I often see people commenting that there are so many great patterns in woven fabrics for girls, and hardly anything for boys. There are even a lot of free ones, if you know the right places to look. I did a post recently on designers with woven fabric patterns, and it's quite true that a lot only make for girls or women. However, it's possible to find enough patterns for boys, even some free ones, to be able to make a great capsule wardrobe, at least for younger boys. With all free patterns, there may be a limited size range in the free version, other sizes often being available as paid for patterns. In this post, I'll look at woven options for paid-for patterns from indie designers for boys, and then I'll move on to what you can find that's free.
Note that in this post, I'll be looking just at digital patterns that can be made in woven or non-knit fabrics, because that's what seems much harder to find. And I haven't considered paper patterns from the Big Five traditional pattern producers.
Shorts, dungarees or rompers, long trousers (or long pants), waistcoats (vests), bucket hats, board shorts, and buttoned shirts can all be made with woven fabrics, plus, of course, pyjamas. In my post on pattern designers who make patterns for woven fabrics for children in general, I've gone through a lot of indie designers and mentioned whether they do or do not have any boy patterns, and with a lot of other useful information. If you want to work through those, with the links provided, go to this post. But I'll list those that are the most useful here. Some have only one or two boy patterns in woven, others quite a few.
Of course, many of my recommendations here are equally suitable for girls. I can't think of many styles of garment now that girls would just never wear, whereas the same is not true in reverse. And as it happens, all of my grandchildren are girls, so most of my own pictures are of clothes suitable for boys being worn by girls. This post is more of a list of useful designers and patterns, rather than lotsof pictures of made up garments. Links on this post.
Here are some of the most useful ones to start with - just because they have quite a few boys patterns, easy to find:
CKC
Little Lizard King
Oh Me Oh My
Oliver+S
Sew a Little Seam
Tadah
Tie Dye Diva
Titchy Threads
Twig and Tale
Shorts from Oliver+S Sunny Day Shorts (free pattern)
Between them, these designers above can provide patterns for shorts, pants, rompers, dungarees, dress shirts and other button shirts, PJ pants, rain pants, vests (i.e. waistcoats), neckties, hats. Some specialise in clothing for babies and younger children, others in older children and tweens.
If you don't find what you want there, here are some others, who may not have as many woven boy patterns, but may have more unusual things as well. For example, Pollywoggles has a fleece robe; Eli Monster has some woven jogging pants. Again, links on this post.
5berries
Elemeno
Eli Monster
Frocks and Frolics
Hey June
Life Sew Savory (many are free)
Made by Marzipan
Peekaboo
Pollywoggles
Small Dream Factory (many are free, at least in smaller sizes).
Life Sew Savory Bermuda Shorts (free pattern)
You'll find links for all these on my other woven post.
So, let's move on to free patterns. Often, each designer only has only one or two that I've used, but I've used them again and again. (And again!)
I'll start with babies / toddlers.
Shwin and Shwin have the cutest woven romper, only in size 0-3 months though. I so wanted to make this but I missed the boat each time with my grandchildren - they had grown by the time I got round to this pattern.
There's also a short leg version by Melly Sews, equally cute.
Made by Rae has some Newborn Pants, though I think they could work without too much difficulty b(by just extneding the legs) for a slightly older baby.
Me Sew Crazy has some nice snap cargo pants in two sizes, 3-6 months and 6-12 months.
Moving on to toddlers, my first free pattern is these lovely dungarees by Toya. She says the pattern is for size 2, but they are modelled on a 15 month old.
I could have included this designer in Babies, as she has great patterns for babies too, but the one I've used most, in 6-12 months, I also extended to fit up to 2 year olds. These were some pirate below-knee length trousers I made from an old shirt. Her patterns are drawn on grids, so you can resize to some extent. There are no detailed instructions.
Pirate trousers made from Baby Patterns at Space pattern
Made Every Day / Made by Dana - especially the Perfect Diaper Cover, and the Basic Pants
Baby romper made from Dana's Perfect Diaper cover
I don't have a picture of the Basic Pants, so this is Dana's picture. In size 2-3T. But she also gives a tutorial for making your own pattern.
Freshly Completed has some simple shorts in size 18 months to 2 years.
Once Upon a Sewing Machine has a lovely hooded vest for 2T to 3T - but I think this could also be enlarged a little.
This is a great pattern, and although it nominally only comes in one size (2-3), I have sized both up and down from it. Seam allowances are not included. The first time I made it, I didn't add seam allowance and it worked fine for age 2. These below are age 3, and I've also enlarged the pattern to make size 4-5.
Shortalls for 3 year-old boy made from Ikatbag pattern
Moving up the age ranges, there gets to be less choice of free patterns.
Sew Jereli PJ pants pattern worked well for me. This is a great pattern, and comes in 5 sizes, 18 months to 5 years - though I have enlarged it to 6 or 7 as well. I've used it for lots of types of trousers / pants, not just for PJs.
Jereli PJ pants
Reversible warm trousers made from Jereli PJ pants pattern
Toddler pants from same Jereli pattern - worn as cargo shorts 2 years later!
I've made loads of these. Sizes from 1-8.
Baby Shorts made from Sycamore Shorts pattern (comes in ages 1-8)
And lots of these, too. Although there are only 3 sizes, I've made the in-between sizes by interpolating and drawing in the lines in between. These below are I believe for ages 5 and 6.
Craft Passion shorts
I don't have anything free to offer for woven patterns for older boys, though it's worth looking at Life Sew Savory (above), as many of her patterns are free, and she does make bermuda shorts and jogging bottoms for her sons. But perhaps for growing lads, you may not be looking for woven patterns. If you are, you may just have to pay for them!
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