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Patternless Sewing

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You don't need expensive paper patterns to make your own clothes. Simple clothing is easy to make with just a needle and thread, and a measuring tape.

Contents at a Glance

Clothing to Make Without a Pattern
Books to Buy
Bits and Pieces
Build up your fabric stash!
Advice and Inspiration
Edgings are Everything!

Clothing to Make Without a Pattern

Websites that will give you guidelines and direction to make your own clothes without paper patterns.

Patternless Robe: Even if you don't need a bathrobe, check out the hints on creating necklines.
Patternless A-line Skirt: Step by step directions, with photographs.
The Mary Dress: A simple, loose-fitting dress made to your own measurements.
How to sew caftans: Directions for a patternless caftan.
The Tangled Web: Garb: No pattern clothing with a Renaissance look. Directions for a chemise, gathered skirt, gored skirt, and bodice.
Costuming Through the Centuries: An SCA page with 'patternless patterns' for everything from from pants and tunic to Elizabethan undergarments. Some are much more complicated than others, and some require homemade patterns, but there is a wealth of information here.
flamenco skirt (tutorial): Make your own flamenco skirt pattern.
Civil War Skirt: How to make your own Civil War era skirt.
Easy Drawers Project: How to make a pair of shorts out of two pillowcases.
Paneled Skirt Instructions: Make a gored (paneled) skirt.
making petticoats: A forum discussion with several ideas for making petticoats (or Navaho skirts) without patterns.
Jacket: Make a jacket out of a sweatshirt.
Poncho with no pattern: A plan for making a patternles poncho out of a fleece blanket.
Saphonda's gloves: An easy way to make glamorous lycra gloves
DawnPages -- Costume Patterns: Aimed at costumers, this site has instructions for several basic items, including pants and tunics. It also has instructions for a few Elizabethan accessories.
Easy Cloak: A simple rectangular cloak.
whatthecraft?: WhatTheCraft has craft and sewing tutorials, articles, and resources for all of your diy needs. Check out the tutorials for directions on making or modifying several kinds of clothing.
Hooded Cape: Step by step directions, with pictures, to make a hooded cape without a pattern.
Wrap Skirt: Directions to make a wrap skirt to your own measurements.
Free Clothes Patterns: Huge list of free patterns and pattern free sewing directions. Links to underclothes, skirts, shirts, aprons, kimonos, plus some other odds and ends
Weekend designer: A blog with several diy patterns ranging from a simple dirndl skirt and pillows to a somewhat more complicated coat and artistic jacket.
Handkerchief Skirt: Directions to make a two-layer, eight pointed 'handkerchief hem' skirt.
Easy Breezy Wrap Pants Tutorial: Simple wrap pants for a quick summer project.

Books to Buy

Bits and Pieces

Just need help with one part of your clothing? Look here for directions you can mix and match to create your own patternless clothing.

Sleeves: One of the sleeves (version F) has a patternless option.
Simplicity Tips & Tricks: One Woman Hem-Marking: A trick to make your hem come out even.
One-hour Wide Belt: "Create this patternless Japanese-inspired wrap with a twist."

Build up your fabric stash!

Advice and Inspiration

General helps and ideas for sewing without a pattern.

Making a Muslin: How to make a mock-up of your project (traditionally using muslin, though any inexpensive fabric will work) so you don't waste your good fabric on a test run.
I made a skirt!: A skirt made without a pattern.
A reversible cafe-style apron: An apron made without a pattern.
Serendipity Gloves: Felt gloves made out of a sweater.
You can make puppet costumes!: Detailed direction to make patternless clothing...for puppets. A lot of this will still work on a larger scale.

Edgings are Everything!

Finish off your designs right with some wild and wacky, or inexpensively luxurious trim on Ebay!

Reader Feedback

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AbigailsCrafts Jun 3, 2011 @ 10:41 am | delete

I've been meaning to try and cut down my fabric stash and make some new summer clothes - now I've got lots of cool ides, thankyou!

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sunnysumersmile Oct 7, 2008 @ 8:16 pm | delete

Hey this is great! Awesome, easy ideas for everyone!
check out my sewing projects at http://www.squidoo.com/funkyfashion

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minerva Jul 30, 2008 @ 8:02 pm | delete

Nice page. I learned about a lot of new resources. Thanks for all your hard work.

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badmsm Jan 21, 2008 @ 5:38 pm | delete

This is wonderful! Love to save $$$ on my sewing and crafts. Keep up the good work, 5 stars for you. :)