More swing tops!

The Swing Tee tops I had made for Jane and her little sister last summer had gone down so well, that the free pattern from Life Sew Savory was the obvious place to start for Jane's new tops for her birthday. I did a full review of the Life Sew Savory pattern in my earlier post, but I've taken even more pictures now of the making of these two new ones. The one on the left is as the pattern, while the one on the right has had the sleeves extended a little.

For more pictures of making up this great pattern read on.

Woven patterns for boys

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.

This year's Christmas Dresses - Part 2 - the asymmetric one

 With 4 new Christmas dresses to make, I got started early. With no idea as to whether I'd even be able to see my grand-daughters for Christmas, I wanted to get them out early rather than treating them as an extra Christmas present. So the last one was delivered on December 4th. For that one, I used a new (to me) free pattern, so this post will also be a bit of a pattern review.

Swing Tee Shirts - Pattern review of Life Sew Savory's pattern

I'd had a metre of this cotton spandex unicorn stretch jersey fabric in the stash for a little while, and I'd been looking for the right project. 

Two of my granddaughters, sisters, had both decided they wanted it. With only a metre of it, I had to think carefully if I was to get two garments! . Their Mummy said they were most in need of tops, so it seemd like a good opportuntiy to try the free  Life Sew Savory Swing Tee pattern, which has been on my to do list for a while. you can find out how I got on below the jump!

Pattern Review - MBJM Crowning Glory

This was another project that comes under the heading of 'scrap busting', though it was mainly that I wanted a nice little personal present for my grand-daughter's third birthday. We hadn't really been able to see much of her (out of a window, mainly) during lockdown, and although we were getting her some Lego sets, I really wanted a small personal touch as well. I'd had the Made By Jack's Mum Crowning Glory free PDF pattern for some time but to be honest had not taken much notice of it up to this point. There always seemed to be actual clothes to make, or face masks, or something else 'important'. But now seemed the ideal opportunity to try out this pattern. Here's the result. For the link, and my pattern review, read on!

Pattern Review and lengthening tutorial - Little Lizard King Raleigh Top

The Raleigh from Little Lizard King was a new-to me-pattern recently. You can tell I liked it, because I made two the first day I found it! It's really a very quick make. It has nice clear instructions, and comes in sizes 12 months to 14 years. However (as I'm afraid I so often do) I amended it somewhat to suit my granddaughters (and their mothers). But my alterations have been so admired I thought I'd write them up. 

To find out how I did it, read on.

Pattern review - Life Sew Savory Bermuda Shorts

I'm always interested in new shorts patterns, as my four granddaughters like wearing them a lot. So I was very pleased to see Life Sew Savory's Bermuda Shorts, a free PDF and tutorial. I like Emily's patterns, and she generously shares a number of free patterns, which I have generally found successful.

The Bermuda shorts would work well for boys as well as our active little grand-daughters. They have pockets (tick!) and a faux drawstring, as well as an elasticated back waist for comfort. Here's my trial pair, in woven cotton (made from fat quarters).

To read the full reivew of the pattern, including how I slighlty altered / improved mine, read on.

Monkey Bar Skirt/Shorts pattern review

I'd been meaning to try the Hey June Monkey Bar Skirt for some time, and I finally got round to it this summer. It's everything I hoped it would be.  I'm now two down, and others planned. Here are the first two.

The idea of this skirt / shorts is that little girls can (as little girls do) hang upside down on a monkey bar, without revealing their underwear. I made some minor modifications to suit us, but other than that I followed the Hey June tutorial. To find her free pattern and find out what I did with it, read on!

Free Tank Top Patterns for Kids

I'm always very grateful when pattern designers release a few patterns free. If nothing else, it enables you to decide which designers to follow. I don't want to start by shelling out for a pattern that doesn't work! Some people are not designers at all, in the sense that they don't sell their patterns; they are, like me, doting Grandmas or Mums (or Moms, in the US), who like making children's clothes, and to share what they can.

I've made a few tank tops in my time - perhaps not as many as other people, because some of my grand-daughters (or their mothers) like to keep their shoulders covered. But in the course of doing this, I've found a few patterns that have worked for me.

 Here's my most recent effort - the straps are not  really as lop-sided as they look!

To find my favourite free PDF tank top patterns, read on.

Free PDF patterns links that now don't work - Page 1 - A - G

I do my best to keep updating my blog, especially the links to other web sites. I've been blogging about free PDF patterns for baby and children's clothes for about 5 years now, and it's frustrating when I find the links to some of my favourites are no longer available. 

Sometimes, the designers' web sites still exist, or they have a new one: but their children have grown older, and they no longer want to support children's patterns, or now have only adult patterns. So the previously free pattern no longer exists. Or they've decided only to sell patterns, and no longer to offer any free ones. Occasionally, previous links no longer work, but I've managed to find a new one that does. But often, the web site has just gone, or has gone very dodgy, so you get messages that it's unsafe - or worse, if your security software doesn't catch it. 

Shorts made with Caila Made pattern, from now unsafe web site

However, many of the defunct links are going to continue to float around the internet. In the past, someone has added them to Pinterest. Then the pins get re-pinned, and then those re-pinned pins get re-pinned again, even though they may no longer link back to anything useful. In one sense, that doesn't matter to me, because I've downloaded the patterns anyway, if not the tutorial. But in another sense, it is a problem, because I've recommended the links to others. 

So the purpose of this post is to go through some of the defunct links, and others that have wobbled in the past, to see what I can offer to you. Like me, you may like what you've seen on Pinterest or elsewhere. In some cases, I can help. I may have found an alternative link, I may have something similar I can recommend instead, or I may have one of my own patterns that would work. Maybe I have something already saved that could help you. Others are sadly gone for ever. If you find other links (on my web site or on Pinterest) for baby patterns that don't work, do let me know!

If you are one of these pattern designers and you now have a new web site, where these patterns are available, please do get in touch. I'll be happy to set the record straight.

Free PDF patterns links that now don't work - Page 2 - H - M

This is Page 2 of my post looking at links to free baby and children PDF sewing patterns that no longer work - but are probably still on Pinterest or elsewhere. That's a bit shorthand - some do work but appear not to!  The purpose of this post is to go through some of the defunct links, and others that have wobbled in the past, to see what I can offer to you. Like me, you may like what you've seen on Pinterest or elsewhere. In some cases, I can help. I may have found an alternative link, I may have something similar I can recommend instead, or I may have one of my own patterns that would work. Maybe I have something already saved. Others are sadly gone for ever. If you find other links (on my web site or on Pinterest) for baby patterns that don't work, do let me know!

If you haven't seen Page 1 (A - G) of this post yet, click here.

UPDATE NOTE MAY 2019: Some of the I Candy links below which had disappearted in February have now been rescusitated. I will reinstate them below shortly.

Free PDF patterns that now don't work - Page 3 - N - Z

This is Page 3 of my post looking at links to free baby and children PDF sewing patterns that no longer work - but are probably still on Pinterest or elsewhere.That's a bit shorthand - some do work but appear not to! The purpose of this post is to go through some of the defunct links, and others that have wobbled in the past, to see what I can offer to you. Like me, you may like what you've seen on Pinterest or elsewhere. In some cases, I can help. I may have found an alternative link, I may have something similar I can recommend instead, or I may have one of my own patterns that would work. Maybe I have something already saved. Others are sadly gone for ever. If you find other links (on my web site or on Pinterest) for baby patterns that don't work, do let me know!

Two dresses I made in 2017 from patterns that now have links that are broken.

Or, if you are responsible for one of the web sites for which I have broken links, and you know differently, please also let me know that, and I'll be happy to set the record straight.

If you haven't seen Page 1 (A - G) of this post yet, click here. Or for Page 2 (H- M) click here. Otherwise, read on for patterns from web sites from N to Z.

Free PDF patterns for newborns - Page 1

In general, I try to discourage people from making clothes in newborn baby size, at least, in large quantities. See my posts here and here. Often a newborn is bigger than you expect, and they grow just SO fast. But there are times when these very small clothes may be appropriate, especially if the baby was small at birth, or perhaps, was born too soon. Or you just want to make some because they are cute, so you are happy to ignore my advice. Just don't say I didn't warn you!

In fact, there are quite a lot of patterns available as free PDFs on the internet in this size - perhaps more than for other sizes. So you'll find in this post (3 pages-worth) my recommendations for which to choose. These are almost all patterns that are described by their designers as newborn, 0-1 months, or 0-3 months - I'll tell you which. There are dresses, onesies, pants, hats - you can make a complete outfit for a tiny baby using these free patterns. Most come with tutorials. Let's start by thanking the designers for their generosity in sharing. And please remember that they are shared freely on the basis of people using them for personal use, not for commercial purposes.

If you are looking for even smaller sizes, you could look at my posts for premature babies. But often, PDF patterns can be printed a little smaller, and can be adapted to be suitable for premature babies by adding in some extra openings. I give some suggestions for how to adapt them in this post.

To find out more, read on.

Free PDFpatterns for newborns - Page 2

You are on the second page of my post about free PDF patterns for newborns. If you missed Page 1, you might want to return there first. 

But if you've read Page 1, then off you go  - read on. As before, larger pictures on this page are my own, from things I have made for my grandchildren. The smaller pictures are from the pattern designers' web sites. 

Free PDF patterns for newborns - Page 3

You are on the third page of my post about free PDF patterns for newborns. If you missed Page 1, or Page 2, you might want to return there first. I wrote in those pages about onesies, dresses, T shirts, hats, and clothes with legs. In this post, I'll try and pick up on patterns for other types of clothes you might want to make for newborn babies.

I should say first of all that I still strongly discourage people from making clothes in newborn size. (Though even I sometimes ignore my own advice, and then regret it. ) Many newborns are already too large for the smallest size clothes, and if they aren't at birth, they soon will be. But the fact that you are here suggests you also intend to make newborn clothes anyway, no matter how much I urge you not to. So go ahead. Read on to find free PDF patterns to help you make cute, tiny clothes that may never be worn!

Premature Baby Patterns - Page 2. Dressing a very pre-term or very small baby.

Page 2. Dressing a very pre-term or very small baby.

This page is aimed at people who would like to make clothing for very small babies, those born at less than 32 weeks' gestation, and / or weighing less than 1.5 kg at birth, who are likely to be in incubators. If your baby is older or larger than that, you may be able to skip through to my stage 2 or stage 3 pages - but have a look at what I have to say here, first. Any baby in intensive care, even if larger, may also need special consideration regarding clothing.

The first thing I will say is that it's important to seek the advice of the health professionals at the neonatal intensive care unit as to what clothing is appropriate. The reality is that these tiny babies not only may have no need of clothing at this early stage, but they may be unable to wear any. They may have several wires and tubes attached, to help them breath or feed, and to monitor them, such that any normal clothing could not be used, as it would not be possible to get the necks and sleeves over these without detaching them. Additionally, they may need to be under a blue light, which requires maximum skin exposure.   Or they may be swaddled in a special type of plastic blanket that won't stick to their delicate skin, but will keep them warm.


To find out more about dressing a very pre-term baby, read on.

Premature Baby Patterns - Page 3 - Ready for more clothes?

This is the third of my pages suggesting free patterns for premature babies.  All babies are different, and my splitting up of the 'stages' is somewhat arbitrary. I've just done it in order not to have one great long post with lots of ifs and buts. I'm assuming you have arrived here either from my Introduction Page 1, or Page 2, dressing a very premature baby. This post is mainly for babies who have reached 1.5 - 2.5 kg, (about 3lbs  - 5lbs) or 32-36 weeks' gestation. Or perhaps the baby was not quite so early, but was small at birth, or had a few problems resulting in a stay in the NICU.

If the baby is still in an incubator, with several tubes and wires, you may be better starting with Page 2, or even my Introduction Page 1, since these babies may not be ready for much clothing. But eventually, some of the tubes and wires will go, and the baby will be stronger, and it is so encouraging to the parents to finally see their little one in some clothing of their own. This little kimono garment is covered in Page 2, as it may be suitable for very premature babies, but it also works very well as the baby grows, so I'll cover it here as well.

In this post, I'll give you links to some further free PDF patterns and tutorials for clothing that may be suitable for a baby that is still very small, and may still not be ready to go home. 

I'll also cover some of the most important principles, so that you can decide on suitability, if you find other patterns, or even ready-to-wear clothing that is supposed to be for premature babies, but may just be small.

All clothing for premature babies should be made of very soft cotton, preferably flannel, and capable of being washed at 60 degrees centigrade. At this stage, you still want clothing that doesn't need to be wrangled over the baby's head, or their arms and legs squeezed to try and stuff them through tight sleeves or legs. And it may have to go over some tubes or wires. Ideally, the garment can be laid flat on the cot or in the incubator, the baby placed on top, and the garment wrapped around, as with the kimono above.

So for ideas for this stage in a premature baby's life, read on.

Premature Baby Patterns Page 4. Nearly ready for home?

This is the fourth and last of my pages suggesting free patterns for premature babies.  All babies are different, and my splitting up of the 'stages' is somewhat arbitrary. I've just done it in order not to have one great long post with lots of ifs and buts. If you have a baby which still weighs less than 5 lbs or 2.5 kgs, OR is in an incubator with a number of interventions in the form of wires and tubes, OR which has been recently born at 35 weeks gestation or less, you may be better starting with one of the other pages, and returning here afterwards.

However on this page, we talk about babies either born at 36 weeks or so, who will perhaps not stay long in hospital, or who, having had a period of  more intensive care, are now more or less tube and wire free; maybe he or she weighs 5 lbs (c. 2.5 kgs) or more, perhaps he or she is almost ready to go home? Or perhaps the baby was not premature at all, but is just a small baby? The newborn clothes in the shops may still be a bit big. What kind of clothes can you make for this stage? This is what this page covers.

Touching Little Lives Preemie Sleeper

I will still urge you not to make too many clothes in these tiny sizes. The baby will grow so fast, they'll be out of them in 2-4 weeks, and allowing for washing in between, they may not get many wears out of them. Almost better to try some of the newborn size patterns, and roll up the sleeves for a couple of weeks!


In this page, I'll suggest some free PDF patterns that may work, which come in this size. 

Ruffled sleeved dresses for winter

The first two Christmas dresses I made this year were to be a 'matching set' for sisters Jane and Ada. As you can see, there is a difference in size. Jane is pushing 5, Ada nearly 18 months old. This also necessitated slight style differences, too, partly because the free PDF patterns I had didn't cater for both sizes. I also made Ada's cuffs and frill much smaller, as she still spends a fair amount of time on the floor!

Although I used two different patterns, there were many similarities of method, and so my 'how to' description below covers both. 

Baby girls' crossover jumper / apron

When Jane was a baby, I made her a reversible crossover apron (which can be worn as a dress, as in this picture). I used the free PDF pattern from Smashed Peas and Carrots. (More about this later.)

Here, she was just over 7 months old, but it fitted her for some time after that - till at least a year or 18 months.

The apron is still, in fact, going strong, 4 years on, and Jane's baby sister Ada is now using it mainly as a coverall bib. It still looks fine, but I thought I'd make Ada her own. And while I was at it, I would make I also made one for my husband's great niece for Christmas. We will be seeing his niece's baby twins then, his great-niece and great nephew, for the first time, thousands of miles away from their home and ours. They will be almost 9 months old, but, like one of my grandchildren, were 10 weeks premature, so a little smaller than the average 9 month old babies. An apron and matching frilly knickers (a nappy / diaper cover) for the little girl, and I've yet to decide what to make for her brother. But probably not frilly knickers. 

To see the latest versions of the apron, and how to adjust the pattern for a larger size,  read on.