Make a sewing pattern from a photo
Upload a photo or a screenshot of a garment you love. Sewly recognizes it, drafts the pattern to your measurements or a standard size, and gives you a step-by-step sewing guide.
Your pictures stay private and are only used to make your pattern.
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Add your picture
Upload a photo, paste a screenshot, or paste the link of a public Pinterest pin, Instagram post or shop page. If the picture shows several garments, say which one you want. No picture at hand? Describe the garment in words, such as a midi wrap skirt in linen with a flared hem.
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Check what Sewly understood
Sewly names the garment it recognized and the options it chose: length, neckline, sleeves, fullness, closure and pockets. Change any of them by hand, for free, or ask for a change in words. The pattern redraws as soon as you change something.
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Add your measurements or a size
Enter your height, bust, waist and hip to start, or pick a standard size: women EU 32–54 (US 0–22, UK 4–26), men XS–3XL or children 2–14 years. The measuring assistant explains each measurement, and the others come from the nearest size until you refine them.
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Preview, print and sew
Look at the garment in 3D, then print the pattern at true scale and check the test square. Follow the step-by-step guide written for your pattern, with its pieces list, notions and cutting layout, and ask it questions whenever a step is unclear.
Can you make a sewing pattern from a photo?
Yes. Upload a photo or a screenshot, or paste a link to a public Pinterest pin, Instagram post or shop page, and Sewly's AI recognizes the garment: its type, silhouette, length, neckline, sleeves, fullness, closure and pockets, along with the colors and print of the fabric. It then picks the closest garment in Sewly's library and sets its options to match.
What you get is a real pattern, with every piece drawn to scale and seam allowances included, not a sketch or a list of instructions. No picture? Describe the garment in words instead.
Drafted from your measurements, not guessed
The AI only reads the picture. The pattern itself is drawn by Sewly's drafting engine, from flat-pattern blocks, with your measurements and the right ease for the garment. Same inputs, same pattern, every time.
Once the pattern exists, changing a measurement or an option (length, neckline, sleeves, fit) redraws it instantly without any AI, and those changes are free and unlimited. Our post on how Sewly drafts a pattern explains the blocks and the ease in detail.
Which photos work best?
The clearer the garment, the closer the match. A few habits help:
- Show the whole garment, from neckline to hem, ideally from the front.
- Prefer good light and a plain background; busy scenes hide seams and edges.
- Crop out other people and other garments, or say which piece you want.
- A screenshot from a shop or a video works as well as a photo.
Our screenshot tips go further, with examples of what the AI can and cannot see.
See it in 3D before you cut
Before you print, the garment appears in 3D on a mannequin built from your measurements, in a plain color or with the print taken from your picture. Turn it around, change the length or the sleeves and watch the proportions update.
It is a preview of the silhouette and proportions, not a simulation of how your exact fabric will drape. But it shows early whether a midi or a knee length suits the look you are after, before any fabric is cut.
What Sewly can draft, and what it cannot yet
Sewly drafts from a library of 20 garment types it knows well: skirts, dresses, tops, sweatshirts, trousers and shorts, a kimono jacket, bags, a bucket hat and home pieces, each with its own options. When your photo shows something close but not identical, Sewly picks the nearest garment and its options.
It does not yet draft tailored jackets with collars and lapels, coats, jeans with a fly front, shirts with collar stands, lingerie or swimwear, and it says so plainly. Browse all the patterns to see what each one can do.
Print it and sew it
Making patterns is free: 3 AI patterns and 20 AI messages a month, with unlimited changes by hand, the 3D preview and the sewing guide on screen.
To print, the Maker plan ($7.99 a month or $59 a year) gives a true-scale PDF on A4, US Letter, A3, Tabloid, A0 or 36 × 48 in paper, or a projector file, plus the sewing guide as a PDF with cutting layouts and fabric quantities. See the printing options.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to make a sewing pattern from a photo?
Yes, within the free plan: 3 AI patterns and 20 AI messages a month, unlimited changes by hand, the 3D preview and the sewing guide on screen. Printing the pattern needs a Maker plan ($7.99 a month or $59 a year) or an Atelier plan ($14.99 a month or $119 a year).
Will the pattern be an exact copy of the garment in the photo?
It will be the closest garment in Sewly's library, with the options that match what the AI sees: length, neckline, sleeves, fullness and so on. Unusual details, such as an asymmetric seam or a particular trim, may not be reproduced, and you can adjust the options to get closer.
Does Sewly measure my body from the photo?
No. The photo is used to recognize the garment, not to measure you. You take your measurements with a tape, and the measuring assistant explains each one and checks the numbers for likely mistakes.
Can I use a screenshot from a shop or a video?
Yes. Screenshots work the same way as photos. Crop to the garment and choose a frame where it is fully visible and sharp.
What if the garment in my photo is not in the library?
Sewly picks the closest garment and its options. If nothing is close, for example a tailored coat or a swimsuit, it tells you plainly rather than guessing a pattern.
What will you sew next?
Bring the picture. Sewly brings the pattern.
Your pictures stay private and are only used to make your pattern.