I can't believe its the end of the Diving into Dolman Series! But I'm excited to do this round up post because it is going to be extra awesome. Why? Because I couldn't help but throw in just one more dolman. AND I've got a coupon code for you, so be sure to read to the end.


But before I do, I want to talk about what I've learned from this series.

So, lesson #1- batwings are not my friends. I've seen them look amazing on other body shapes, but they just aren't best on my inverted triangle body type. They aren't the worst thing ever, but if I'm going to sew for myself, I can definitely skip this style.

Lesson #2- A slimmer fit dolman looks great on my body type. They actually work to slim my shoulders. That's a nice feature.

Lesson #3- As always, a scoopier neckline is more flattering than a higher neckline. I already knew this, but this really nailed it.

Lesson #4- I learned to do a proper FBA on a dolman. It was scary at first. But ultimately, once you've done it, it really isn't anything to be afraid of.

Lesson #5- As much as I like all the dolmans I've made, I have learned that I pretty much LIVE in tunics. So all these t-shirt lengths shirts are great, but not "me".

With that information, which dolmans do I wish I had tried?
#1- Patterns for Pirates Sweet Tee. I love Judy's patterns and find that I know exactly which adjustments to make to get them to fit me perfectly. This pattern is more slim fit with no batwing, so it is just the style for me!

#2- Love Notions La Bella Donna. The LBD includes 3 hem options, 3 sleeve lengths, and hood, cowl and regular neckline. That's a lot of options. And in this series we've linked back to it again and again.
Here's one at Sew Sophie Lynn
and another from the Creative Counselor.

And that brings us to my final review. When we were arranging this series, there was 1 thing I noticed immediately. Of all the dolmans available, nearly everyone already owned the Love Notions La Bella Donna. That really says something. It only makes sense though, because when Becca Duval did a round up post of most popular patterns, the Love Notions La Bella Donna won out for the best Dolman. And for good reason too.

Despite having owned this pattern from its first release, I still haven't given it its own full review. So here we go.

My over bust measurement plus hip measurement puts me smack dab in the size XS. You know what that means? That means I refuse to lose anymore weight, because I don't want to not be able to sew this anymore!

So what adjustments did I need?
I removed 1/2" length from the high bust, and then moved the sleeve back down as it slimmed the sleeve too much. Then I removed 1" from the shorten/lengthen line. Because the "tunic" length is meant to hit at mid thigh (which I consider mini dress length), I removed 3" from the hem line to get this length. Next I did a 1" fba across the front only, pivoted back in at the waist as I didn't need any further width further down. This gave me exactly the space I needed in the full bust. Easy peasy. The pattern does NOT come with a v-neckline. I used my 1 Puddle Lane Miss Ruby Tuesday to copy over a v-neckline. V-necklines are really my favorite on me. Although I think this one could go lower, but overall I'm pretty happy.

Once I finished my adjustments, the sewing was SUPER fast. And since my muslin was all done, I couldn't wait to cut into this amazing french terry from LA Finch Fabrics. Finch Fabrics was totally amazing and sent me a collection of their fabrics to showcase for them. I have a lot more to show, so be sure to come back tomorrow, Monday and next Thursday as I've got some great stuff to share!

Now this french terry is amazing. The sad thing is, I totally snagged up the last few yards, so you can't buy your own. But there are several other well priced french terrys available here too. And while normally I wouldn't sew something like this with french terry, this french terry is silky soft and has an amazing feel and I couldn't resist. This fabric doesn't drape as softly as some other ones, so if you're going to use something NOT drapey, bring in the hem. I should have done that here, but I'm still going to wear it, exactly as is.

And of course, as I promised, I have a coupon code for you from Finch Fabrics! Use coupon code: summersew20 to save 20% off your entire order (excluding shipping). Code expires Wednesday, May 18th. That is an amazing deal. I've got 3 more posts of their amazing fabrics if you need more inspiration and encouragement. And if not, might I just suggest you consider their gorgeous chambray too? ;)

I hope we've been able to inspire you to Dive Into Dolmans. If you managed to miss any of our previous posts, Shame on you. (just kidding). you can find the complete list of the entire series linked below. Until next time!

Sewing By Ti- Sew Much ado Sea Farer

Sewing By Ti- Create Kids Couture Donna’s Dolman

Have you ever stopped and thought to yourself, its great that these bloggers get all fancied up and take photos of their sews. But, I wonder, what do they REALLY wear every single day?

That was actually me thinking to myself this past week. What do I really wear? Because participating in the Back to Basics series with the Creative Counselor meant I had to figure out, what ARE my basics. Depending on your style and career, your basics could be VERY different from mine.

If you remember, I did a full closet purge a few weeks ago. It was a hard thing to do, but it cleared my dressers for clothes that I can and will actually wear. And if you also remember, my short sleeve drawer was basically empty. Now, I have since filled it with my sews from my Diving Into Dolmans series, but most of those were NOT tunics. So basically I have a drawer full of t-shirts to wear with jeans. I sort of hate jeans. They're not comfy like leggings. Don't get me wrong, I wear them, sometimes.

Mostly I dress as pictured. Leggings. Tunic Length Shirt. Zip up Hoodie. Boots. Of course this has variations. You have the winter version which is fleece lined leggings, long sleeve tunic, zip up hoodie, boots. And also the summer version. Capri length leggings. Sleeveless Tunic. Zip Up hoodie (for super cooled air conditioned places) and sandals. I know what I like and I like what I know.

So how do I proceed to recreate this "look" for my basics series? Easy.

#1- Tunics. Today's outfit has a very fitted version. I'll update you with a not so fitted version soon too. But for today,  the Vesta Grail Tee is what I am wearing here. Now the Grail does NOT have a tunic version. :( But it does offer, sleeveless, short sleeve, 3/4 sleeve and long sleeves. I extended the hem on the Grail and added a band. EASY. That said, I might go back to the P4P Layer Me Up for this look. My hack didn't get a nice neat side seam and I'm sort of too lazy to play with the front and back pattern widths.

This fabric is this Art Gallery Knit that I got from Phat Quarter Shop on Etsy. Maybe you noticed my new "sponsor" section on my blog. Maybe not. But rest assured, you're going to be seeing a LOT more from Phat Quarter Shop. I'm very thankful to them for partnering with me to make my blog even more amazing. :)

This fabric totally counts as basic in my book and it isn't even black. The Art Gallery Knits have actually left me a little underwhelmed. For the extra price, I was hoping for something amazing. These are just OK. Don't get me wrong, they wash well. Are soft and stretchy, but they're just knits (unlike their wovens that are totally amazing!). Unless I loved the print I don't think I'd pay the extra for them. But of course they do have great prints, so I'll probably be buying more, LOL.

And, when I want to mix it up, I wear a Raglan Tunic (hahaha I'm killing me. that's hardly mixing it up). I know wearing a raglan tunic isn't "mixing it up" but that's as far as I can really get for variety in my every day wear. I actually need to go back and review all my posts from my Raglan series as I really think I need to mash up my favorites to make the perfect tunic raglan.

#2- Leggings. I usually buy leggings. The juniors sizes fit me fairly well and I'd rather buy $3 basic leggings at Walmart. That said, if I wanted a crazy print (or super bright pink, remember these?) I do sew my own leggings. I like the Jocole Leggings. They're easy and fast. That said, I do usually size down since I like all my leggings to be 100% stretch cotton/lycra and the jocole pattern is drafted for use in jersey and interlock.

#3- Hoodies- I actually own several Hoodies (no surprise). I've got 2 gray ones. 1 heavier (the one shown here) and one lighter. Both are RTW. I also have 2 fleece hoodies (Paprika Jasper and EYMM Asymmetrical Hoodie and a fleece pull over (5 out of 4). I really need to find a pattern for my super basic no fuss, front zip raglan hoodie. But for now, my rtw one is fine. Plus it has fuzzy sherpa inside and cost me $6. That makes me happy.

Too bad I can't make boots. Or may be it is a good thing. I'm up to 8 pairs of boots/booties. I love every pair but am partial to the ones show here. They're my first pair of boots and they fit "just right". A little bit of heel. Not too loose in the calf. Not too shiny. Not too dull. And they're not heavy either. perfection.

I actually wore this outfit, today, to take my kids to Girl Scouts, minus the side braid. That was an after thought. I'm digging the side braid. I think I'll do it again some time.

Can you believe its week 5 of Diving Into Dolmans?! Today on

We have the Patterns for Pirates Pumpkin Spice Dolman. This is actually a repeat from week 1 when Tami of Sew Sophie Lynn sewed up an awesome one. But Tami is a rectangle and I'm an inverted triangle so we're definitely mixing things up here.

Since this has been reviewed before I'm going to jump straight in. I'll add the handy chart at the end.

So, the truth is I was afraid to sew up this dolman. Like knee shaking fear. Like OMG am I going to sew up a wadder (you know something you wad up and throw in the trash)? I even asked over on Capsule Wardrobe Sew Along to see if anyone had any suggestions. Mostly I got a lot of cheerleading and you can do it. Which I totally needed, so it was perfect.

I sewed up the size medium shoulder/bust and blended to a size small from waist to hips. I used a short band and the short sleeve option. I took 1/2" length out of the bust/sleeve area and 1" from the waist to bring up the length. I used a SUPER drapey, light sweater knit and an extra soft cotton/poly jersey blend for my neck arm and hem bands.

First impression: This could be WAY worse and actually isn't "bad". Its completely wearable and I likely will wear it again and again.

I love the nice low neckline. I didn't have to modify that at all. There is a TON of ease in this pattern. So unless you're massively off size, I don't suggest making any full bust adjustments. The sleeves are REALLY low, so I highly suggest wearing a cami or tank underneath. Alternatively, you could bring the armholes up quite a bit and still have arm mobility. Or be wild and free and flash your friends. You know, whatever floats your boat. As you can see on the back, I look REALLY wide. It isn't very flattering.

Given what I see of the fit, if you're an inverted triangle like me, consider sizing down a full size. I usually fit solidly into the size medium of the P4P patterns. I can definitely fit the small without compromising the fit. This pattern runs a little longer than the usual "tunic" lengths for the P4P patterns. Consider taking a little extra length out if you don't want it to be too long and saggy. And while the pattern doesn't REQUIRE anything with super drape, don't pick anything heavy. Rayon is going to be your friend here. And if you opt for a sweater knit, make it really slinky like mine. You know those slinky ones that are so light you say curse words while you sew them. THOSE are what you want for this pattern. Else you will look top heavy and boxy. It won't be pretty.

Even though this isn't the "perfect" dolman for me for everyday wear, it is actually an ok choice for my body type in the right fabrics. Another great use for this pattern would be for workout gear. A simple sports bra underneath and some nylon spandex and you've got a great work out top with plenty of air flow. Or add the sleeves and some leggings and you've got perfect loungewear.

Well, I'm sad to say, that this is the last review for the Dolman Series. See us next week for a final round up and fairwell. Hopefully you've found a dolman (or 10) that will fit your sewing needs.

Chart for your reference:

Sizes	XXS-3X
Printable pattern pages/copy shop version	19/no
Skill Level	Beginner
Measurements for Rectangle Pieces	Yes
Line Drawings	Yes
Size made	Small
Options chosen	Long Sleeve, banded hem
Fabric Requirement for your size	1 5/8 yards
Measurement Chart	Bust, Waist, Hips
Cutting Instructions	No
Pattern Printing Layout	No
Cutting Layout	No
Suggested Fabrics	knit with at least 20% stretch, drapier knits recommended
Layer Printing Option	Yes
Neck Line Options	No but neckband options
Sleeve Options	Short, 3/4, long
Hem Options	Straight, curved, small banded and tall banded hem
Color Blocking	No
Seam Allowance	1/2″
Hem Allowance	1/2″
Separate add-on pack	No
Fit	Loose
Easy to read instructions	Yes
Drawing or photograph instructions	Photos

In case you've some how missed the beginning of the tour, you can hop through the weeks using this handy dandy list of links.

Have you been sewing for a while but can't quite seem to get the right fit in your shoulders and bust, even though time and again you go by your full bust measurement? The most frequent reason for this problem is that your cup size doesn't match up to the pattern's drafted cup size! When that happens, the shoulders end up either smaller or larger than they need to be for your body! Part 1 will cover how to measure for your sewing cup size and figure out how much ease you need to add. Part 2 will be how to do an actual full bust adjustment on a KNIT shirt. This is actually different from a woven pattern (although similar).

So how do you know if you're wearing the right size? Sometimes you can figure it out from just looking at how your clothes fit.
Image one, you can see all the wrinkling above and around the bust. This means the clothes are trying to take fabric from those other areas to make enough space for the bust! All those wrinkles are literally pulling from the back, sides and even the sleeve to try to make more room for my bust. Let me note, I still love this shirt and will wear it until all 3 of the ones I bought have holes in them. But if I'm sewing for myself, I can and will do better.

Image two shows how a well fitted knit shirt can have ZERO wrinkles around the bust and shoulders! Just because your shirt is knit doesn't mean you have to accept some amount of wrinkles. You can still look completely put together. I will note the arm wrinkles here. those are from a slightly too big armscye. BUT, we're talking about bust here, so lets ignore those for now. :) Please note that this is the Nap Time Creations Long Sleeve Tee in a size small with a 3" full bust adjustment completed.

So, let's figure out your sewing cup size! For clarification, your sewing cup size is not the same as your bra cup size. But don't worry, it isn't hard to figure out! You'll need 2 measurements to figure out your sewing cup size.

Measurement 1 is your over bust. That is the area ABOVE your bust, but under your arm pits. The second measurement is your full bust measurement. That is the usual measurement you're probably used to taking.

Now take your full bust measurement and subtract your over bust measurement. That is your SEWING cup measurement.

Just like bras, the inches equal cup sizes. SO:
1"=A
2"=B
3"=C
4"-D
etc.

For me, my over bust is 33". My full bust is 38". My sewing cup size is E. My bra size, well let's just say it is a LOT bigger than E. Most designers draft for a B cup. A few draft for a larger cup. How do you know what your pattern is drafted for? Well Becca Duval over at Free Notion did a fantastic post that includes many of the more common PDF designers and their drafted cup sizes. What a great resource!

So, let's say that the pattern I'm using uses a B cup for their design. Now how do I pick my size?! So take your over bust measurement and add 2" to make it a "B" cup. Check the size chart and match up your "shoulder" size to the pattern.

For simplicity, I'll be using the Nap Time Creations Long Sleeve Tee (free on craftsy) to help walk you through this process. The tutorial for assembly is here. I have copied and pasted the chart from that page:

its Thursday so its time for another Diving Into Dolmans Post!

Guest Blogger: Sew Far North - Seamingly Smitten Women’s Dolman Sleeve Sweater