Sewing Novice

Raglan Henley Hack

April Baylor — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 16:26:09 +0000

I wanted something different this year for Owen’s school picture shirt. He’s a pretty casual kid, so making something super dressy would be pointless, as it would never get worn. In the past, I made him a Henley shirt, so I didn’t really want to do the same. I love a good raglan, so I came up with making a raglan shirt with a Henley placket. I even decided to take pictures along the way, so check out the tutorial below for my raglan henley hack.

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I decided to use the Rocket Raglan and Hayden Henley patterns from 5 out of 4 Patterns. If you haven’t been following me for very long, the Rocket Raglan is one of my favorite patterns to make for my son. The fit is spot on and like I mentioned above, I just love a good raglan.

Raglan Henley Hack Tutorial

Cut Out the Pieces

Cut out the front and back bodice, as well as the sleeves, from the raglan pattern. Then you can cut out the placket for the same size from the Henley pattern. I did end up using the neckband from the Henley, but I would suggest waiting until you can measure the neckline to know how long the neckband will need to be.

Note: Since I used patterns from the same pattern company, the size chart is the same. If you are using patterns from different companies, be sure to use the appropriate size pattern pieces for each pattern.

Add the Placket

I followed the instructions on the henley pattern to add the placket. The only difference is that I was using a raglan style front bodice, but everything else is literally the same. 5 out of 4 has a wonderful placket video that may also help.

Attach the interfacing to the wrong side of the placket.

Using a fabric marker, make a vertical line 1/4″ from each edge, and then from each of those lines, mark another line 1″ toward the center. Then two more lines 1″ from the last one. You should then have five one inch sections and the 1/4″ sections from the edges.

Make a line 1/2″ from the bottom.

Fold and press toward the wrong side on each 1/4″ mark you made in the previous step.

Fold and press toward the wrong side on the 1/2″ line on the bottom of the placket.

Fold and press toward the wrong side on the first 1″ lines, and then press in half to get a center point.

As you can see in the next image, I marked the center with my fabric marker so it was easier to see.

With right sides together, match the center of the bodice front and the center of the placket and pin in place.

Sew along the one-inch lines just outside of the center line, pivoting across the bottom 1/2″ line to form a rectangle around the center line.

Measure 1/2″ from the bottom stitch line and on the center line. Angle from that 1/2″ mark to the corners of the sewn rectangle. Cut along the center line to the 1/2″ point, and then cut along the angles to the corner of the rectangle.

Pull the placket piece toward the wrong side of the bodice. Iron the sewn edge toward the placket and cut down to leave about a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Pull the triangle piece toward the placket, and fold along the ironed 1″ marks to enclose the triangle and the seam allowance. I like to use wash-away wonder tape so it stays in place.

Top stitch in place.

Repeat all steps for the other side of the placket.

This picture shows the two sides of the placket.

Overlap the placket pieces and stitch a 1″ square at the bottom. You can add the X in the square if you prefer.

Finish Sewing the Shirt

Now you will sew the shirt according to the raglan pattern, except for the neckband.

Attach the raglan sleeves the same as you would normally do. The only difference is that you will now have a placket on the front bodice piece. You can even go ahead and sew the side seams and hem the sleeves and shirt if you prefer. If you normally add the neckband before sewing the side seams, then proceed to the next steps before sewing the side seams.

Attach the Neckband

As I mentioned at the beginning, I used the neckband from the Henley pattern. I probably should have made it a little longer, though, as it got a little wavy after washing the shirt. In order to figure out the correct size, measure the length of the neck opening. Mine ended up being about 18″. Take that number and multiply by .90, which would be 16 for mine. Now you can use the Henley neckband piece and add or subtract length. I needed to add about 1/4″ since it’s a cut on the fold pattern piece. So that would be adding a 1/2″ total for the neckband.

Here is another video from 5 out of 4 on how to attach a Henley neckband.

A Henley neckband should have a curve in the end, and you won’t sew the short ends together like on most neckbands.

First, you will fold in half with the wrong sides together.

Then mark the center, fold in the ends toward the center to find the quarter points.

Mark the center back and quarter points of the neck opening.

This post on a raglan neckband will help guide you on finding the quarter points on a raglan.

With right sides together and raw edges together, pin/clip the center back and center of the neckband together. Then pin/clip the quarter points.

Using wash-away wonder tape, pin/clip the raw edge of the neckband to the top edge of the placket. This step is going to be awkward since the neckband curves. But the corner of the neckband should touch the outside corner of the placket.

Ease the rest of the neckband into place. Baste in place before serging. Just in case your neckband doesn’t lie how you want it to.

Once you are happy with it, go ahead and serge the neckband on.

Topstitch in place.

Add buttons or snaps, and hem your shirt if you have not already done so. And your shirt should be complete.

I hope you were able to have success with your own raglan Henley hack. I bet it wasn’t as difficult as you thought. The hardest part for me is always the neckband, and getting the front to lay how I want it to.

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Free Binder Printable

April Baylor — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 16:59:42 +0000

I’ve seen many people ask how others organize their printed PDF patterns. So I thought I would share how I organize mine. But not only that, I want to share a free binder printable for you if you want to organize in a similar way that I do. All you need to do is subscribe to my newsletter which will let you know whenever I have a new post up on the blog.

I have included 4 different labels…accessories, bags and pouches, adult clothing, and children clothing. Each one has a full page for the front of the binder as well as one for the spine. I included one for a 2, 3, or 4 inch spine. You will just need to cut out the correct size for your binder on the cut lines.

What I do with my printed PDF patterns is fold them and put them into sheet protectors in the appropriate binder. So it’s more of a visual as to what each sheet protector is holding, I print out the main pattern page and put it in the front. Then, when I want to sew up the pattern again, I just have to find the binder and sheet protector for that pattern, unfold the pattern, and start cutting out the fabric.

I hope this helped you organize your patterns a little better. Be sure to grab the free binder printable and let me know what you think!

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5oo4 Maria Tank Review

April Baylor — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 21:47:11 +0000

Rachelle from 5 out of 4 Patterns has knocked it out of the park with her newest pattern, the Maria Tank. It’s a twist/cross back tank that looks fairly difficult to sew, but it’s really not. You can choose to use binding or bands and honestly, that is the hardest part of this pattern. You also have the option of tank, tunic, dress, or maxi length and high or low neckline.

I ended up making three Maria tanks throughout the testing process, but not because there were that many changes. It was truly because I love this pattern! I started out with the one above in bulgaree ITY from So Sew English. I chose to do binding and followed the directions exactly as written using a double fold binding. But I should warn you that doing binding with ITY takes a LOT of patience and wash away wonder tape.

My second Maria Tank is out of a rayon spandex, also from So Sew English. I have to say that I don’t love rayon spandex. I can’t figure out exactly why I don’t like it either. It’s fairly flowy and soft, but it stretches out easily, and I always feel like it lays funny on me.

I decided to try out the band option on this one. Since rayon spandex doesn’t have great recovery and is pretty stretchy, I used cotton lycra for the bands. Rachelle did include instructions and different cut lengths if you use a stretchier fabric for your bands/binding. So be sure to read those depending on your fabric choice.

Also note that I crossed the very top of the back again on this one. It does not change the overall outcome of the shirt, but isn’t exactly what was intended. You can also see the gathers a little better in the picture on the right. They aren’t difficult, but be careful when attaching the neck band/binding as the gathers can come undone and stretch out your neck opening.

The last one I made is from a different kind of ITY from So Sew English. This one is slippery compared to the Bulgaree ITY used in my first version. It also has a cool feel to the touch. I once again used binding, but this time, I decided to not follow the tutorial instructions exactly. I serged the binding on using a 3/8″ seam allowance, but that cuts off about 1/8″. I then just folded the binding over to the wrong side and top stitched using my coverstitch machine. After that, I just cut off the excess fabric on the back. So in other words, I did a single fold binding.

I absolutely love the Maria Tank…it’s different than most tanks, but is still super comfortable. It’s a semi-fitted tank which is what I’m most comfortable wearing. I can still wear a cross strap regular bra instead of a racerback bra too, which is a major bonus! I feel like using ITY made it a little dressier, where the rayon spandex was a little more sporty looking. So much versatility!

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How to Sew a Neckband

April Baylor — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 14:04:16 +0000

Have you ever wondered how to sew a neckband? I know neckbands can be kind of tricky when you first learn to make shirts. I see a lot of people that get frustrated with them, because the neckband just doesn’t turn out like they want. One of the major things to remember is that the shoulder seams are not a quarter point of the neck opening. This will make more sense once you watch the video.

The pattern I used for this shirt in both the video and images below is the Rowan Tee from Titchy Threads. All fabrics are cotton lycra and are from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. I really like using cotton lycra for shirts for the kids. It holds up well and usually has a lot of fun prints. Now on to the tutorial!

Make the Neckband Piece

Cut out your neckband piece according to the directions in the tutorial.

With right sides together, fold in half so short ends meet.

Sew or serge the short ends together.

Fold in half long ways with wrong sides together and press with your iron. This should put your seam on the inside of the neckband.

Sew the Neckband

Mark both your neckband and the neck opening of the shirt in quarters. Remember that the shoulder seams will not be the quarter points. For a better explanation, watch the above video at the 3:15 point.

With right sides together, attach the neckband to the neck opening, matching up the quarter points and the raw edges. I prefer to put the seam of the neckband on the back of the shirt.

Serge or sew together along the raw edge using the seam allowance in the pattern instructions.

Press with the seam allowance toward the shirt.

Top stitch with a coverstitch machine or sewing machine and press one last time. Now stand back and admire your wonderful neckband!

I also have a post on how to sew a raglan neckband, which is essentially the same, but might be helpful to see more pictures of how to attach a neckband. Again, one of the most important parts is to remember that any seams are not necessarily the quarter points. This is because the front should be lower than the back, therefore making a quarter point farther forward than the shoulder seams.

I hope both the video and the picture tutorial helped you sew a beautiful neckband onto your shirt.

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How to Make and Use Double Fold Knit Binding

April Baylor — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 13:06:59 +0000

I made the Navigator Pullover from Love Notions and it has you put bias tape on the hood lining in order to have a nicer (non-raw) edge on the inside of the hood. It calls for double fold bias tape, but I didn’t have any, and because it’s a curved edge I knew I would need bias tape and not just regular binding. So I decided to make a knit binding. Here is an example of a Navigator that I made.

Make Your Knit Binding

The pattern calls for 1/2 inch double fold bias tape. So in order to make double fold knit binding, I need to take the final width (1/2″) and multiply by 4 to get 2″. I’m binding a hood, so I measured the edge of the hood to get the length to cut. I then added a few inches to make sure I had plenty of binding. So I know that I need to cut my fabric equal to the length just measured by 2″ for the width. The length should be cut with the stretch of the fabric.

Attach Your Binding

Pin or clip the binding and main fabric right sides together. You don’t want to stretch the binding or the main fabric.

Sew together with a straight stitch using a 3/8″ seam allowance. Honestly, you could probably serge the edge if you wanted to.

Press the seam from the right side of the fabric, making sure that the seam allowance is facing the binding. So in this picture, the seam allowance would be pressed down toward the pink binding.

From the wrong side of the fabric and binding, fold and press the raw edge of the binding so that it meets the outside edge of the seam allowance.

Now fold and press the binding over the seam allowance toward the wrong side of the garment, enclosing the raw edge.

Top stitch on the right side of the fabric. Depending on what you are binding, you could also use a coverstitch machine to top stitch.

Here is what it would look like from the back. Since it won’t be visible, I wasn’t careful how far from the edge my stitches were on the back. I just wanted the front to look nice.

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How to Line a Sports Bra

April Baylor — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 07:15:14 +0000

Have you ever wondered how to get extra support in a sports bra or just wanted a little bit of extra coverage? Lining it with powernet is the perfect option. In this tutorial, I will show you how to do just that!

It’s actually much easier to line a sports bra than you would think. I used the Resolution Bra from 5 out of 4 Patterns, which includes a tank pattern as well. Both the bra and tank have binding as the neck and arm hole finishes, so if your pattern does not include binding, you may have to slightly adjust the way you line it.

Helpful Terminology:

Power net: It’s a fabric that has some stretch, but provides a ton of support. Different than power mesh as power mesh does not have as much support. Both could be used to line a sports bra, but if you need the support, I suggest using power net. I’ve read that you may need to size up if using power net, but I have not on the two items I’ve used it for. It definitely holds me in, but not too much where I needed a larger size. It does make it a little more difficult to put on and take off. The power net can be a little scratchy which is why I chose to enclose it between two pieces of cotton lycra.

Baste: sew together with a very long stitch. It’s usually used as a temporary way to hold layers together. If needed, the thread can be removed once the normal stitching is completed. In this tutorial you will want to sew together with a smaller seam allowance than your pattern. I tend to use 1/4″ since the seam allowance is 3/8″.

How to Line a Sports Bra

1. Cut Out Your Pieces

For a non lined version, all you need to cut out is the bra front, bra back, and binding pieces.

In order to line the bra, you will instead need to cut out two bra fronts, two bra backs, and your binding pieces out of your main fabric. As well as one bra front and one bra back from the power net.

2. Prep

For both the bra front and the bra back, you will take one piece of your main fabric and the power net piece and pin/clip with wrong sides together.

Baste together along the raw edges, both the bra front and the bra back pieces. Note that the power net side will be considered the wrong side of the fabric going forward.

You will now have two bra fronts and two bra back pieces, one of each with just the main fabric, and one of each with the main fabric and the power net basted together.

Sew both sets together according to the pattern’s directions. In most cases, this will be at the shoulder seams and the side seams.

You will now have what looks like two sports bras, one with power net and one without.

3. Assemble

Place the regular bra pieces inside of the bra with power net, wrong sides together (use the power net as the wrong side). Line up the seams and edges and pin/clip together. Baste around the edges, including the neck hole, both arm holes, and the bottom.

Once everything is basted together, you will use that piece as your bra. From here, you will attach the binding according to the pattern’s instructions.

It wasn’t so difficult was it? Now you can comfortably line a sports bra for more coverage or extra support in a sports bra.

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Sew Americana

April Baylor — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 06:46:07 +0000

I purchased this fabric from Raspberry Creek Fabrics knowing that I wanted to make us shirts for the 4th of July. So when I saw that Katy from Wild and Wanderful was hosting the Sew Americana blog tour, I figured it would be the perfect kick in the butt to actually use the fabric as I intended. And actually use it this year and not sometime in the future. Do you ever do that? Purchase fabric for a specific item and then not use it for a VERY long time? Well, if so, then you are not alone….and neither am I, hopefully!

Owen's Shirt

Let’s talk about Owen’s shirt first; since it’s from a new to me pattern designer. I asked in the Raspberry Creek Facebook group for suggestions on everyone’s favorite basic t-shirt pattern for a boy. I knew I wanted to make him a basic shirt with set in sleeves and not a raglan like I normally make. Believe it or not, they do get a little boring after awhile.

A few people suggested the Rowan Tee from Titchy Threads and I remembered the shirts that they made from this pattern, so I decided this would be the one. So I purchased it, and got started.

I’m so glad that I purchased this pattern. Just like the ladies in the Facebook group said, it’s a fantastic pattern! The fit is spot on, it goes together quickly, easily, and has a few different options. I made the option with no real options. ha But it also includes a hood, long sleeves, cuffed sleeves and hem, three pocket options, and my favorite, a shoulder and/or full arm stripe. I’m thinking the arm stripe will be included in the next Rowan Tee that I make!

Lillian's Tank Top

Next is Lillian and my tank tops….I used the Key West Tank for Girls from New Horizons for Lillian and the Key West Tank for Women for me. (hint, check out the pinned post in their Facebook group for a code to make the pattern free!) I chose the racerback, slim fit tank option for both of us as well. Note that this option isn’t shown on the pattern drawings, but it is included in the pattern pieces.

For Lillian, I made a straight size 6 even though she is a little taller than the height listed and her waist is a little larger. I just made sure that it would be long enough based off of the finished measurements chart. It still seems to be a great fit, even without any adjustments. She will most likely wear it with shorts, which I think will look better. Our summer has decided to show up for a day here and there, and picture day it was definitely not summer, so she had to wear pants.

My Tank Top

For mine, I used some poly rayon spandex french terry, so the stretch isn’t as much as it is for the cotton lycra that I used for Lillian’s shirt. As mentioned, I used the slim fit tank option from the Key West Tank for Women from New Horizons. This was my first time making this for myself and I probably should have shortened it. I tend to like my shirts a little longer, so I don’t always shorten shirt patterns. With a banded bottom it usually works out just fine, but with the flow of this shirt, I think shortening it might have been a good idea. I think it would lay better and in general fit a little better. I will still wear this though!

Last minute and after we took our pictures, I decided to make Mark a shirt as well. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get any pictures of him wearing it. I will try to get a few on the 4th of July and share on social media.

New YouTube Channel

Also, did you realize that I just started a YouTube channel? My next video will be about how to attach bands. Specifically neck bands, but the concept works for arm bands as well. Both Lillian and my shirt have three bands that needed to be attached, so doing it properly or not, can definitely make or break the shirt! You can find the videos here on the blog or follow me on the Sewing Novice YouTube Channel.

Don’t forget to check out the other blogs for some truly amazing makes!

Monday, June 24:
Wild & Wanderful · The Petite Sewist · That’s-Sew-Kari · Stitched by Jennie · Marvelous Auntie M

Tuesday, June 25:
Petite Stitchery · auschick sews · Sew Simple Home · Sewing Novice · Striped Swallow Designs

Wednesday, June 26:
(Swimming in a) Sea of Estrogen · The Eli Monster · 5 out of 4 Patterns · bigflynotions · Stitching and Making

Thursday, June 27:
Middle River Studio · It’s Liesel · Sewing with D · Kitty Makes It

Friday, June 28:
Boo + Lu · Sequoialynn Sews · Seams Sew Lo · Made By Jaime · SewSophieLynn

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How to Modify a High/Low Hem to a Straight Hem

April Baylor — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 07:41:58 +0000

Welcome to my stop on the New Horizons’ Summer blog tour. If you haven’t been here before, feel free to look around. The links at the top of the page would be a great place to start. After that, I would suggest reading this whole post. Wink, wink, there might be a giveaway and some discounts if you make it to the bottom and check out the other bloggers in the tour. But for now, let’s talk about summer clothes!

My daughter, Lillian, is a basic shirt type of girl. I mean, comfy fabric, straight hem, not too loose, not too tight, basic shirt. So since dolmans are pretty basic, I thought I would try the Dublin Dolman for girls from New Horizons to match some of the Portlander shorts that I made her. The only problem was that the Dublin Dolman didn’t have a straight hem option…only the high/low hem or banded option. Lillian would have liked the banded option, but she prefers a straight hem. So it was time to change the pattern a little and turn it into a straight hem.

Basically, all that you need to do is figure out the length that you want the shirt to be and draw a straight line across the pattern. Then cut out the pattern at your new hem length. Below is a video that I recorded (with the help of my husband) to demonstrate.

The Portlander shorts are super comfortable and a perfect option for Lillian. She now has a few pairs, but I’ll have to share the others at a later date. I used the CLUB French Terry from Raspberry Creek Fabrics and it is absolutely perfect for the Portlander shorts! Thick enough that the shorts lay well since there is actually structure to the fabric, and I don’t think they will be too hot since the fit of the shorts allows for air flow around the legs. I did a reverse coverstitch on the pockets and hem and LOVE the look. Paired with the cotton lycra shirt, she is ready for summer…at least with one outfit.

I also made myself a few Dublin Dolmans that will be perfect for the summer….if it ever arrives! This one is the gathered back option made from some modal from So Sew English. The gathered back gives the shirt a little bit of a baby doll style look to it. As you can see, it includes the high/low hem that I modified for Lillian’s shirt.

This one is the banded option and I used double brushed poly also from So Sew English. I love this option, but if you get hot easily, double brushed poly might not be the best option for you for the summer. On this one, I did alter the waist to be about a size larger than the bust and hips. But I didn’t really need to. The Dublin Dolman has a relaxed enough fit that it’s not too tight in the waist even though it’s technically a size too small compared to my waist measurement.

If you are new to sewing and/or just a little unsure about sewing a dolman style shirt, then my post on how to sew a dolman style shirt will be perfect for you to check out. A dolman is one of the easiest types of shirts to sew. As you can tell, you have a lot of different fabric options that will work as well. The possibilities are endless! The Dublin Dolman Patterns have a ton of options, so if you like more than just a basic shirt, I highly suggest this pattern.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, June 3: Amanda Briles from Meadow Sews
Tuesday, June 4: Ashley Griffith from Creating Ashley
Wednesday, June 5: Danielle Thomas from SewGr8ful and me (You are here!)
Thursday, June 6: Darcy Rochholz Bjertness from Sew Beeloved
Friday, June 7: Ingrid from Sewingrid and Yvette van Musscher from Droomstoffen

Giveaway, Discounts, Sale

All of the patterns featured during the tour will be on sale this week too! So be sure to check out the other bloggers to see what they came up with and get some inspiration. The patterns on sale are the Women’s and Girl’s Portlanders, Dublin Dolman, New Orleans Tee, Swiss Army Shirt, Women’s Bayside Romper, Harbor Hoodie, Marbella Tank, and the Boardwalk Wrap Dress.

You can also use code “NHSUMMER” to get 10% off of one order from So Sew English. Valid through June 8th at midnight PST.

Last but not least….New Horizons was kind enough to partner with a few fabric shops for a chance to win one of three prizes. So be sure to enter the giveaway below. Good luck!

Grand Prize: 3 New Horizons Patterns, $50 gift card to Raspberry Creek Fabrics, and $35 gift card for So Sew English
2nd Prize: 3 New Horizons Patterns, $50 gift card to Raspberry Creek Fabrics, and $35 gift card for So Sew English
3rd Prize: 2 New Horizons Patterns and $30 gift card to Mily Mae Fabric Shop

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post How to Modify a High/Low Hem to a Straight Hem appeared first on Sewing Novice.

How to Sew a Dolman Style Shirt

April Baylor — Fri, 10 May 2019 20:59:57 +0000

Today, I wanted to share a tutorial on how to sew a dolman style shirt. There are many different patterns and varieties of dolmans. In general though, when I think of a dolman shirt, I think of the shirt style that has “bat wings”. By bat wings, I mean that the sleeve just arches into the side seam. You don’t actually need to attach separate sleeves. Some, like the one that I sewed for this tutorial, have smaller “bat wings” and others have much larger ones. It’s all personal preference.

I’ve made many different dolmans and like most of them, but for different reasons. The look that you get will depend on the type of fabric that you use for the shirt. In general, dolmans do tend to have a few creases or lines around the chest. This is because of the curve created under the arm to create the bat wing look. I think you will have less of this with a flowier, lighter weight knit, than if you used a heavier knit. You can also create a dressier look by choosing a flowy fabric such as hacci, modal, or double brushed poly. If you use cotton lycra, you are going to get more of a t-shirt look.

Here’s an alphabetical list of the ones that I have and a short explanation to what options each pattern has and anything that I had to change.

5 out of 4 Jenny – This is a cross front dolman.
Halla Slim Dolman – I haven’t made this one yet, but it’s free if you use the code in their Facebook group. It’s one of the more basic dolmans, so might be a great pattern to try out first.
Love Notions La Bella Donna – I think this was the first dolman I made. It’s still one of my favorites even though it’s a pretty basic pattern.
New Horizons Dublin Dolman – This one has a few different options including a v-neck option and a gathered back.
Peek A Boo Sun Kissed Tee (women’s version) and Little Miss Sunshine (girl’s version) – This one is probably the most like a regular tee. There is very minimal bat wings, so when on, you can barely tell that it’s a dolman. The girl’s version also has a dress option. I’ve made Lillian many of the Little Miss Sunshine shirt options.
Patterns for Pirates Cocoon Cardigan – As you can probably tell from the title, this is actually a cardigan, which makes it much different from the others. I had to size down from my measurements for this pattern to fit the way I preferred and actually will probably size down one more if I make another one.
Patterns for Pirates Pumpkin Spice Dolman – This has a pretty large bat wing style. For some reason, I find it a little dressier because of the large bat wings.
Patterns for Pirates Sweet Tee (women’s version) and Sugar Pie (girl’s version) – Another more basic dolman style shirt. I have made both patterns. I like the Sweet Tee, but unfortunately, I either measured incorrectly or the sizing was off on the Sugar Pie. I haven’t tried again, but their other girl patterns that I have tried have been an ok fit.
Patterns for Pirates Tulip Tee (women’s version) and Tiny Tulip (girl’s version) – I have not made the women’s version, but have made the girl’s version. Both are the same style with a cross front and/or back, but instead of a top cross it’s at the bottom of the shirt. Both are also free patterns.
Sew Like My Mom Allium (women’s version) and Tulipa (girl’s version) – This pattern has a curved color blocking option at the top, as well as options for front gathers. There are two girl’s versions. I linked to the size 6-16, but there is also one for younger girls.
Sew Much Ado Seafarer Top – I made this shirt a long time ago. It went together well, but I didn’t attempt to shorten, so it was way too long for me.
Sinclair Danielle – I have not made this one yet, but it has larger bat wings similar to the Pumpkin Spice Dolman.
Sinclair Sienna – I blogged about this one a few posts ago. It has ruched sides for a little different look from the other dolmans.

Are you ready to get started with the tutorial? For this tutorial, I made a long sleeved, curved hem dolman shirt. I explain in the tutorial where you can hem the sleeves to make it short sleeves.

How to Sew a Dolman Style Shirt

1. Sew the Bodice

To start out, you will want to pin or clip the shoulder seams together with the front and back piece right sides together.

Then sew or serge together using the seam allowance stated in the pattern.

Still with the front and back pieces right sides together, pin or clip the side seams together.

Sew or serge the side seams together.

2. Sew and Attach the Sleeves

If you are making your dolman shirt long sleeves, then take the sleeve pieces, right sides together and pin or clip along the long edge. So in this picture, the bottom right is the wrist, and the top left is the top of the sleeve.

Sew or serge together.

Turn the sleeve right side out. Then mark in fourths. Mark the arm opening into fourths (the shoulder and side seam should actually be the half way points).

Insert the sleeve into the arm opening making sure that you are putting right sides together, lining up the sleeve seam with the side seam of the shirt. Then line up the other three marks. Pin or clip together.

This is just a pic showing how the sleeve and arm hole are clipped together.

Sew or surge around the opening. This would actually be a short sleeve version if you did not attach the sleeve. So if you want short sleeves, you can either add a band, or hem the sleeve.

After the sleeve is sewn/serged onto the shirt, turn it right side out.

3. Sew and Attach the Neckband

Along the short end, sew or serge the neckband together with right sides facing. This will form a circle.

Along the long edge, fold and iron with wrong sides together.

Mark the neckband in quarters. I use the seam as one of my quarter points, which is why there is not a fourth clip.

Mark the neck in quarters. Remember that the shoulder seams are not quarter points! I like to fold the front and back pieces in half to find the front and back quarter points, then put those two points together to find the other two quarter points.

With right sides together, pin/clip the neckband to the neck hole, matching the quarter points. I then clip between those so that it’s easier to evenly sew the neckband onto the shirt.

Sew/serge together.

Press with the seam allowance toward the shirt.

Top stitch in place.

Can you see the difference in how the neck band lays after being ironed and after being top stitched? Top stitching is definitely worth the extra time.

4. Hem Sleeves and Bottom of Shirt

Fold your sleeves to the wrong side by the amount noted in your pattern.

Stitch the hem of the sleeve.

Fold the bottom of the shirt to the wrong side by the amount noted in your pattern. This particular one is a curved hem. You could also add a band if that is your preference.

Stitch the hem. Iron all hems and seams for a finished/more professional look.

It’s probably a toss up between a dolman and raglan on which style is the easiest to sew. A dolman is probably slightly easier and definitely quicker since there are less seams to sew together, especially if you choose to make it short sleeved. If you are looking to sew your first shirt with knit fabric, a dolman style would be the perfect choice.

The post How to Sew a Dolman Style Shirt appeared first on Sewing Novice.

How to Make a Drawstring

April Baylor — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 07:22:18 +0000

It’s slowly starting to warm up here in Wisconsin. Monday it got up to the mid 70’s and Wednesday there is a chance of up to 7 inches of snow! Welcome to spring, I guess? Even with warmer weather, I still like to wear hoodies, especially since most mornings and evenings are still very cool, even randomly throughout the summer. So naturally, I’ve been into making them for myself. I’m assuming you would like to as well. And with any good hoodie, you will need a drawstring for the hood. What could be better than a perfectly matching drawstring to your project? Whether it’s a hoodie, or maybe a shirt with ruching like the Sienna that I recently shared.

All you will need to make a drawstring is fabric and your machine. There are many different ways to turn a small tube, but I find the following method the easiest. For this method, you can either use a Quick Turn Tool or even a wide straw and bamboo skewer. I started out with a straw and bamboo skewer, but added the Quick Turn Tool to my Christmas list this past year and it ended up under the tree! (My mother-in-law is great like that!)

I have used different types of fabric for drawstrings including cotton lycra, double brushed poly, poly rayon spandex french terry, and modal. You just have to be a little more careful with the lighter fabrics, so that you do not poke a hole in your fabric.

Are you ready to get started?

How to Make a Drawstring

Cut out your fabric. For a drawstring for an adult hood, I tend to cut the drawstring the width of the fabric by 1.5 inches. You can always cut it shorter later.

I have also pieced together fabric to make it long enough, you will just need to plan it out a little so that the seam is always on the inside of the casing.

Fold your fabric along the long side with right sides together.

Sew or serge along the long edge with about a 1/4″ seam allowance. You can also sew/serge one of the short ends, but it’s not 100% necessary.

Insert your straw/cylinder into the tube of fabric.

Continue to insert the straw through the tube of fabric until it gets to the end.

Using the skewer/rod, begin to push the end of the tube into the straw/cylinder.

Note: the straw/cylinder is laying the opposite way as in the above image.

Continue to push the fabric through the straw/cylinder until the tube of fabric is right side out.

Remove the skewer/rod and straw/cylinder from the drawstring. You can now iron and top stitch if you prefer. Honestly, I don’t usually do anything except insert into my casing. If you need help on how to do this, please see my tutorial on inserting elastic with a bodkin. It’s not elastic, but has the same concept.

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