Updated March 21, 2023.
I did a Twitter thread on all the places I got free patterns, but I thought I’d do a little rundown page here, too.
Free Pattern Lists:
Broad in the Seams: Blogger Jess collects over 100 plus-sized patterns, some already listed and linked here, some stuff that was new to me. There are a handful that are no longer available, which is normal. Looking for free size-inclusive patterns? No better place.
Making And Books: She keeps an annual list (2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018). They are organized by garment type.
Free Pattern Sources:
Mood Fabrics: Cool patterns of all different difficulty levels, most go up to a size 30, and have a lot of ease, but don’t come with finished garment measurements (more recent patterns do, however). Here’s the video I used to figure out how to measure-check a pattern. Their tutorials aren’t always as helpful as you might like, particularly if you’re just getting started, but they do have a whole series of “beginner patterns” and tutorials for novice sewists.
La Maison Victor: These were paid patterns, but I’m not sure what happened, and now they’re free if you create an account (much like the other sewing magazines). These ones are in French, and if you know Dutch (or know enough about sewing to decipher the illustrations and use Google Translate), you can find even more here. Not all of the patterns are size inclusive, but you can filter by size.
Fabrics Store: Online fabric shop specializing in linen, with a great, size-inclusive selection of patterns. They recently updated their interface to make them easier to sort through and find by size, skill-level, and type. Good tutorials on the blog, as well as included with the pattern. Doesn’t have to be used with just linen, great for all woven.
Love Sewing Magazine: More UK sewing goodness. Not at all size-inclusive, and not all patterns come with directions (they want you to buy the magazine), but still a fun bunch of basic patterns. Learn to convert inches to centimeters! Note: Love Sewing Magazine was bought by CraftWorld, and now you need to create a free account with them to access the patterns.
Sew Magazine: Another one from the UK (they sure love to sew there, apparently). They seem to be changing their approach to more closely resemble Love Sewing’s model. The list of free patterns with instructions doesn’t seem to be updating anymore, while a list of free patterns without instructions is updating more frequently.
Sew News: One more from the UK! The free patterns are typically only available during the run of the corresponding print magazine, but they do also have free e-books that include patterns and other sewing projects.
Peppermint Magazine: This one is from Australia. Lovely patterns that have expanded their size offerings as they’ve grown and evolved. Good instructions, although they don’t always have visuals. Newer patterns are pay-what-you-can, but the ones that were free can still be accessed for free.
Sew So Easy: A whole lot of free patterns for clothes, crafts, accessories. Each one has a tutorial, some even with a video. I haven’t made any of these, but they look accessible and relatively size-inclusive.
Tiana’s Closet: All free patterns, mostly women’s patterns, and most go up to 5XL (which isn’t as big as would seem).
Do It Yourself For Free: Do you like shady Russian download sites? Here you go. Languages vary, sizes vary, level of instructions vary. Legality probably varies, too.
SHOWStudio: High-end fashion designer patterns. Very advanced, but cool nonetheless.
But honestly? Google is your friend here. The number of “best free X patterns” lists are numerous. But these are the places that I now always go to get started.
