Reader Photos (The Banded Dolman Shirt)

Today we are looking at what you have made and sewn from one pattern, the Banded Dolman Shirt.  It’s one pattern and 20 different shirts! (The free pattern download is here.)

I am amazed by your response and generosity to share what you have made.  Your creative spark is contagious!  You have inspired me and I know you will inspire others!!

Every single submission is lovely and wonderful in it’s own way.  I grouped the shirts into 3 categories, the basics, embellishing, and a creative twist.

• The Basics– A fantastic example of the variation you can get with just fabric color and pattern choice.
• Embellishing– Adding a little something extra with iron-ons, stenciling, and incorporating embellishments from clothing.
• Creative Twist– These are the pattern hacks!  They use the basic pattern and add their own twist to customize it and get creative!  They are pretty fun and amazing!!

Enjoy this wonderful collection of the Banded Dolman Shirt sewn by this wonderful community!  I numbered and named each submission.  Be sure and leave comments below and share what you loved and what inspired you!  A HUGE thanks to all those that participated!!

The Basics

The Banded Dolman looks great with stripes!  Yes, stripes of all sizes and stripes of all colors!

1. School Stripes by Amy Mayen with SewsNBows.  

2. Sweet Lavender by Victoria S. from The By the Kids for the Kids Blog

4. Teeny Tiny Stripes by Tari H.

5. Colorful Stripes- Barbara M.

I just love these examples with patterned fabric.  Each one is unique and fun!

6. Flowers Repeat by Jessica T.

7. Cute Prints by Linda C.

8.  Fancy Flowers by Sue M.

Specialty Fabric and Embellishing

9. Lovely Lace by Sue M.  I have a secret.  I made the Banded Dolman for lace.  In the early stages I was back and forth about a few features of the shirt, like whether or not to add a velcro closure to the back.  The lace won.  I did what was best for the lace because I wanted to layer this shirt.  Thank you Sue for seeing the lace too! 🙂

10. Sequin Style by Victoria S. with The by Kids for Kids Blog   Oh where did you get this amazing sequin fabric Victoria?  Those tiny sequins are the perfect size for dolls.  I love the fashionable look you put together!

11. Shimmer and Shine by Bridget M.  I love fabric.  I love to walk down the fabric aisle and feel the fabric.  I love that Bridget tried the Dolman in a fabric I haven’t tried yet.  I love the shimmer and shine, it gives the shirt a glamorous feel.

12. Roses are Red by Bee with the Etsy shop, A Bee Line  I have some questions for Bee.  I need to know how she created that adorable rose design!  Applying the design with an iron-on heat transfer makes it look like belongs to the shirt.  They are a beautiful match.

13. Garden Birds by Annie– This is upcycling at it’s finest!  Annie incorporated this adorable bird from her daughter’s shirt.  It makes a unique and fun doll shirt!

14. Ballet Slippers by Bonnie– I love upcycling clothing for doll projects!  Bonnie’s fabric is from a leotard and is a great example of why upcycling is awesome! Those tiny ballet shoes are the perfect scale for a doll shirt!

15. Fun Flamingo by Sherry G.  Love the flamingo, love that it’s stenciled on with fabric markers.  (Thanks for the marker tip Sherry!)  Stencils are a great way to add trendy graphics to a shirt!

16. Pretty n’ Pink by Sharon H.  Accessorize!  Isn’t it fun to see how accessories change up the look!  Just genius Sharon, with the winter months coming up!

A Creative Twist

17. Layered Style by Laura -Wow, wow, wow.  This is so trendy and stylin!  Laura, I love that you added your own touch by making the neckline wider and adding a band at the neckline.  What a cool idea to use a strip of the selvage (aka. the self-finished edge of the fabric) as the neckband.  Then it matches perfectly and then you have a fuss free neckband!  Me+Fuss Free=Happy:)

18. Different Sizes by Cheryl B.– I have to say Cheryl was the first to email me a picture after the pattern was released.  I was amazed to see that she resized the Banded Dolman for different size dolls.  She is wonderful to share with us the numbers.

She resized it 90% for Carpatina dolls and 70% for shorter dolls.  Since the shorter doll has narrow shoulders she reduce the size of the neckline and added a neckband.

19. High Neckline by Billie G.  To cover up the cloth body on the doll, Billie cut the neckline higher.  She used a contrasting fabric on the bands and added a band to the neckline.  With the changes to the neckline she added an opening in the back to be able to get the shirt on and off.  I love that you customized it Billie!

20. Banded Cardigan by Jessica T.   Say what! Where’s the Banded Dolman?  It’s there, trust me, take a closer look.

Jessica, this is amazing and I love the look!  With a few creative changes Jessica transformed this shirt into a cardigan!  She cut the front of the shirt and around the neckline and added a wide band to the area she trimmed off.  A ribbon belt finishes the look.  I love your creative touch and this just proves that creativity is contagious because I am so excited to get back to the sewing table to design more patterns!!

Amazing!  I hope you enjoyed the creative and fun Banded Dolman Shirts!  Share your thoughts and inspiration in the comments below!

If you want to submit a picture of your Banded Dolman Shirt I will be creating a readers gallery to share them all in one place!  I love to see what you’ve made and your creativity inspires me!!

Thank you!

-Anna