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With the news that the big four sewing pattern makers brands have been sold to a liquidator (hat tip to Abby at the Craft Industry Alliance), I’m seeing a lot of questions about independent sewing designers, where you find them and how to know if you’re getting a good pattern.
I will start this by saying I hope this post becomes a conversation, with readers recommending their favorite sewing pattern designers so we can add to the list. I only know the people I know, and there are a lot of independent sewing designers out there with various styles, approaches, size ranges, etc.
What to Look for in Independent Sewing Patterns
I think the first thing that trips people up when it comes to finding and supporting independent sewing designers is how to know if you’re getting a good pattern.
Independent patterns, even when you’re just buying a PDF, can be expensive, and you don’t want to feel like you’re wasting your money if you buy a pattern that doesn’t suit your needs.
So if you’re new to shopping independent designers or are looking at a new-to-you designer and want to make sure they’re legit, here’s some things I would look for:
Reviews: if people have purchased their patterns, made them and been happy about them, they should have reviews on their website/Etsy storefront to tell you that. If there are detailed reviews that mention any difficult parts or alterations the sewists made along the way, that’s good information to have.
Photos: even better if the reviews come with photos, because they allow you to see what real sewists did with the pattern. Alternatively, the garments should ideally be shown on multiple people with different body types. This may also indicate that the designer uses testers, which means real people have sewn the pattern before it was released to ensure quality instructions, correct sizing, etc.
Size range: Pattern grading is probably the most difficult part of pattern production for any craft, and in the past both major and independent manufacturers had limited size ranges. Size inclusivity is getting better these days, but always make sure a pattern comes in your size before you buy. (Bearing in mind to check the pattern measurements for different sizes, as sewing pattern sizes often differ from ready to wear clothing sizes.)
Pattern details: In addition to detailed sizing information, you should be able to see details about the pattern before you buy, including yardage requirements and recommended fabrics, what notions are needed and what skills are required. As far as I can tell there is no standard for rating the difficulty of sewing patterns like there is for knitting and crochet, but seeing what skills are needed should help you know if the pattern is suitable for your skills.
Pattern support: It’s also a good sign, though certainly not a dealbreaker, if the pattern includes instructional videos or links to tutorials for any potentially tricky bits. This is an indication that the designer wants you to be successful in sewing their projects and is willing to go the extra mile to film or find tutorials to help rather than making you search them out.
A Few Independent Sewing Designers I Like
As mentioned above, this is a non-exhaustive list of pattern designers that I know and trust. I’ve either made their patterns myself or follow them on social media and know them to have a reputation for quality. I hope in the future there will be some reader recommendations in this list, too.
Closet Core Patterns
There’s a lot going on at Closet Core Patterns, including sewing patterns for purchase, a paid membership that provides access to other patterns, and sewing classes.
Among the patterns you can purchase individually, there’s a full range including tops, bottoms, dresses, swimwear, jackets, pajamas and more. Because my teen has been looking for some good overalls, the Jenny Overalls caught my eye. You can choose from PDF and printed patterns, with sizes ranging from 0-32.
They have a few free sewing patterns, too.
Grainline Studio
Grainline Studio has a nice collection of women’s sewing patterns, mostly in the size 0-18 range. I have their Hemlock Tee pattern, and I’ve got my eye on the Felix Dress, which looks like a great option for summer and can be made with or without sleeves.
Their patterns include an instruction booklet, print at home pattern and copy shop files.
Helen’s Closet
I follow Helen’s Closet on Instagram and every time I see one of their projects I want to sew it. They have a full range of tops, bottoms, dresses and jackets, as well as fun stuff like bags and aprons. You can also search patterns by fabric type.
The Blackwood Cardigan is similar to the out of print StyleARC pattern I mention below. This one has long and short versions and two cup options for sizes from 0-34.
Patterns include print at home and copy shop versions as well as an instruction booklet.
Made for Mermaids
Made for Mermaids describes their patterns as simple and sweet, and I agree. They have adult and youth patterns, including baby and doll clothes patterns.
They have a wide range of patterns but I really like the activewear patterns. If I were ever going to sew a sports bra and leggings (which doesn’t seem likely) I would use the Emmy & Lottie patterns.
The patterns include different sizes for print at home and copy shop printing as well as projector files.
They have some bundles if you love a certain style and want a bunch of patterns, and they also have freebies.
Matchy Matchy Sewing Club
“Everyday patterns easy enough for everyone” is the mantra of Matchy Matchy Sewing Club. Patterns are arranged by garment type and also by skill level, including a section for first make, and the “hardest” patterns are labeled intermediate.
I love the boxy Makers Over Shirt, which is like a stylish work shirt in sizes XXS to 6XL. Patterns come with instructions, files for at home or print shop printing and a mood board to inspire your fabric choices.
Matchy Matchy also sells fabric, notions and garment tags to help you complete your project.
Patterns for Pirates
If you want to make patterns for (almost) the whole family, Patterns for Pirates is a great place to look. There are lots of matchy woman/girl patterns, but they also have projects for boys (some patterns have men’s sizing as well).
Their website makes it easy to browse because there are lots of categories, including different garments broken down into knit and woven fabric, and different categories for hourglass and V figure.
I love the Notch Top Dress so much I tried to buy it twice, but I still haven’t sewn one. Adult patterns run from XXS to 5XL, and youth sizes range from 3 months to 14 years. You can also purchase the adult and kid pattern as a bundle to save a little cash. There are various printing sizes as well as projector files.
They also have a nice collection of free patterns including accessories, holiday items and even a dog coat.
Seamwork
Seamwork is another company that offers some patterns for purchase and others as part of a membership. (You get access to all the patterns, including ones sold separately, if you’re a member.)
I love the Reed Sleeveless Shift Dress because it looks like something I would make a few of to wear all summer long. The lace fabric they chose to use is so cute, too.
Pattern sizes range from 00 to 30, and their patterns include print at home, print shop and projector instructions.
Sew House 7
I’ve not actually purchased anything from Sew House 7 before, but their patterns look nice and they have a lot of good tops, which is not always the case.
I like the Revel Topper, which has a fun shawl collar yoke. Their patterns come in standard and curvy fits, and they include files for at-home printing or for taking to the copy shop.
Sew Liberated
If I could only sew patterns from one designer, I think it would probably be Sew Liberated. I just love everything they do. It’s casual but pretty and suits my (at this point mostly aspirational) artist mama vibe.
I have (and have the fabric for but haven’t yet sewn) the Petrichor Pinafore and the Studio Tunic, which hopefully I’ll be getting to soon. The pinafore pattern is actually shown in my post about using PDF sewing patterns.
StyleARC
StyleARC maybe doesn’t really count as an independent pattern designer because it is a large company, which is based in Australia. But it is outside of the big four, and it does offer a staggeringly wide range of sewing patterns for women and kids.
Their Bob Pants are a classic, and I have made and loved their Como Knit Cardigan, which doesn’t seem to be available anymore.
They sell printed patterns as well as PDFs, projector files and files formatted for print shop printing. You can search patterns by the type of fabric (woven, knit, stretch) and difficulty level. Many patterns have the option of buying a single size or multi-sized layered PDF. Single size is a smaller file size and easier to assemble, but multi-size is good if you’re sewing for more than one person or if your size fluctuates.
Independent Designers Recommended by You
I asked on BlueSky (give me a follow if you’re over there, why don’t you?) for people’s favorite independent sewing designers, and here are some they mentioned that I haven’t already noted above:
I’d love to add your favorites, too! Let me know your go-to independent sewing designers in the comments.
What About Free Patterns?
I know a lot of crafters are on a budget and you might be wondering if you can trust free sewing patterns you find online. I would say the same rules apply when judging free patterns as paid ones. There are definitely good free patterns out there, though they often have limited sizing compared to paid patterns.
One great source for free sewing patterns is Mood Fabrics, which has free patterns in just about any genre you can think of, including costumes, outerwear, swimwear and more. The patterns are mostly for women but there are some menswear patterns as well, and the size range is decent. Patterns can be downloaded when you enter your email address.
The patterns include a blog post tutorial and of course you can buy all the materials from Mood. Generally I feel like these are for more skilled sewists as there are often a lot of details. (I downloaded the Nyssa Dress but haven’t sewn it yet.)
Many independent sewing designers have simpler patterns available for free, so you can try one of their free patterns before you decide to buy just to make sure you like their style.
Another option that’s not quite free is to look into classes like those at CreativeBug. Not only do they have general technique classes, which are super helpful, you’ll find project tutorials that include the pattern from designers like Tabitha Sewer and Sonya Phillip, and the subscription price for CreativeBug is less than the pattern would cost on its own.
Not every class has the pattern included but if they don’t there’s a discount, like on this class for the Adrienne Blouse from Friday Pattern Company, which includes a coupon for 15 percent off the pattern. (These are all solid independent sewing designers to buy patterns from outside of CreativeBug as well, of course.)
They also have classes that will help you draft your own sewing patterns to fit you. Have been meaning to take Cal Patch’s wide legged pants class for years!
