas.

This block has the front darts moved to armhole, and back shoulder darts removed. Although it is a basic dress block, you can also sew it into a sheath dress. It still looks really nice! I still make the kick pleat so that anyone who wants to make a dress from this block can use them if you want. Just add seam allowance, and it is ready to go!

PLEASE REMEMBER: THIS BASIC DRESS BLOCK DOES NOT HAVE SEAM ALLOWANCE! ADD SEAM ALLOWANCE BEFORE YOU SEW!

The pattern is created in pdf format using A4 paper. I can also create the pattern in other paper sizes (A0 to A4, Letter, Tabloid), so please inform me if you need them.

Print the patterns on A4 paper at actual size/no scaling/100%. Not sure how to print and cut the patterns? Check the guide here.

Do you want to add side seam pockets to the pattern for additional convenience? Just go ahead because it is too easy, just follow the quick instruction here.

Again, happy sewing! I look forward to seeing your masterpiece!

XOXO

Tiên the Little Sewist

Cutting instruction:

After taping down all the pages following the instruction, the overall layout of the pattern pieces is much like this (the arrangement of pattern pieces will vary a bit with sizes because I want to utilize all space to result in least number of pages):

The cutting instruction is for the garment with facings. If you choose to sew it with bias binding, skip the front facing and back facing pieces. If you choose to sew with bodice lining, skip the facing pieces and cut a set of front and back pieces in lining fabric.

A. Front - 1pcs
B. Back - 2pcs
C. Sleeve - 2pcs
D. Front Facing – 1pcs + Fusible Interfacing – 1pcs
E. Back Facing – 2pcs + Fusible Interfacing – 2pcs

Download links for the dress:

Check for your size in the Size Chart before downloading. Not finding your size? Comment your height, bust – waist – hip measurements in the comment box below and I will send you the custom-made pattern for you as soon as I can!

Petite XS	Regular XS
Petite S	Regular S
Petite M	Regular M
Petite L	Regular L
Petite XL	Regular XL
Petite XXL	Regular XXL

Peplum top pattern

(Scroll down to the end of the post for download links)

Anyone loves the peplum top here? I bet there are! Because who would not love the design that can miraculously flatter your body shape and cover up your flaws in waist and hips? I also have a peplum top in my closet to mix with jeans or treggings when I want to be comfortable without being frumpy. You know I am short and curvy, and anything relating to layering will make me a rag doll at once, except for the peplum top.

If you are worried that peplum tops are out of date, don’t worry. After a few years lending the stage to bell sleeves and other statement making trends, the top that flares in the waist is back! On the runway, of course. You can see peplum tops in the collections of Balenciaga, Rosie Assoulin, Monique Lhuillier, Marchesa, Zuhair Murad, etc. And when these trend setters say peplum is back, it’s back! Why not make yourself this flattering baby to catch up with the trends?

(Left to right, top down: Balenciaga, Rosie Assoulin, Oscar de la Renta, Marchesa, Monique Lhuillier, Zuhair Murad)

Of course I am sharing a design that is more applicable than those on the runway – after all, we cannot always bring the runway fashion as-is to our daily life (However, if I have a piece of Oscar de la Renta or Zuhair Murad like above, I am more than happy to wear them – it’s impossible because of budget problem, haha). So, the peplum top I will make for myself will be a simpler design – with boat neckline, half sleeve and full circle peplum. The peplum is long enough to cover your hips, and you can adjust its length to make one most suitable with your taste.

The pattern is created in pdf format using A4 paper. I can also create the pattern in other paper sizes (A0 to A4, Letter, Tabloid), so please inform me if you need them.

Print the patterns on A4 paper at actual size/no scaling/100%. Not sure how to print and cut the patterns? Check the guide here.

Do you want to add side seam pockets to the pattern for additional convenience? Just go ahead because it is too easy, just follow the quick instruction here.

Again, happy sewing! I look forward to seeing your masterpiece!

XOXO

Tiên the Little Sewist

Cutting instruction:

After taping down all the pages following the instruction, the overall layout of the pattern pieces is much like this (the arrangement of pattern pieces will vary a bit with sizes because I want to utilize all space to result in least pages):

The cutting instruction is for the garment with facings. If you choose to sew the garment with bias binding, skip the front facing and back facing pieces. If you choose to sew the garment with bodice lining, skip the facing pieces and cut a set of front and back pieces in lining fabric.

A. Back Peplum - 2pcs
B. Front Peplum - 1pcs
C. Front - 1pcs
D. Back - 2pcs
E. Sleeve - 2pcs
F. Front Facing – 1pcs + Fusible Interfacing – 1pcs
G. Back Facing – 2pcs + Fusible Interfacing – 2pcs

Download links for the peplum top pattern:

Check for your size in the Size Chart before downloading. Not finding your size? Comment your height, bust – waist – hip measurements in the comment box below and I will send you the custom-made pattern for you as soon as I can!

Petite XS	Regular XS
Petite S	Regular S
Petite M	Regular M
Petite L	Regular L
Petite XL	Regular XL
Petite XXL	Regular XXL

Burberry look-alike dress pattern

(Download links at the end of the post)

Do you love the Black Sculptural Cotton Silk Dress by Burberry London in the 2015-2016 collection here? Although it has been 3 years, but the style is still not out of date at all. The dress can be worn from 9 to 5 and straight to a dinner date. And it comes with a skyrocketing price of 1990 bucks!

And if you are just too poor to buy this $1990 baby (like me!), you can copy the style and sew yourself one with the resources you can get your hands on. We may not have the luxurious cotton silk like they have, but we have many other choices. If you are not into exactly the same color and texture of the original dress, you can choose something a bit different.

This dress features a round neck, A line knee length skirt and short sleeves. It has all front darts moved to waist sides and a pleat at the center of the front skirt. This dress is fairly simple to sew, of course if you want to make it look expensive, remember to make every cut and seam sharp and clean. You will not have a nice dress if the seams are not correctly aligned, or the cuts are not clean enough. Prints may help you cover some of the flaws, but if you choose a plain color, you must be extra careful.

The pattern is created at knee length. If you prefer a longer or shorter dress, modify the pattern accordingly. Burberry also has a sleeveless version for this dress, so you can try making one if you’ve got the mood.

The pattern is created in pdf format using A4 paper. The patterns use the sizes in the size chart here. If your size is different from the one shown in my blog, please comment your measurements below. I will make a pattern closest to your measurements. I can also create the pattern in other paper sizes (A0 to A4, Letter, Tabloid), so please inform me if you need them.

Not sure how to print and cut the patterns? Check the guide here.

Again, happy sewing! I hope to see your masterpiece!

XOXO

Tiên the Little Sewist

Instruction for cutting (for newbies – if you are not one, just scroll down to the download links).

A. Front Waistband - 1pcs

B. Back Waistband - 2pcs

C. Front Skirt - 1pcs

D. Back Skirt - 2pcs

E. Front - 1pcs

F. Back - 2pcs

G. Front Facing - 1pcs + Interfacing – 1pcs

H. Back Facing - 2pcs + Interfacing – 2pcs

I. Sleeve - 2pcs

Lay your fabric of choice flat on the table according to straight of grain as marked by the dashed arrow on the pattern pieces.

The front bodice, front waistband and front skirt will be cut on fold, so you need to correspond the folded edge with the one marked with a fold mark on the pattern piece.

Cut the fabric according to the quantity required on each pattern block. For example, if the pattern shows Main, Interfacing – cut 1+1”, it means that you need to cut 1 piece as is and 1 mirrored piece from the main fabric as well as from interfacing.

Mark all notches from the pattern pieces to your fabric. When sewing the dress, you need to pay attention to notches to match them up.

Download links for the Burberry look-alike dress:

Check for your size in the Size Chart before downloading.

Petite XS	Regular XS
Petite S	Regular S
Petite M	Regular M
Petite L	Regular L
Petite XL	Regular XL
Petite XXL	Regular XXL

V neck 3/4 sleeve sheath dress pattern

(Scroll down to the end of the post for download links)

I am sharing the pattern for another office ready dress – the V neckline sheath dress inspired by the owner of the blog 30 Dresses in 30 Days.

This dress features a V neckline which is not too deep to ensure the dress is modest enough for professional setting. Although it is a basic piece, the dress gives the wearer the feeling of a confidence and power. I can imagine the office lady wearing this in an important meeting with clients – mixing it with neat hair updo, document files and black high heels – and impress the people in the meeting room. Or if you want to soften the image of a powerful woman, let your hair fall on your shoulder in soft curls, just like the girl in the image did.

One reason that inspire me to make the pattern for this dress is its color. I love cobalt blue. It is the royal color which gives the wearer the feeling of superiority and confidence. It is also not too bright, not too bold to make you look out of place in a serious professional event. Of course, if you prefer another color, just go with it. I am sure this baby will be great in almost any color!

This dress pattern has a straight skirt. If you prefer a pencil design, narrow down the side seams, starting from the fullest part of the hip (marked with notches) down to hemline. It is a really quick modification, mark a point at the hemline at the desired width of skirt hemline and draw a straight line (the red lines) from the hip notch to the marked point. Then redraw the seam allowance (the blue lines) and cut the pieces. You can see in the demonstration below:

The pattern is created in pdf format using A4 paper. I can also create the pattern in other paper sizes (A0 to A4, Letter, Tabloid), so please inform me if you need them.

Not sure how to print and cut the patterns? Check the guide here.

Do you want to add side seam pockets to the pattern for additional convenience? Just go ahead because it is too easy, just follow the quick instruction here.

Again, happy sewing! I look forward to seeing your masterpiece!

XOXO

Tiên the Little Sewist

Cutting instruction:

After taping down all the pages following the instruction, the overall layout of the pattern pieces is much like this (the arrangement of pattern pieces will vary a bit with sizes because I want to utilize all space to result in least pages):

The cutting instruction is for the dress with facings. If you choose to sew the dress with bias binding, skip the front facing and back facing pieces. If you choose to sew the dress with bodice lining, skip the facing pieces and cut a set of front and back pieces in lining fabric.

A. Front Skirt - 1pcs

B. Back Skirt - 2pcs

C. Sleeve - 2pcs

D. Front - 1pcs

E. Back - 2pcs

F. Front Facing - 1pcs

G. Back Facing - 2pcs

Download links for the dress:

Check for your size in the Size Chart before downloading. Not finding your size? Comment your height, bust – waist – hip measurements in the comment box below and I will send you the custom-made pattern for you!

Petite XS	Regular XS
Petite S	Regular S
Petite M	Regular M
Petite L	Regular L
Petite XL	Regular XL
Petite XXL	Regular XXL

The basic dress block #1

(Download links at the end of the post)

I would love to post here the basic dress block, which is the start of all kinds of dresses. If you are a just a bit familiar with sewing, you may have heard of this already.

When I first started sewing about thirteen years ago, I struggled with drafting a correct basic dress block for my figure because I was just a self-taught designer. I read a lot of designing books, and it finally became easier for me to draft the block for myself (at first, I was only thinking of sewing my own dresses). Gradually, I got more ‘customers’ who were my mother, my sisters, friends and their mothers. They all loved to have the custom-made dresses that I sew for them. Choosing between a dress made exactly for your figure and a store bought one, you know the result!

The hobby then became a small business. At peak time, I had customers waiting for 1 month to get their desired dress. I always draft a personal basic dress block for each of my customers and save it for the next time they come to me. As I had more customers, it took me more and more time to start from scratch, and I understand the feeling of those who must spend a lot of time beginning. That is why I turned to digital designing. And now I just need to input the measurements and print out the blocks. Next, I just need to modify it to make the styles to customer’s ideas.

A basic dress block is surely a great time-saver. From this you can easily modify and create all kind of styles and designs. If you are a newbie, just this block can turn into a great sheath dress! If you are already familiar with designing using blocks, you will find it enjoyable just copying it to drafting paper, then draw and cut them to your ideas. There are a lot of books about pattern drafting, and all of them start with a basic block. You can also find on the Internet a lot of blogs talking about pattern modification – I sometimes take ideas from them. Pinterest is also a good source for ideas – I have a board named Sewing where I put a lot of pictures related to sewing and pattern drafting. Surfing Pinterest has also become one of my favorite leisure time activity!

That’s enough with the blabbing! Now turn to the pattern pieces that I am sharing today!

The basic dress block is, um, up to its name, basic! And it is important – I must say it is the foundation of fashion designing. You cannot have a good dress if you do not have a good basic block – of course there are some dresses that do not require patterns, I will write about them some day.

As I am short and curvy, I love to make petite patterns to share with those who has the same problem with me. That is why this basic dress block is created for both petite size and normal size. It is also created without any seam allowance. When you finish modifying the block, add seam allowance as you love to.

The pattern is created in pdf format using A4 paper. The patterns use the sizes in the size chart here. If your size is different from the one shown in my blog, please comment your measurements below. I will make a pattern closest to your measurements. I can also create the pattern in other paper sizes (A0 to A4, Letter, Tabloid), so please inform me if you need them.

Not sure how to print and cut the patterns? Check the guide here.

Again, happy sewing! I hope to see your masterpiece!

XOXO

Tiên the Little Sewist

Download links for the basic dress block:

Check for your size in the Size Chart before downloading.

Petite XS	Regular XS
Petite S	Regular S
Petite M	Regular M
Petite L	Regular L
Petite XL	Regular XL
Petite XXL	Regular XXL

Sleeveless A-line mod dress pattern

OK, the first pattern that I love to share is the oh so very classic mod dress, which you can see in the photo. The A-line mod dress was worn by Jean Shrimpton in 1965, which caused a scandal at the Melbourne Cup.

The dress is simple - and it is easy to make, even for those who only know sewing for a short time. It is also easy to mix with other accessories - see how Jean Shrimpton put a jewel on her chest and made it look elegant and expensive?

You can see in the technical drawing, it is such an easy project to make! It took me like about an hour to make the dress! And you can make some alteration to the pattern. For example, you can ditch the facing and use contrast bias tape to finish the neckline and the armholes. Or just find a very special printed fabric to make the dress. Or hand embelishing the neckline just like the Miu Miu dress below. They will be no less luxe than the one sold at a thousand dollars!

The sewing patterns are created for size 10, 12 and 14 petite.

The pattern can be downloaded for free at the end of the post. You can just print it on A4 paper (at 100% or no scaling) then cut along the line and tape them together. The pattern has seam allowance added, so just put it on the fabrics, cut and sew!

If you need other sizes and heights, please leave a comment and I will alter the pattern accordingly. I can provide patterns not only for petites but also other sizes (including normal and tall).

Happy sewing!

For those who are not sure about the sizes, please refer to the size chart here: The Little Sewist Size Chart

Click on the link to download the pattern:

Petite size S

Petite size M

Petite size L

All the sewing patterns on this blog can be downloaded for free! Please share with others if you like. Thank you for your support!

Tien - the Petite Sewist

Hello world!

Hi everyone,

This blog is created to share my love for sewing and creating sewing patterns.

I have a petite and curvy body shape, and this is why it is quite a problem finding clothes that fit me well at the stores. After giving birth to my baby, the problem got worse, and I turned to self-making my own clothes.

My taste in fashion can be summarized in a few words: simple - elegant - classic. I admit I am not very adventurous with my clothing. Most of which I created are dresses - sheath dresses, fit and flare dresses, shift dresses. I always try to make my creation with highest quality standard - choosing nice fabrics, careful with cutting, ironing and sewing. I love to know that my dresses can be compared with pricey tailor made dresses at the store. Above all, I love wearing my self-made dresses, because it gives me the feeling of achievement.

A few years ago, I also downloaded patterns online, printing and cutting them to make my own clothes. But most of them were made with "normal"sizes for women of 170cm average height. With someone who is only 157cm tall like me, the patterns needed a lot of alteration - sometimes it took more time than drafting a complete new one.

I realized that many other had the same problem. Most of us are not "normal"- we are either too short or too tall, too big or too small. That is why I made the patterns for not-so-normal sizes, mostly for petite women. Some are made for tall women because I have a friend who is nearly 180cm tall.

As time goes by, I grow more and more interested in creating patterns. I love how the patterns are turned into beautiful dresses by my friends - how creative they are! They made all kind of small changes in the original designs and got their own unique creations! I can now create a pattern, give it to my friends and eagerly wait for them to bring me surprises.

This is why I create this blog. I want to share all of this to anyone who loves sewing, and I love to see how you guys turn the patterns into real clothes.

My patterns tend to be classic - with basic forms and shapes, which leaves you a lot of space for improvising. I will try my best to make them as diverse as possible.

Hope that everyone would love this blog!

XOXO

Tien - the Petite Sewist