Make Your Own Peasant Top Pattern

Learn how to make your own pattern for this easy peasant blouse!

There are only 4 pieces to this pattern.

Front 

Back 

2 sleeves

To get started:

Choose an existing top out of your already owned selection, round up some freezer paper, newspaper, or anything you're comfortable with using for making the pattern.

I placed the shirt on the freezer paper and traced from under the armpit, down the side and half way across the bottom. (Don't forget to add your seam allowance)

Fold the sleeve in on itself (along it's seam line) so you can follow and trace where the sleeve attaches to the garment.

 At this point you should have traced onto your freezer paper the right side of the shirt minus the sleeve.

Now you need to measure horizontally the store bought shirt across the hem at the bottom, and from armpit to armpit.

Use these measurements and divided by 2, place marks on the pattern at the measurements you came up with at the same locations they were taken.  This is going to create the fold line for the fabric and give you what appears to be half a patten, or it will look like the shirt is folded in half.

Now trace the neckline onto the pattern, if the neckline is lower in the front than in the back you will need to fold the back down onto the front, so you are able to trace it.  You will create 2 pattern pieces at this point one with the back neckline traced and one with the front neckline traced. As in the bottom 2 photos.  (The easiest way is to outline one with a marker, place the second piece of freezer paper on top and make a duplicate, then cut one with a lower neckline for the front.  From the photo you can see where I have drawn the cut line to be shorter on the far right side, bottom photo)

Now use  a straight edge and match all the points you measure to create the straight line where your fabric will be folded. (This will create one front and one back)

Now to create your sleeve pattern piece.  You will make one pattern, but cut 2 sleeves.

First onto a new piece of freezer paper trace the curve of the arm hole from the existing pattern piece you have already created. (As in the bottom 2 photos).  

Measure the distance from under the arm to the finished edge of the sleeve adding the seam allowance and draw onto the pattern. (This is the small line where my hand is placed in the photo)

Trace from the shoulder to the sleeve opening add your seam allowance. (As in the first photo)

Now connect the traced shoulder seam and the armpit seam to give you where your finished armhole opening will be.

Cut out the 3 pattern pieces.

Fold fabric right sides together, place pattern on fabric, and cut out one front, one back, and 2 sleeves.

Pin together.

When everything is pined together, you will have to cut the small sections out on the front side to make the pattern neckline match up from front to back.  (Top left photo.)  Once you have it pined together you can see where the excess material is.

Serge all seams together, hemline, armholes, and neck hole.

Turn the bottom opening under and hem with a straight stitch. 

 Turn arm holes under, using a zigzag stitch, sew your cord elastic into the seam.  Stretch the elastic as you sew, this will allow the arm hole to gather, and your hem and elastic will be done in one step.

Do the same for the neck hole.

Project Complete!

This is my first attempt at trying to tell someone how to make a pattern.  If there is something that you don't understand, please email me and I will try to clarify it.

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