I am introducing a lovely and simple pattern that can be made with little sewing skills – the Joyce tie front top! This was inspired by an image I came across when surfing Pinterest one day and I immediately thought that it would be great to make!
I love the tie front detail of this top, it turns a simple garment into a stylish and playful one. Wear it with shorts, jeans or skirts, and you are ready for both work and play! And if you are creative enough, you can turn this pattern into a dress (just lengthen the hemline of the garment to whatever length you desire) and wear it as is or with a belt. The options are endless!
As usual, my pattern is made in 10 sizes from XXS to 5XL so you may find a suitable size for yourself. If you are not sure which size suits you, take a look at the measurement table before doing anything here: SIZE GUIDE.
The pattern is made using layered PDF, please check for your desired size before printing so you won’t waste your paper. I have included a first page with many details about sizing and printing, so please first read the first page and make sure you know what size you need! If you still do not know how to print a layered PDF, please check for the printing instruction in this post: PRINTING GUIDE.
My patterns are now made in both A4/Letter paper and A0 paper format so you can print at home or at any print shop!
For home printers, you can print this using your home printer and either A4 or Letter paper. I calculated the printing area so that you will be able to use either type of paper to print the pattern out perfectly. Always print the first page first and check with the test square if you are printing at the right scale before you print out the whole pattern – avoid waste of ink and waste of paper, save the earth!
Some PC may print smaller than actual size even when you choose 100% scale – I don’t know why this problem exist, but my HP laptop cannot print true to size. I have to scale up to 103% to get the right size. You may need to check with your PC to see if it prints true to size, if not, scale up a bit.
SEWING INSTRUCTION
You will need
- Fabric of your choice. This pattern is made for woven fabric, I recommend pure cotton, linen, rayon fabric for a comfortable summer day
- Some fusible interfacing
- Scissors, pencil or fabric marker, ruler, pins
- Sewing machine/Serger or needle and thread
- Printed pattern
How much fabric do you need for this piece of garment? This garment is not going to need a lot of fabric. To be precise, you may need to check how much fabric you need before buying. It will depend on the selected pattern size, the width, and design of the fabric you plan to use. Just to be sure, print all the paper patterns and lay them out at the width of fabric you plan to use (usually from 90 to 150 centimeters or 35 to 60 inches). Measure how much fabric you will need. Don’t forget to account for pieces that need to be cut multiple times and pieces that are cut on the fold.
Cutting instruction:
After printing out and taping all the pattern pages together, you will get something similar to this:
You will see that there are 2 sets of lines on each pattern piece. The inner lines are sewing line (and you sew along these lines), and the outer lines are cutting lines (you cut the fabric along these lines, remember the folding lines where you have to fold the fabric before cutting). The distance between sewing line and cutting line is seam allowance, and it varies from point to point. For example, the side seam allowance is about 1/2 inch (1.2cm), and seam allowance at hemline is 1 inch (2.5cm). This is the reason why I do not remove the sewing lines from the pattern. Please use it as a guide to know how much seam allowance you need to give at each seam.
The fabric will be cut into following pieces:
- Front: cut 2
- Back: cut 1 on the fold
- Front Facing: cut 2 self fabric + 2 fusible interfacing
- Back Facing: cut 1 self fabric + 1 fusible interfacing
- Sleeve Cuff Binding: cut 2
Place the pattern pieces on the fabric, pin the pattern pieces to the fabric to secure them in place. Using sharp scissors, carefully cut out the fabric pieces along the outer lines of the pattern. Take your time to ensure precise and clean cuts, as this will affect the fit and overall appearance of your garment.
Make sure to mark all notches and other design features such as darts, pleats etc. from the pattern pieces onto your fabric. When sewing the garment, pay attention to notches, they must match up.
Sewing instruction:
1. Serge/zig zag stitch the edges of the fabric pieces to prevent fabric from unraveling.
2. Place the Front and Back bodice pieces right side facing. Pin and sew the shoulder seams.
3. Apply fusible interfacing to Front Facing and Back Facing. Place two facing pieces right side facing. Pin and sew the shoulder seams.
4. Place the joined facing piece and the joined bodice right side facing. Pin around the neckline, matching all the seams. Sew around the neckline, starting from one notch at the center front, through the back and toward the other notch on the other side. Trim and clip the corners and seam allowance for smoother turning points. Staystitch the seam allowance on the facing piece where you can. Turn the facing in, press the neckline.
5. Place the two Front bodice pieces right side facing. Match the notches. Pin and sew from the hem toward the neckline and the Front Facing. Turn the Front Facing in and staystitch it to keep it from turning out.
6. Sew two parallel lines 1/4 and 1/3 inch from the cuff of the Sleeve using longest stitch length. Pull the lower threads to gather fabric to match the length of the Sleeve Cuff Binding. Sew the side seam of the Sleeve. Use Sleeve Cuff Binding to finish the sleeve cuff. You can also use elastic to finish the sleeve cuff (a tutorial on how to sew an elastic cuff quickly here)
7. Place the Sleeve and main garment right side facing. Match the notches, pin and sew to attach Sleeve to the main garment.
8. Hem the garment, give it a good ironing and you’re done.
And here is the download link:
JOYCE TIE FRONT TOP (SIZE XXS – 5XL) A4/LETTER PAPER
JOYCE TIE FRONT TOP (SIZE XXS – 5XL) A0 PAPER
To download just click on the link above and choose “Save link as”. The PDF file will be downloaded to your device.
Happy sewing! And don’t forget to share your project on my Facebook page: Tiana’s Closet Sewing Patterns
Tiana
