The Blank Canvas Tee is a project to create a simple, useful multi-size knit top pattern available free for download and tweaking from Craftsy or below.
Medium weight organic cotton knit Birds On the Wires Tee
The Blank Canvas Tee has four seams and bound sleeve edges or raw edges- or use your favorite hemming method. Those who prefer a closer fit should bring in the side seams- just a little at a time- until they like the amount of ease through the torso. A muslin is highly recommended before using a beloved piece of fabric.
Pick a size according to your full bust measurement. If you prefer a more relaxed fit, use the size up from your measurements. If you prefer a snugger fit, use a size down. It is very very easy to bring in the side seams to suit your ease preferences and conform to your body. Then you transfer those changes to your pattern and presto- a perfectly customized simple tee pattern you can make in your sleep or hack if you’re so inclined.
This pattern is designed for comfort and ease of construction/customization. A simple cut will show off a fun printed or fancy knit. In a plain fabric, it makes an easy casual top.
Check out the flickr group for this pattern (and its hacks). Please feel free to join and share the inspiration!
Download the Blank Canvas Tee pdf.
Should you find any errors or have any issues, please let me know so I can correct it.
Button for “hackers”
Hacking The BCT:
Each month, I publish a “hack” of the blank canvas tee. It’s a personal design challenge and a fun way to teach a little light drafting. If you like a design but don’t have the time or inclination to draft you can find my patterns on Craftsy.
January’s Hack: Sailor Sweetheart Tee
February’s Hack- Bow Tie Tee: Inspired by a 1950′s dress neckline
Finished Object: Bow Tie Tee View A
March’s Hack: Flutter-by Tee- lace insertions, lace fabric, v-neck and flutter sleeves!
- Drafting Instructions
- Pattern Coming Soon to Craftsy!
April’s Hack: 40′s Charm Tee- Faux bolero seaming, unique 1940′s inspired neckline
May’s Hack: 9 Lines Tee or Sweater- Standaway collar or plain neckline, underarm gussets, long sleeves and optional shoulder button placket.
Share this pattern, hack it up, mess with it however you like. The Blank Canvas Tee is intended for private or educational use only. All patterns are copyright Stephanie Cousins, 2012. They belong to me and the online sewing community.
If you would like to contribute to the cost of my rent and groceries, please feel free to donate using the button below. I consider the BCT an open-source sewing project, akin to open-source software. If you have benefited from the pattern and/or the hacks and you would like to contribute, it is greatly appreciated.
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Hi Steph, I just blogged about my version of the Blank Canvas Tee here;
http://suzybeesews.blogspot.com/2012/01/blank-canvas-tee.html
Thanks! Suzy
oh man! That looks great! Thank you for linking me. :) :)
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I just made this up, with a very very slight hack. Thank you so much for a great pattern…I’m in love with my new top!
Awesome! I sent you an inquisitive email! :)
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I just found this page. About five seconds after I posted my question.
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I downloaded your Blank Canvas Tee and then proceeded to sew it up using four different fabrics. I will have to say that this is a fantabulous pattern!! Your instructions are short, sweet and simple!! I made four of them in four hours. Are you the author of the kimono sleeve dress on Craftsy? if so I will certainly purchase it as I know how well your pattern fits together. I’ll be watching your site for future ideas and patterns. Thank you. Gail
Hey Gail- I’m so pleased it worked well for you! I have a Craftsy store and at the moment I’m plotting to fill it with goodies made from the BCT base. :) http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/294605 More to come soon!
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Hi, I found this through Kollabora and I’m in awe of your tee-shirt hacks! Thanks for posting instructions, I’ll definitely try some when I get a bit handier with the sewing machine:)
Love the blog title too!
This is awesome! I have featured it here:
http://sewprettysewfree.blogspot.com/2012/06/blank-canvas-tee-pattern-and-its.html
Thanks! Looks really good, you did a fantastic job. :)
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Hi Stephanie – I have just pinned your blog to my pinterest board. I am a middle aged fashion design student living in Victoria, and am really enjoying the generosity of so many people on the web. Thank you for sharing your information, ciao, Tam
Awesome, thanks for letting me know. It really makes my day. Internet peeps are indeed very generous, and I think the spread of information will completely revolutionize fashion and design in our lifetimes… I mean- I can watch the latest designer catwalk shows from Paris, I can watch street fashion in Naples and New York and Tokyo, I can access vast libraries of drafting and tailoring and sewing instructions without leaving my comfy chair.. Now what are we going to do with all of that? Seems to me that designers/artists from past centuries would give their left eyes for such access as we have.. :)
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This is going to be my, um… second(?) project using knit fabric (ever!) and I’ve got some cool white with navy striped fabric I got for really cheap at a huge fabric store in Denver. I’m really excited! One question though. The pattern piece for the sleeve binding, are you supposed to cut that piece out of the fabric and then cut it in half (crosswise) to get the pieces for both sleeves? Stupid question, but I’m just always paranoid about cutting into a piece of fabric lol. And I seem to have run out of interfacing, so I’m just using regular bias tape to stabilize the shoulder seams. Worked pretty well on the maxi dress I just finished. I’ll have to put up a picture of the finished shirt.
I noticed a few issues when printing and piecing together the pattern. I’m guessing it’s drafted for A4 size paper? I’m in America, so I had to mess with my printing settings and kinda just hope for the best in terms of scale lol :) . I really don’t know what all goes into making the pdf pattern, but it might be helpful for some of your readers if you had an A4 version and a U.S. Letter size pattern. Just a thought. If it’s hard to change, I’m sure it’s not a problem. I think I got it scaled right in the end. Oh, and the bottom line of the sleeve binding piece is missing on the second page of the pattern. Not a huge problem; I just lined up my ruler with the lines from the pages on either side of it and drew a line across. I’m not trying to complain at all (you have no idea how happy I was to find a free basic t-shirt pattern like this. You’re an angel!), I just figured you might want to know. :)
Sarah Richards
P.S. you are absolutely brilliant! i love the idea of providing a basic pattern and giving instructions for hacking it and leaving it open for other people to share their ideas too! You’ve just made it onto my officially unofficial list of Favorite People on the internet ;)
also, are seam allowances included, or do you have to add them?
If you choose “print entire image” or something like that (depending on your computer), it should print on the letter sized paper. There’s also a 1″ gauge, if I remember correctly. I am also thinking that the sleeve band piece says “cut 2.”
I haven’t used bias tape on shoulder seams, so if you get a result you don’t like, it’s probably the bias tape.
Most of the rest of the world uses A4, my margins are adequate for printing on letter sized paper.
Hmmmm, I didn’t know page 2 was missing a line, very interesting! I’ll go take a look and update the pattern. How can nearly 4,000 of them be downloaded without someone telling me that? Sigh.
haha, it’s no problem. I can’t even imagine trying to take on a project of this scale! you are my hero! and the shirt turned out just perfect on the first try with no alterations! the bias tape worked fine too. my mom just loooved it when I showed her the shirt :) btw, the sleeve band piece is fairly long and says “cut 1″, but it was more than long enough to do both sleeves. I am veeeery happy with this pattern :D
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Hi Steph! I’ve made a couple of blank canvas tees this summer – if you’d like to see, I’ve just blogged about the first one, here: http://jo-sews-etc.blogspot.be/2012/09/blank-canvas-tee-1.html.
I don’t comment much, but I’m a serial lurker, so I’m glad I now have an excuse to say hello :-)
Thanks, Jo! I’m so terribly pleased you like it and it worked so well for you! :D Come back and chat more often… I do enjoy it.
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I just put together the blank slate tee and sewed it up this evening, and I am going to tell you what you already know. This is a wonderful pattern. Perfectly drafted- a 35 fit me with no alteration. This is just what I needed, as I have way too much frosting in the closet and not enough cake. My immediate sewing goal is to make up some everyday items fast, and this pattern will be so helpful. Thank you for sharing your hard work!!!
Thanks so much for that. I wish it was better, but I’m working on that… :) I really put a huge amount of work into it and wondered whether it was running into obsession… But knowing it works so well for so many people makes it completely worth it. I can’t wait to get the Cake patterns out there… :)
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I downloaded this pattern a while ago but life happened and I only recently tried it out for the first time. LOVE IT!! Made 2 T-shirts and hacked the pattern to make myself a t-shirt dress with patch pockets. Next up is a long sleeved version, got myself some animal print for it this morning. Thanks for a great pattern
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