Garments & patterns

The printed packaging of a commercial sewing pattern, listing fabric requirements, finished garment measurements, suggested fabrics, and a cutting layout diagram.

The system of body measurements and size labels a pattern company uses to grade its patterns, which varies between companies and does not correspond directly to ready-to-wear sizing.

A sewing pattern distributed as a digital file, printed at home on standard paper and assembled by taping numbered pages together, or sent to a copy shop for full-size printing.

A loose blouse featuring a gathered or elasticated neckline and full sleeves, drawing on traditional Eastern European folk dress construction.

Cushion or pillow form filled with foam, fibre, or feathers, made to a standard size and inserted inside a sewn cover to give it shape.

Simple rectangular fabric cover for a pillow, closed at one end and often finished with a French seam or a decorative cuff, a classic beginner project.

Individual table mat, often quilted or interfaced for stiffness, sized to sit under a single place setting and finished with a straight or bound edge.

A pouch or opening sewn into or onto a garment for holding small items, constructed as a patch, inseam, welt, or besom pocket depending on placement.

A simple outer garment made from a single piece of fabric with a central opening for the head, draping over the shoulders without sleeves.

Soft, lightweight square blanket, usually made from flannel, cotton, or knit fabric with finished or bound edges, used for swaddling and wrapping infants.

A one-piece garment combining a top and shorts, typically fastened with snaps at the crotch for ease of diaper changing on infants.

Standardized clothing required by an educational institution, typically produced to fixed specifications for fabric, color, and construction.

A rounded neckline cut in a wide, U-shaped curve that dips below the collarbone at the front.

A simple, loose-fitting dress that hangs straight from the shoulders with little or no waist shaping, often constructed with darts alone.

A dress styled like a button-front shirt, typically featuring a collar, sleeves, and a full button placket extending the length of the garment.

An undergarment worn beneath a dress or skirt to smooth the silhouette and prevent fabric cling, typically cut from lightweight, often bias-cut fabric.

Row of snap fasteners along the inseam or crotch of an infant garment allowing it to be opened flat for easy nappy changes.

Trousers with a leg width that remains consistent from the knee to the hem, following the natural line of the leg without flare or taper.

Long narrow fabric strip laid lengthwise down the centre of a table, hemmed or bound on all edges and often pieced or quilted for decoration.

Rectangular, square, or round fabric cover sized to a table, hemmed on all edges and sometimes finished with a mitred corner or decorative trim.

A sleeveless upper-body garment with shoulder straps and no collar, cut with wide armholes and typically made from knit fabric.

Absorbent hemmed fabric rectangle, often linen or cotton, used for drying dishes; commonly made with a hanging loop and finished edges as a quick beginner project.

A skirt made of two or more horizontal fabric bands, each gathered and stitched to the one above, increasing in width toward the hem.

Simple open-top bag pattern, typically constructed from two rectangular panels with straps, sewn with or without a lining, used as a foundational bag-making project.

A loose, straight or lightly shaped top extending to the hip or thigh, historically derived from ancient draped garments and worn over trousers or leggings.

A neckline cut in a symmetrical V shape from the shoulders to a point at the center front, without a collar.

A dress with a front closure formed by wrapping one side of the bodice over the other and tying at the waist, requiring no zipper or buttons.

A skirt made from a single overlapping panel of fabric that wraps around the body and fastens at the waist with ties, buttons, or a buckle.

Close-fitting, high-rise leggings made from stretch knit fabric, designed to move with the body during exercise while remaining opaque under stretch.

Small flat or boxed bag closed with a zipper across the top opening, commonly used to store cosmetics, notions, or small accessories.