Dancewear Patterns: They DO Exist!
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It’s no secret around here that I’ve accomplished a huge goal recently of learning to sew activewear, and more specifically dancewear! Both my tween/teen daughters are ballerinas and let me tell you, dance leotards are not cheap! They tend to run at least $60 per leotard and they each need two or three at a time, since they both dance four days a week. To have their black leotards in pretty designs is preferred, of course, but the price goes up with every cute detail, it seems!
The dancewear patterns may seem hard to find at first, but there are more out there than you might think! So I’m here to complie a list today of dancewear patterns. If you’re still new at sewing, don’t let this intimidate you like I did for so many years! You can sew activewear with the most basic sewing equipment, you don’t even need a serger and it’s a great way to build skills. So if you have a dancer in your life, no matter how long you’ve been sewing, this post is for you!
Before we start, know that this list is of in-print patterns only. Though I’m sure there’re tons of out-of-print dancewear patterns, both our selection of sewing notions and our access to professional techniques for unique genres of sewing has come a long way in the last decade, so I can’t vouch for those oldest patterns as far as the techniques and finishes they may recommend. So, without further ado,
The Big List of Dancewear Sewing Patterns.
Jalie.
This will be no surprise to you at all. Jalie runs the market and you will learn so much using one of their patterns. If you do not have a serger, that’s ok, the instructions include techniques without a serger. Visit their website to see all the dance patterns they have available. I choose the PDF format because I find assembling the pages much easier than tracing the lines! The leotard I most recently made for Natalie is the Jade pattern. I’ve also made the dance skirts more times than I can count! Jalie also includes boys and mens patterns in their dancewear offerings and they are actually the only company I found that does so.
Big 4 Pattern Companies.
Yep, the Big 4 (McCall’s, Simplicity, Butterick and Vogue, plus their other brands) does have a decent selection of dancewear patterns. I have made every single piece of Simplicity 8424 and love the sizing on it because dancers tend to be tiny sometimes. The extra small is perfect for my girls. Other Big 4 dancewear patterns include:
Simplicity 1444. This one pretty much has it all! Would be a good place to start your collection.
Burda 9629. This pattern has everything you’ll need for your littlest dancers.
Simplicity 8561. My girls are allowed to wear active leggings to jazz and modern and we like this pattern for those.
Kwik Sew 3661. I think this neckline is so pretty and the skirt too. Great basic pattern! Kwik Sew can be pricey, but they go on sale occasionally online and at JoAnn.
Indie & Misc.
If you have girls in need of character skirts, here is a pattern for those. Once you know how, you’ll regret never trying them before, they’re pretty simple!
Mountain Ash Designs. This company is new to me, but they appear to have a well-established line of dancewear patterns!
Atira’s Fashions has patterns for various ethnic dance, including belly dancing. If you have a character dancer, you may want to check them out.
Guna Rince makes sewing patterns for Irish Dance.
My Childhood Treasures has a nice selection of dance patterns from younger girls up through the ages.
That’s all I can find, folks! I’m sure that’s not all, though. If you know of others, will you let us all know in the comments? Now that I have the dancewear sewing bug, I’m on the lookout for more unique designs. My girls may end up with more than they really need this year, ha!
Cheers :)
