T4Textiles | About

Who are the sewing patterns for?

Sewing skill level:

Basic sewing skills (see Resources for recommendations for complete beginners).
Basic experience using home sewing patterns.

Body type:

Proportions: these patterns are drafted for people who have medically transitioned to some extent. But anyone who has a body type similar to the drafting block can use them!
- Proportions in between typical men's and women's sizing.
- Flat chest up to A-B cup (or larger if binding).
Size ranges: tentatively from 28 inch (71 cm) chest to 60 inch (152 cm) chest and hip (will depend on finding fit models).

Who are we?

T4Textiles is run by just me (Emery Zimet), with behind the scenes help from my wife as well as other trans and nonbinary fiber artists who have online platforms. I'm an engineer with a sewing & pattern drafting background cobbled together from coursework, books, youtube educators, and experience.

What are the goals of this project?

Create sewing patterns that achieve a desired look or silhouette, instead of using standard rules for fit and ease.
Create collections of garment patterns that trans people can trust will look flattering.
Create non-standard gender neutral size charts that are more appropriate for trans men and trans women, and are size inclusive.
Include non-standard measurements in size chart, such as shoulder width, to allow you to more accurately choose your size and grade between sizes.

Why free?

Most indie sewing patterns cost money, as they should. A lot of time, materials, knowledge, skills, and other costs (pattern drafting CAD or graphic design software, website domains, paid fit testers, photography, etc.) go into a sewing pattern. Please support other pattern makers by buying their patterns!

The decision to offer free patterns at T4Textiles stems from a few factors. I consider this a donation to the trans community of my time, effort, and resources. Many trans people struggle financially, and sewing your own clothing is expensive enough as it is. Additionally, many resources I've learned from have been generously made free (Both& Apparel tech packs, FreeSewing open-source designs, etc.) and I want to follow their lead.