Free Raglan T-Shirt Pattern, size 2 to 14
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I’ve got a great new free sewing pattern for you today: A Simple Raglan T-Shirt Pattern for girls. This free pattern and tutorial are available in sizes 2 to 14 and will guide you through the steps of how to sew a raglan shirt.
Basic Raglan T-Shirt Pattern
This Simple Raglan Shirt is a great pattern staple to have in your pattern stash.
This raglan pattern is very, very similar to the sequined tunic top that I shared a few years back, but this version comes in several additional sizes and doesn’t have a cuffed bottom or sleeves.
It’s just a basic raglan-style t-shirt with plenty of room in the middle (i.e., not fitted) and long, fairly narrow sleeves.
What’s So Great About this Basic Raglan T-Shirt Pattern:
My favorite aspect of this simple raglan pattern is the customization possibilities!
You can customize it any way you wish. You can add…
- A hood
- kangaroo pocket
- add a skirt
- cold shoulder sleeve cutouts
- lengthen it into a dress or a-line tunic
- add a cuff with fingerholes
- make it short sleeve, or three-quarter sleeve
- add embellishments
The ideas are endless!
I realize we are now a week past Halloween, but I did start this project well in advance! Every time I think a pattern will be quick and easy, that’s a sure sign it won’t be, lol.
Anyway, three weeks later… Here it is!
Today’s Raglan T-shirt Version
For the version I’m showing off today, my missy specifically asked for me to add 2 inches to the length as she likes her t-shirts extra long, to cover her backside when wearing leggings. (Which I am in complete agreement with, lol!)
For my missy’s birthday this year, we gave her a magic kit that included this velvet top hat with a hidden compartment. She’s gotten really good at some of the magic tricks. For $32, I thought this was a great deal and has been the one toy she’s played with the most this year. (plus she’s a little bit shy, so I think the talking and practicing the tricks has really helped her.)
Tada! There was a cat in that hat!
Recommended Fabric for this Raglan T-Shirt
This T-shirt is designed to be sewn with stretchy knit fabric. Cotton blends, double brushed poly, just about anything with a good amount of stretch.
The sleeves on this pattern are narrow, so If you choose a thick sweatshirt fleece or a not-so-stretchy french terry, you may need to add width to the sleeve (or sew my raglan tunic pattern, it has wider sleeves.)
The fabric I used for today’s shirt was a 1st-time purchase from NR Fabrics on Etsy. These two fabrics were pretty much the nicest knits I’ve ever sewn with and they just flowed through my machines like butter. The shop carries different lines of fabric, so they’re not all the same, but these two were amazing! Orange dot, Purple skeletons.
And now, I need to make a bunch more of these tops, just have to get my hands on some cute Christmas fabric!
Other favorite online shops for knits are:
- Funkalicious Fabrics
- Girl Charlee
- Fabric.com
- Cali fabrics
- Etsy
- The Fabric Fairy has great ribbed knits for neck binding and cuffs
Let’s get started! First, grab a copy of the pattern.
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Products used and Recommended:
- My favorite fabric shop for knits: Funkalicious Fabrics and Girl Charlee. My favorite shop for cottons and other fabrics: Fabric.com.
- My Sewing Machine: SINGER 9960 Quantum Stylist, my coverstitch: Janome Cover Pro 1000cpx
- My Serger: Brother 1034D 3 or 4 Thread Serger or you can just use Pinking Shears
- Rotary Cutter
- I love my large ruler and large cutting mat, but you may prefer to start off with a smaller Cutting set
- Dritz Dual Purpose Marking Pen and Fray Check
- Wonder clips (I didn’t use these in the post, but they are just awesome!
- Ball point needles
- Ball Point double needle
- Walking foot
Basic Raglan Shirt Pattern Sewing Instructions:
Materials needed:
- Pattern
- With creative fabric folding: up to 1-yard stretch knit 58-inch wide knit fabric for up to size 6, and up to 1 1/3 yard for sizes 7 and up (see pattern layout guide for more info)
- Ribbed binding (usually has 70% or more stretch) or other stretchy knit for neckline (you don’t want to use anything with less than 30% stretch-see notes under pattern tips and tricks)
- Ball point/jersey needle
- spray starch/iron
- basic sewing supplies
Fit Chart:
- Size 2: Height- 35.5 inches, Weight- 28 lbs, Finished length: 14.75 in, finished chest: 23.675 inches
- Size 3: Height- 38.5 inches, Weight- 32 lbs, Finished length: 15.9 in, finished chest: 24.5 inches
- Size 4: Height- 41.5 inches, Weight- 36 lbs, Finished length: 17 in, finished chest: 25.75
- Size 5: Height- 44.5 inches, Weight- 42 lbs, Finished length: 17.75 in, finished chest: 26.75
- Size 6: Height- 46.5 inches, Weight- 48 lbs, Finished length: 18.375 in, finished chest: 28 inches
- Size 7: Height- 51 inches, Weight- 60 lbs, Finished length: 19.5 in, finished chest: 29.52 inches
- Size 8: Height- 53 inches, Weight- 66 lbs, Finished length: 20.25 in, finished chest: 30.25 inches
- Size 10: Height- 55 inches, Weight- 74 lbs, Finished length: 21.55 in, finished chest: 32.5 inches
- Size 12: Height- 57.5 inches, Weight- 85 lbs, Finished length: 22.675 in, finished chest: 34 inches
- Size 14: Height- 60 inches Weight- 96 lbs Finished length: 23.75 in, finished chest: 35.5 inches
Pattern layout guide:
Pattern Tips:
- Enter your name and email to save the pattern. Save it to your PC, and open the PDF document in Adobe Acrobat. Don’t print from Google’s online version of Adobe. (It will sometimes cause the pattern to print too small.) *there is also a new option to print only the size needed)
- The seam allowance is 1/4 inch with a 1/2 inch bottom and sleeve hem.
- The pattern is designed to hit at the hip level. The example on page 1 is a size 12 with 2 inches added to the length. (Model is 57.5 inches.)
- Shorten or lengthen if needed by cutting at the specified mark and redraw the side seam
Binding tips:
- The pattern for the neck binding is designed for a ribbed knit with a minimum of 75% stretch with good recovery (Fabric Fairy has a lot of good quality ribbed knit choices.) If using a binding fabric with less stretch, Measure the neckline and cut a fabric strip 15% less than the measurement (multiply the neck measurement by .85) and follow the instructions in step 4. (This is the “in the round” method– and it never hurts to do the finger stretch test before sewing…)
Tips for sewing with knits:
- Use a ballpoint/stretch needle
- Sew seams with either a serger, stretch stitch, narrow zig zag or a straight stitch with a longer stitch length and a slightly loosened tension. (Make a couple of practice stitches on your fabric to see what works best.) I also like to use this “lightning bolt” stretch stitch on seams that need strength but a little give. (For my project I used a combination of straight stitch and serger for seams and zig zag, double needle on the hems.)
- Use spray starch when pressing hems. Sew hems with a zig zag, twin ball point needle, narrow zig zag with a long stitch length or a straight stitch with a long stitch length and a slightly loosened tension or leave raw. (also helps to use a walking foot.)
- If you find your fabric keeps getting pulled inside the needle plate, place a small piece of tissue underneath the fabric, so the feed dogs have something to grip.
Free Raglan Pattern Sewing Instructions
Step 1: Print pattern, tape together and cut out size needed.
Once you have saved the pattern to your desktop and opened it in the free adobe reader program, there’s a new printing option for you. You can now print only the size needed. (this pattern only, I’ll slowly go back and start updating the older patterns.) This function is super handy and makes it much less confusing when cutting the pattern, plus I love that it enables me to print in black and white. (that color ink can be pricey!)
Step 2: Cut pattern pieces from fabric
Cut a front and back bodice piece, 2 sleeves and neck binding.
Step 3: Assembling the top.
Line up the sleeve edges and the front bodice piece, right sides together. Pin in place and sew along the edge.
Line up the back bodice piece with the back sleeve edges, right sides together, pin and sew.
Hem sleeve edges. (1/2 inch hem allowance)
Line up the front and back bodice and sleeve edges. Pin together and sew, from sleeve edge to the bottom of the shirt.
Step 4: Add the neck binding.
Fold binding in half and press. Open the binding and line up short ends. Sew together with a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Refold.
Divide the neck binding into 4 equal sections. Mark with pins or fabric marker. Divide dress neckline into 4 equal sections. Keep in mind; the front neckline is lower than the back, so the marking will be slightly in front of the shoulder seams.
Match up the markings, lining up the raw edges, and pin the binding to the dress neckline.
Sew the binding in place with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Stretch the binding to fit the dress neckline. Take care not to stretch the dress neckline. (That is what causes wonky, stretched out necklines. If this happens to a minor degree, pressing with lots of steam will help the neckline return to normal.)
Press the binding edge down towards the dress and top-stitch if desired.
Step 5: Hem the bottom.
Hem the bottom (1/2 inch hem allowance) and you are done!
Let me know what you think! If you end up making one of these, please share your finished project over on my facebook page or tag me on Instagram!
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