The Core T-Shirt pattern from Closet Core Patterns settled a case that had been dragging on for two or three years in my stash: a lemons-on-pink jersey slowly wilting on my fabric shelf.
Every spring, the same scene: I would pull it out, fondle it, “this one is for this summer”, and by the following autumn it wasn’t really in season any more.
This time I did it the other way round: instead of looking for a fabric for a pattern, I looked for a pattern for a fabric. And with a print that loud, the garment had to be simple, basic.
What better than this Core model to tick every box?
| ITEM | SHOP | QUANTITY | PRICE |
| Core T-Shirt (free pattern) | Closet Core Patterns | 1 | €0 |
| Modal jersey | Alles Für Selbermacher | 1 m | €13.44 |
| Woven label | Domum | 1 | €2 |
| Thread | Stash | 0 | €0 |
| Total | €15.44 |
The Core T-Shirt pattern from Closet Core Patterns
The Core T-Shirt from Closet Core Patterns is a perfect wardrobe basic, and it is free.
It is a crew neck t-shirt with a straight silhouette, offered in 2 views:
- View A: semi-cropped with short sleeves, designed to go with high-waisted trousers
- View B: hip length with 3/4 sleeves.
A patch pocket and a back neck and shoulder binding are optional on both views.
The pattern has 6 pieces, 2 of them optional:
- front on the fold,
- back on the fold,
- neckband,
- patch pocket,
- back neck and shoulder binding,
- sleeve
The pattern package is really complete:
- A size range from 0 to 32, split into two separate blocks: 0-20 drafted for a B cup, 14-32 for a D cup with a bust dart.
- Body measurement and finished garment charts, in centimetres and in inches.
- The PDF in 🇫🇷 French and in 🇬🇧 English,
- Seam allowances included,
- Layered PDFs so you only print your size, in two formats: A4/Letter (25 pages for 0-20, 32 pages for 14-32) or A0 on two sheets.
Closet Core Patterns, to me, is one of the most polished pattern companies out there.
Their patterns are both wardrobe staples and patterns with always a touch of originality, an original detail that is easy to make your own.
Their instructions are perhaps the best in home sewing, and their block fits me pretty naturally.
I have already sewn the Mitchell trousers, the Pietra pants and shorts, the Sienna Maker Jacket, the Charlie Caftan and the Brise dress (free pattern).
The stated level is beginner, and that is fair: I skimmed the instructions rather than following them step by step. You will see below that this was an excellent idea. Ahem.
Sewing the Core T-Shirt
Supplies
Supply-wise, this t-shirt asks for almost nothing: the jersey, matching polyester thread, a ballpoint jersey needle and a marking tool.
The fabric: modal jersey on citric acid
The Core T-Shirt is sewn in a lovely organic modal elastane jersey, bought from Alles Für Selbermacher. It was the “might as well make the shipping worth it” cut. I had bought 1 m, and the t-shirt only ate about 80 cm of it.
It arrived in the same parcel as a French Terry with octopuses I had fallen for and managed to use on 3 different projects back in 2022!
The pattern calls for a knit with at least 30% crosswise stretch: cotton interlock or jersey for a structured look, a cotton / elastane blend, a ribbed knit or rayon for a more fluid drape.
Size and length
From memory, I sewed my Core T-Shirt in a size 8 with no adjustments: my patterns are in moving boxes, impossible to check… take that size with a pinch of salt.
I made up a View B, hip length, with the short sleeves from View A.
But at the fitting, the View B length did not really convince me. So I recut the bottom on the View A hemline, cropped length.
The label sewn at centre back
I did not sew the patch pocket.
My one flourish: a tattoo-style label with a flaming heart pierced by a pair of sewing scissors, bought from Domum and sewn at centre back.
The back neck binding fail
The pattern offers a binding, that is a strip folded in two that hides the shoulder and back neck seams for a very clean finish inside.
Except that this step goes on before the sleeves and the side seams.
And since I had not really read the instructions, I noticed once my sleeves were already serged.
And being thoroughly lazy, I did not want to unpick. Ha ha ha! Instead I tried to put the binding on without unpicking the sleeves, just to see.
Roaring success: like it or not, the whole thing ended up under the seam ripper.
So my Core T-Shirt has neither shoulder binding nor a back neck finish. Turns out confidence is not enough.
Finishing with the overlocker and the coverstitch
- The whole Core T-Shirt assembled on the overlocker, shoulders, sides and sleeves included.
- Neckband cut in the same jersey, without the back binding.
- Sleeve and bottom hems on the coverstitch machine.
Zip-zoup. Not a single wave on the hems, this modal behaves beautifully.
Scraps turned into a lingerie set
Once the t-shirt was done, I had scraps left, including the strip cut off the bottom. And what do you do with scraps of modal jersey as soft as a baby’s skin? Lingerie. Obviously.
I sewed a Darcey wireless bra by Evie La Lûve, a pattern I have already made a good half dozen times.
And to go with it, 3 pairs of knickers from Fitiyoo’s book Lingerie Confort: Brunch, Croissant and Popcorn. I have now sewn most of the patterns in the book.
The Croissant knickers swallowed the strip cut off the t-shirt, and I used colour-blocked panels to spice up the rest.
If the set is of interest, I can give it an article of its own.
Verdict
As always, the Core T-Shirt pattern from Closet Core Patterns is very well made, and free on top of that. An excellent basic for sewing a classic t-shirt, and one I wear very easily. The print, I still love just as much: cheerful and fresh.
One regret, entirely my own doing: next time I will sew it one size up for a slightly more oversized effect.
This is probably the first truly basic t-shirt I have sewn in years: I tend to prefer patterns with a little something extra. If I am going to sew it myself, I might as well stray from the ready-to-wear beaten track.
Regular readers had already spotted it last week with the Twig Woven Pant by Style Arc: the photos were taken during the Thread & Needles weekend. [INTERNAL LINK: Twig Woven Pant (Style Arc)]
And you, do you prefer sewing well-cut basics or unusual shapes? Tell me in the comments 👀
Frequently asked questions about the Core T-Shirt
Is the Core T-Shirt pattern free?
Yes, the Core T-Shirt pattern is entirely free on the Closet Core Patterns website, with no purchase required, French instructions included.
How much fabric for the Core T-Shirt?
You need between 0.9 m and 1.6 m of jersey at 150 cm wide: from 0.9 m to 1.4 m for View A, from 1.15 m to 1.6 m for View B depending on the size. I bought 1 m and mine only used about 80 cm.
Is the Core T-Shirt suitable for beginners?
Yes, it is a very good first knit project: seam allowances included, four pieces to cut, and a single technique to tame, the neckband. All you need is a machine that sews knits (a stretch stitch or an overlocker) and a ballpoint needle.
Right, back to finishing my moving boxes! ☀︎
