Kitschy Coo Dolman Top

This cute boy doesn't ask for much, so when he spotted this fabric and told me he wanted a tee shirt, I didn't argue.

So even though I wanted this fabric for me, I let him choose a pattern and made him a shirt.

He was very specific in his requirements. I was to use the Kitschy Coo Dolman top, and to make his shirt with red bands.

He's very happy with the finished shirt. It is exactly what he wanted.

The print fabric is also from the Kitschy Coo shop. It is a Lillestoff cotton-lycra jersey and is insanely soft. While this print is no longer available, Amanda has many other adorable Lillestoff prints and solids. The red is a rib knit from Fabric.com.

One thing I really love about this pattern is that it has so few seams that it is really easy to print match and use directional prints like this one really effectively. I matched the star as a dominant "stripe", so the side seams are hard to spot. And since this pattern is very economical of fabric, I still have some left for me...

Logan was happy to play all day in his new shirt. It was perfect for running, jumping, riding, climbing and splashing in puddles.

It's even awesome upside down.

Kitschy Coo Dolman Top maxi dress

Since I wear my maxi dresses at least twice a week, Myra has decided that she needs her own "gown".

She really doesn't need more clothes. But this was a nice easy project after a week away from my sewing room.

I used the Kitschy Coo Dolman top pattern as a base, and then added an ankle length skirt based on my tutorial.

I jazzed it up a little with a striped neckband cut on the bias, and some 4mm Hotfix gems accenting one of the hearts. Every girl needs a little bling.

The fabric has been in my stash a while. I think I bought it at Walmart when we lived in Texas, so it is at least 2 years old. It's a very lightweight jersey with only about 15% stretch, so it works for an unfitted style like this.

The jersey drapes really nicely, but you can see that the skirt is actually quite full. I cut as much width as I could after cutting out the bodice pieces, so it is about 1 3/4 times the bodice width. The elastic at the waist pulls it in more and gives the dress a little shape.

Myra is really thrilled to have her own gown. I wasn't sure that a maxi dress would be practical for a busy nearly 5 year old, but she's been playing and climbing hard in it without mishap. And she feels like a princess, which is one of the things I love about my maxi dresses.

Of course, her favorite part is the sparkle. I see a lot of Bedazzling in my future...

"G" thing

This is my 700th post! How crazy is that!?!

Anyway, on to the sewing... Logan has developed a love for the letter "g". Not just any "g" either, it must be the fancy gothic "g" with 2 circles. So when he saw this shirt in the latest Ottobre he HAD TO HAVE IT.

Rather than using the Otto pattern (which I'd have to grade down a size to fit him) I used our new favorite pattern, the Kitschy Coo Dolman Top.

I made a few very minor changes to the pattern this time around. Logan is very happy with his first Dolman Top, but I thought the sleeve opening was a little snug, so I lowered the underarm seam 3/8 inch on both back and front. I also sewed the neckline with a 1/4 inch seam allowance, which raised the neckline slightly and also made the band a tiny bit wider. I think this makes it look a little more boyish, but the neck opening is still plenty large for easy dressing and comfort.

The "g" is painted on with fabric paint using a freezer paper stencil, which I traced from the "g" applique pattern in the Ottobre magazine. I like this tutorial from Dana at MADE for the freezer paper stencil technique in general. To give this one a bit of a blotchy, vintage screenprint look, I glopped the paint on and smeared it into the fabric with my fingers. The kids had a blast helping with this part. And Logan LOVES his new "g" shirt.

Dolmania: phase 3: the dress

One thing I really love about the Dolman Top pattern is how versatile it is. I decided to put it to the test, and made it into a fun dress.

I used the Dolman Top pattern as my base and added a slightly gathered skirt and some elastic at the waist for shaping.

Myra loves it! It's perfect for playtime, but still nice enough to wear wherever she goes.

Apparently, the boys like it too, I'm not sure I'm ready for that...

If you'd like to make your own, hop over to Kitschy Coo for the full tutorial. You'll be glad you did!

Dolmania, phase 2: the girl

Dolmania has spread over to the girlie side of the family, and she is a happy kid!

For Myra's top, I decided to do the bands on all of the edges rather than hemming. I love that the pattern includes this as an option, since I think for many sewists, hemming knits is a scary thing.

The fabric was a lucky thrift shop find. It is an interlock and while I didn't burn test it, it acts and feels like cotton. I stitched up the top with just my serger and since there wasn't any hemming, I only used the coverstitch for topstitching.

I topstitched the neckband, so that it would lie nice and flat, but I left the cuffs and waistband alone so that they would have a slight blouson effect.

Since this pattern makes use of banding to finish edges nicely, I thought I'd share a little tip for getting a nice smooth seam if you are seaming with your serger. You know how bulky a serged seam can be when you fold it over like in a band or hem? Well, this is how I take care of that problem.

Here is my waistband, after pressing it wrong sides together and seaming it per the pattern. I traced along the center fold in red so that you could see it better. My scissors are poised to snip the seam allowance right at the fold line. Snip just to the seam line, but don't cut all the way through. Yes, you are clipping some serger threads, but since this isn't a stress point, it won't effect the integrity of your seam.

Here is where the magic happens. Press the two allowances to opposite sides so that when you fold the band together, they no longer overlap, they are abutting nicely on either edge of the seam. This way, you don't have a big lump of seam on one side. This works for hemming as well - just snip through the seam allowance at the fold of the hem.

I hope that helps! How are your Dolman Tops coming along?

Dolmania, phase 1: the boys

I've mentioned that I'm participating in Kitschy Coo's Dolmaniac's Sew-Along, and here is my first effort. Amanda was kind enough to draft the pattern to fit all of my kids, so naturally they all got new shirts! First, the boys...

I love that this tee works just as well for boys as it does for girls. Both my boys are happy and comfortable - not to mention cute! - in their Dolman Tops.

Logan was the most in need of a new shirt, so I made his first. And he is all smiles! The size 5/6 is a perfect fit.

The pattern is the Dolman Top by Kitschy Coo. I used a fun circus train screen printed jersey (from the Fabric Fairy) for Logan's top, with black ribbing for the neckband. Since Logan has some sensory integration issues, I didn't use the armbands or waistband. He doesn't like his clothing to be at all constricting. This pattern is really perfect for him, as he can be sensitive to clothing with a lot of seams, and this top only has 4.

The neckband application method used in the pattern is really superb. See how smooth and flat it lies? Beautiful drafting, there. I used my coverstitch machine to topstitch the band, with cream thread in one needle and black in the other. The two lines of stitching straddle the seam, so the cream stitching blends with the cream top and the black stitching with the black neckband.

This photograph expresses best how we all feel about this pattern and shirt. Can you hear the chorus of angels?

Duncan likes his, too. For him, I used the smallest size - 18M/2T. It has a looser fit than Logan's, but Duncan is barely 18 months old and a bit small for his age anyway. The neckline is nice and generous, so it was easy to get over his giant head.

The fabric for Duncan's top is a cotton-lycra waffle knit that my mother brought home from Expo a couple of years ago. It is super soft and comfy and you can't get much more 'boy' than frogs and lizards. Just to be clear on the subject, I used a camo rib knit for the neck and arm bands.

The topstitching is a little easier to see on this one - green on the band and cream again for the top. Several RTW garments that the kids have are topstitched this way, and I think it gives it a more professional look.

We are all smiles about our Dolman Tops! Next up will be a girlie version, then I'm going to mix up the pattern a little to try some other fun options. Stay tuned! And be sure to check out all of the Dolman Tops in the Flickr group and add your own!