Free pattern review – Hello Sailor top by Tribe patterns

Hello my sewing friends!

Do you ever search for free PDF patterns online?…If the answer is yes…have you stumbled upon The Fold Line website before??? Well….I did and it was like finding a treasure chest! The site is run by Kate and Rachel who are doing a wonderful job bringing sewing community together. This is the best place if you are looking for a specific pattern or planning a multi purchase from different designers and you do not particularly feel like wasting time and doing individual buys from many sites. Guess what??? You can also find a HUGE collection of FREE patterns there!!!! yeahhhhh That is how I found the Hello Sailor Top! To be able to receive the pattern you will need to sign up to The Fold Line newsletter where you will be given a download link to this free PDF pattern.

The Pattern

Hello Sailor Top by Tribe Patterns is a simple boxy style sleeveless top with a bias binding neckline and armholes finish. It’s most eye catching detail is the cut out on the back and unusual bust dart placement starting at the armhole.

It is designed for a light weight fabric such as: cotton lawn, shirting and rayon.

The pattern takes only few minutes to assemble because there are less than 20 pages and the instruction booklet is pretty clear which is always a bonus.

I cut out size 20 based on my bust measurements and did not make any pattern adjustments.

Fabric choice

The red binding seen on a cover photo of this pattern was my main reason why I really wanted to make this top! I had in my stash 1 meter of red viscose fabric that I bought last year from Stoff and Stil but it was not enough for what I had in mind that time…so why not transform it into some bias cut tape??? Great idea Monika! Now I had to find a perfect fabric to go with my red bias binding… I wanted straight away that a solid color is the way to go this time, so after careful consideration (looking through my stash) I decided that I need a white top in my life, but sadly I did not have anything suitable…Sad face ;), so I went onto a Minerva Craft website and purchased 2 meters of white plain viscose for £4.99 a meter.

Sewing the pattern

This top was super fun to make from start to finish and the only more difficult part was attaching all that bias binding to neckline and armhole edges. I am saying difficult purely because it can be a bit fiddly when working with self made bias tape from more drapey fabric like viscose.

It took me 15 minutes to cut out the fabric, as the bias tape was ready at this point and 3 hours and 40 minutes to make the top. I wanted to be very precise and neat with a top stitching so hand basted the binding beforehand. This extended the sewing time, but the result is worth it! The top hangs nicely over my bust and the final length is just the way I like it, so it could be a little short for someone with average and tall height. I used slightly over one meter to make my top, excluding the bias tape and the pattern recommends about 1.4 meter.

I liked the simplicity of this pattern so much that decided to make another version form Liberty fabric my partner got me for my birthday in April.

The Liberty fabric is so beautiful so it was waiting in my stash basket for the perfect pattern! I wanted a simple pattern without any lines as this fabric is very busy and any details would be lost. This time I thought it would be nice to have a plain bias binding, so I made it out of some off white cotton lawn to complement the main fabric.

This time I made a minor pattern adjustment, by taking 7 mm off at the center back, because it realized it gapes a little while wearing my white cami. It is nothing to worry about there because the fabric drapes, but this Liberty cotton has more structure and it would be more noticeable. It was so much easier to sew with and it took me less time because i did not have to hand baste the bias tape.

Final thoughts

This is a fantastic pattern, that will be used throughout the year! simple to style with skirts and trousers and layer with cardigan or blazer. There are small slits at the side seams, which would be easy to transform it into a stepped hem….something I consider making next! Overall it is a great pattern for any beginner sewist or anyone looking for a quick fix! I am wondering now if Tribe patterns have other patterns that are as wonderful as this one???

~Let me know if you came across any!~

Monika xxx