Hi, Love Notions friends! I wanted to share a fun dolly-and-me set that I made for Miss P, and while I’m here I thought I’d show you how to modify a set-in sleeve for a fun cold shoulder look.
Cold Shoulder Pattern Hack
First, a funny story. When I was clothes shopping before my first year of college back in 1997, my mom was insistent that she wasn’t going to spend money on items that were super trendy and wouldn’t last. There were three main trends that made this no-buy list: capri pants, dark rinse indigo denim, and three-quarter length sleeves.
Suffice it to say those trends have persisted despite Mom’s resistance, and even she has succumbed to including all of them in her own wardrobe. Why am I sharing this story here? Well, cold-shoulder sleeves seem to be my own version of Mom’s dark jeans! When Miss P first started asking for a cold-shoulder shirt I changed the subject, confident that they were a passing fad.
Three years later, here I am making them for her because they are still EVERYWHERE. She loves them and they’re easy enough to make from patterns I already know and love, so it’s a win-win for both of. And if it keeps my 9-year-old still loving her handmade wardrobe, even better!
Here’s how I did it –
I used the Lil’ LDT pattern for this version since it matches the dolly pattern that we’re featuring today, but I’ve also made cold-shoulder sleeves from the Prisma and Classic tee patterns with the same method. It’s pretty straightforward: remove a small segment from the sleeve cap right at the top (note: start small! The opening may end up being bigger than you think!), hem or bind that open edge, and attach the remaining sides to the armscye of the shirt. Press that entire armscye seam toward the body of the shirt and topstitch in place, which will also serve to “hem” the edge of the shoulder that doesn’t have a sleeve attached.
That’s it! Continue to construct the top or dress as specified by the pattern, and find a cutie to model it for you!
