Peasant tops are a staple in every girls wardrobe along with peasant dresses! Such easy sewing patterns for beginners and look simply adorable on little ones. Below is a free peasant top pattern.
Peasant Blouse pattern
I love making clothes for my little girl, mainly because I get to construct them from scratch and because I get to choose the fabric I like and the details so they’re pretty unique. And I love this free peasant top pattern because it was easy to draft and it will serve me well for a peasant dress. If I ever decide to make one (which I will want, definitely, it looks too cute!). Perfect project to add to your easy sewing patterns for beginners library.
This girls peasant top is really comfy and because I made it loose, my little munchkin girl has plenty of room to move! She’s such a playful little monkey and she’s more than grateful that she’s able to wear comfortable clothes, made to fit her body, personality and needs. Or at least I hope, I haven’t heard a peep just yet. She actually had a blast modeling for this shoot, as you may have noticed so I presume she really liked the blouse. Or maybe she just loves monkeying around which is also true, she does that a lot lol
This peasant top pattern is a quick and easy sew and I think every beginner sewist must give it a try! I made it with a 2/3 sleeve but can easily be made with a short or long sleeve. I also didn’t want the waist too tight so I used an elastic only a smidge smaller than the top’s width, just enough to gather it a bit around the waist.
Also I purchased bias tape to use around the neckline and to hem the sleeves but you can skip that part or use fabric scraps to make your own binding. If you decide to use bias tape, there are a few useful tutorials on bias tape, at the bottom of this tutorial. Also the tie I used for the neckline can be replaced with ribbon if you’re looking for an easier tie version.
Easy sewing patterns for beginners could not get simpler with this project!
Peasant Top Pattern
Materials needed:
- 100 x 80 cm = 39″ x 31″ 100% cotton fabric for the body (back and front)
- 70 x 60 cm = 27″ x 23″ 100% cotton fabric for the sleeves
- 5 x 80 cm = 2″ x 31″ cotton fabric for the tie
- 8 x 100 cm = 3″ x 39″ cotton fabric to finish the hem on the blouse (optional; you can do a regular hem)
- free pattern available here
- bias tape
- soft elastic
- matching thread
- scissors
- pinking sheers (optional, if you don’t have a serger and don’t like a zig zag finish)
Directions:
- Download the free peasant top pattern from here, available for 4T, 5T, 6T. Sew with 1/4″ allowance. You should get these layouts when putting the pieces together
- Cut your fabric according to the pattern. You should cut on the fold and you’ll end up with 1 piece for the front of your blouse, 1 piece for the back and 2 sleeve pieces. Also cut the fabric for the tie and hem, if you decide to finish it the way I did.
- Take the front of the top and one sleeve and put them right sides together, joining with pins at the armhole.
- Take the other sleeve and join it with the front of the top the same way.
- Fold the sleeves in half so that one half is right side out. Place the back of the top over it, wrong side out, so they are facing right sides together.
- Pin around the armhole then sew everywhere you pinned. Your sleeves should be now attached to the front and the back of the top at armholes.
- Zig zag, serge or use your pinking sheers to finish the seams
- Pin the sides and the sleeve then sew all around. Pivot when you get to where the sleeve meets the side of the top. Finish seams with a serger, zig zag stitch or pinking sheers.
- Prepare both the tie and the hem binding this way: fold in half and iron. Fold each half again and iron. Close the strip on the initial fold and iron. For the hem edges, they will overlap when you attach the hem to the blouse and you’ll only need to fold in one of the edges. Only for the tie, stitch as close to the edge so you can close the strip and make a tie.
Attaching Bias Tape
- Attach the bias tape to the neckline: Start somewhere less visible, like at the back, where the sleeve joins the top because when you finish sewing the bias tape, the edges will overlap and one of them will need to be turned in. Same goes for the sleeve if you decide to finish the hem with bias tape.
- Open the tape and pin it to the blouse on the wrong side.
- Sew right on the fold.
- Then fold the tape over to the right side of the top, so both bias tape and blouse are facing right sides together. Sew as close to the edge a you can, leaving an 1″ opening when you get to the starting point. You will need this opening to thread the tie through.
- Grab the tie and attach a safety pin to one end then thread through the bias tape casing you just made. Make a small knot at each end of the tie, when you’re done threading.
Inserting the elastic:
- Now you need to establish where you’d like the elastic to fall. I wanted the blouse to gather at the waist and didn’t want it too tight so I just cut my elastic just a smidge smaller than the blouse’s width.
- If you choose to do the same, with the blouse right side out, fold the blouse out and stop at about 5 cm = 2″ away from the underarms.
- Make sure the fabric is of the same width all around the waist then sew the bottom according to the width of your elastic (mine was 1/8″ so I sewed at 1/4″).
- Leave a small opening when you get to the starting point so you can thread the elastic in.
- Thread the elastic using a safety pin, sew the edges together, then close the opening.
- I chose to finish the sleeves with bias tape, same as I did at the neckline but you can just do a regular hem. If you do the same, make sure you leave a small opening so you can thread some elastic, then topstitch to close the opening. Or you can just leave the sleeve as is, a flared sleeve looks good too.
- I forgot to take photos but I also finished the hem on the blouse same way as I did with the bias tape at the neckline and sleeves, using the second strip of fabric I mentioned at the beginning of the tutorial.
- And that’s it! Wasn’t this peasant top pattern so easy peasy?
If you guys decide to use this free peasant top pattern and make adorable blouses for your little ones, I’d love to see photos! Enjoy!
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If you’re looking for more beginners sewing projects, this page has an ongoing list of easy peasy tutorials for beginners of all levels. I’ll be adding more as I find new ones that I like so be sure to come back.
Petro
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Denise/DIY Crush says
January 17, 2016 at 11:25 AMThis is too cute! Great instructions! Would love for you to submit this to my blog!
Petro says
January 17, 2016 at 1:33 PMThanks so much, Denise! I will stop by, thanks for the lovely invite. Hugs
Pam @Threading My Way says
January 17, 2016 at 5:40 AMA very pretty top with the contrasting neckline, Petro.
Petro says
January 17, 2016 at 8:27 AMAww, thanks so much, Pam! You are always so kind! xoxoxo