All Well Little Box Top Sewing Pattern

meet the little box top! our grown-up box top is loved by many, and now there’s a box top for kids too! quick to sew and fun to wear, the box top is a comfy and customizable play wardrobe staple. 

This sewing pattern is appropriate for beginners and advanced sewists and everyone in between – with detailed diagrams and all our most helpful sewing tips. 

• For KIDS, sizes 12mo - 10 years

• Size range fits chest circumference 19”-28” (48.5-72 cm)

• Fully illustrated instruction booklet.

• Two sleeve options: short sleeve, long sleeve

• PDF sewing pattern download with print-at-home, copyshop, and projector files included

TWO VARIATIONS

Short Sleeve Top

The simple design of this top makes it fast and easy to cut and sew, and also makes the little box top an excellent base for any hacks and variations you can dream up. Think of the little box top as a template for infinite kids tops to sew up again and again. Kids clothes are such a fun opportunity to use up scraps and small amounts of fabric, and to have FUN! Try some color-blocking, add a pocket, patch together some scraps, use the leftovers from your grown-up garment sewing to make matching kids clothes. There are so many possibilities!

Long Sleeve Top

The long sleeve top has grown-on sleeves instead of sleeves you cut separately, saving a sewing step. This means the sleeve is cut from the same piece of fabric as the body of the top, and is not cut and sewn separately. A grown on sleeve is a beautifully simple design that kids love to wear, but know that it will fit a little differently than a set-in sleeve. Out of necessity, a grown on sleeve has a little more fabric under the arms to make sure the arms have enough room to enjoy a full range of motion.  In the long sleeve top, there are two seams along the full length of the arm — one running along the top of the arm from the neck to the wrist, and the other along the bottom of the arm from the underarm to the wrist.

Fabric — We recommend light to mid-weight woven fabrics for the little box top. Cottons, linens, anything that feels nice and seems like something that would be comfy to play in! Nice drape goes a long way in such a simple top. Avoid heavy fabrics, they’ll be too stiff. Feel free to experiment with color blocking or other playful ways to use spare fabric you have floating around! Kids clothes can be fun! 

Notions — You’ll use a little bit of elastic, a small button, and a strip of fabric cut on the bias. See details below in neckline section!

The Neckline

The little box top has a seam at the center back that opens up to a slit at the back neckline, fastened by a button and a loop of elastic. Plenty of room to fit the head through! The neckline is bound with a flat strip of fabric cut on the bias. This can be the same fabric as the rest of the top, or another fabric you have on hand. It can be really fun to use a different fabric (that is the same or a very similar fiber content and the same or a lighter weight than your main fabric) for the binding strip to add contrast.

Notions Needed For the Little Box Top:

• 4” length of Elastic — 1mm thin cord (sometimes called stretch cording). If you do not have elastic, you can also use fabric cord or a bias loop, though we do recommend elastic.

• (1) Small Button (button and elastic are for the back neckline closure)

• In addition to the body pieces, you will cut a neck binding piece: a flat (not pre-folded) 1” wide (2.5 cm), 24” long (41-61 cm) strip of fabric on the bias. (Smaller top sizes won’t use the entire length.) You won’t be able to see the binding strip when the top is worn, but it will be visible along the back of the neck when the garment is laid flat. Another great way to use up some scraps! Or, you can buy some 1/4” (6 mm) double fold bias tape—1” (2.5 cm) wide unfolded. You would need to unfold this pre-folded bias tape before using it.