The Carya Shirt – Free Unisex Sewing Pattern

If you are anything like me, you’re always looking for that new top to help freshen up your existing fabulous wardrobe. Well, look no more; Mood has a brand new unisex sewing pattern, the Carya Shirt, that is simple and easy to make using any of Mood’s wide variety of vibrant cotton prints!

Purchase Materials Used Below

Single Print/Color:

• 2 yards Mood Exclusive Sugar Swizzle Color Fields Stretch Cotton Poplin
• 6 Milky White Tire Shaped Rim 4-Hole Plastic Button – 17L/10.5mm
• 1 yard Off-White Weft Fusible Interfacing
• MDF272 – The Carya Shirt Sewing Pattern (free download below!)

Two-Tone:

• 1.5 yards Mood Exclusive Amorous Alphabet Stretch Cotton Poplin
• 1 Black Stretch Cotton Poplin
• 1 Mood Exclusive Italian Black and Silver T5 Open End Metal Zipper – 27.5″
• 1 Mood Exclusive Italian Large Silver Round Metal Zipper Pull
• 1 yard Off-White Weft Fusible Interfacing
• MDF272 – The Carya Shirt Sewing Pattern (free download below!)

Alternative Recommended Fabrics:

• Cotton Poplin
• Shirting
• Voile
• Sateen

Step 1

Print and tape pieces. 

Step 2

Pin, cut out of fabric, and mark your notches. 

Step 3

Cut out interfacing for facing and collar. Iron the interfacing to the corresponding pieces. 

Step 4

Hem the edge of the facings and machine stitch. 

Step 5

With your back piece, mark your pleats and fold inward placing two pins to secure it in place.

Step 6

With the right sides together, sandwich the yokes around the back piece. Once sewn, press nicely and stay stitch the neckline.

Step 7

Take your front shirt piece, and fold right sides together along the indicated “fold line” on the pattern, as pictured below.  Use a 3/8″ seam allowance and sew from the folded edge to the notch. At that notch, clip into the seam allowance, not beyond it. Doing so will ensure that the seam allowance on the neck will sit flat once the facing is turned right side out. 

Clip the corner at the fold, and turn the facing right side out. Press.

Step 8

Using a french seam, stitch the shoulders together. 

Step 9

Using the French seam again, attach the fronts and back of your shirt at the side seams.

Step 10

With the right sides together, sew the top three edges of the collar at 3/8″ seam allowance. Trim and press.

Step 11

Pin the interfaced side of the collar to the right side of the fabric, matching notches and leaving the other side of the collar open.

Step 12

Press the collar so it lays nice and flat. Fold the exposed seam under and slip stitch.

Note: if you want to topstitch the collar, you can do that here.

Step 13

If you want to add a patch pocket, add it here using the guideline from the pattern for placement. 

Step 14

Using a French seam, sew the inseam of your sleeve.

Step 15

Matching notches, set the sleeve in. Ease where it is necessary.

Note: you can do a French seam here or a regular seam. If you do a regular seam, finish the seam off with a zig-zag stitch, overlock stitch, or a serger.

Step 16

Hem the sleeves using a rolled hem, press, and machine stitch. Fold up the sleeve 4″ and hand tack at the underarm seam. As an alternative option, you can shorten the sleeve and hem the same way.

Step 17

Finish off the bottom of your shirt with a rolled hem. Press, pin, and topstitch!