With Father’s Day fast approaching, we wanted to highlight all the fabulous things we can make for Dads or simply the special men in our lives. These 7 Father's day gift patterns (5 are free) require varying levels of sewing expertise, but you will definitely be able to make a Father’s Day gift which is sure to light up your dad’s day. Even better we have some amazing men’s fabric recommendations which are perfect for each gift idea.
1. A tie
Surely not a boring old tie, we hear you say - well definitely not, it should be a tie which reflects your dad’s personality or gets him to wear something which he might not choose for himself but will bring him bang up to date. 2023 ties are all about textured or knit ties, yet we can’t help feeling that for summer you can’t beat a zingy floral. Either way, Craftsy.com has an easy how to sew a tie tutorial which uses an old tie as a template. You will need about a meter of fabric for the front of the tie and about half a meter for the back liner. In our cotton lawn collection there really is something for everyone, whether it be a traditional paisley or something slightly more modern.
Image credit: Sew a Classic Men's Tie on Craftsy
Floral Cotton Lawn White Rose and Liberty Cotton Lawn Dawn Dream
2. Tablet case
Dads often appreciate a useful gift, and a tablet case will always come in handy especially for holiday travel. Don’t forget to check the length and width of the tablet before you start. CraftySewingSew has a step-by-step guide to making an iPad case out of fabric. You will need the main exterior fabric, a lining fabric and interfacing fabric.
We would suggest using one of our soft furnishing fabrics for the main fabric as it is slightly stronger, but don’t panic there are plenty to choose from - plain navy for a chic classic Dad or even a Lobster for a quirkier one.
Image credit: CraftySewingSew
Apples Home Furnishing Fabric and Orla Kiely oval flower cool grey
3. Messenger Bag
This messenger bag pattern and tutorial from Apple Green Cottage includes a free cutting template which boasts a large size with room for everything and a phone pocket. Perfect for millennial Dads. You will need a metre of exterior fabric, an accent fabric for the flap, a contrasting fabric for the inner pockets and stiff fusible woven interfacing fabric. You can even make it in a water repellant fabric to keep the contents dry.
Messenger Bag Tutorial Image Credit: Apple Green Cottage
Pale Grey Water Repellant Fabric and Grey Chambray Stripe
Medium Weight Canvas Interfacing
4. Men’s apron
Most Dads like to think they are the King of summer BBQs so what better way to celebrate his grilling skills than with a tailor-made apron. This free pattern from Helen’s Closet is perfect as it has different size and height options to suit all the Dad shapes. You really can make an apron with whatever you like, so you can make this gift super personal. How about making a cool one with our selvedge denim or maybe bright colours are more his thing? How about a zesty orange apron instead?
Image Credit: Helen's Closet
Happy Plaice and Rock Lobster Cotton Panama Fabrics
5. Shirt
We just had to feature these homemade dad shirts from our sewing community. The first is the Wardrobe By Me Tropical Shirt pattern made by @sewno65 for 3 generations of boys in our Lego building blocks.
Image credit: @sewno65
The second @cazsews features lovely Dad and Daughter matching shirts using the same Tropical Shirt pattern mentioned above in our Alexander Henry Beauties and Brains fabric. We also think it would look amazing in the Alexander Henry tattoo cotton….
Image Credit: @cazsews
6. Men’s Pyjamas
We often see men’s pyjamas for winter made out of cosy brushed cotton but what about a summer pair? Tilly and The Buttons Joe pyjama bottoms pattern features a shorts version which will be perfect for this time of year. The pattern recommends light or medium weight woven fabrics such as cotton lawn, shirting or double gauze - which we have plenty of. Anything from a neat stripe to a novelty print to make him laugh every time he wears them.
Tilly & The Buttons Joe Pyjama Pattern and Pale Blue stripe cotton shirting
7. Reversible Bucket hat
If your dad loves fishing or spending time at the beach, a bucket hat is a must have Dad accessory. This DIY bucket hat pattern from Hello Sewing requires just 2 coordinating pieces of tightly woven cotton and has a free pattern to download. It is fully lined with stitching on the rim and is a sturdy bucket hat which will survive being stuffed into bags.
Image Credit: Hello Sewing
The Boathouse Cotton and Under the Sea Cotton Panama Nautical Fabrics
Plain Brushed Panama Weave Fabric - Bluejay
Father’s Day Gifts Sewn Up
We hope you like our 7 Father’s Day gifts to sew at home. If you’ve been inspired, please share your makes, and don’t forget to tag us @fabricsgalorelondon. And for more fabric recommendations for all of these sewing projects you can email us on howdy@fabricsgalore.co.uk . Happy Father’s Day!
