For the first time EVER, Jalie has released a FREE pattern! If you’ve been on the fence about trying Jalie, now is the perfect time to jump in! The pattern is a super easy and fast sew – just 4 pattern pieces, and just like most other Jalie patterns, runs from 2T – adult plus.
The Emilie is a very loose fitting top, so most people won’t need to blend sizes between the bust and waist. I lengthened mine a couple of inches – my original plan was to make a dress, but then I opted to make my daughter a dress instead.
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The pattern calls for knits with 40% stretch in both directions, however I chose Glitter French Terry from Simply By Ti with just 35% horizontal stretch, and 0 vertical stretch, and it still works! I did size up by one size, and I have plenty of room to move.
I thought the turtleneck would bother me with this shirt, however in this frigid weather, I’m loving it! I left the house a couple of times without a scarf and my neck stayed warm and cozy!
As I mentioned, I hacked the Emilie to make a dress for my daughter. From memory, I lengthened it by about 8 inches, then added elastic to the waist.
How to add elastic waist to the Jalie Emilie
Sorry, I don’t have pictures of my steps, but here’s what to do if you’d like to add elastic to your Emilie!
Requirements: 3/4″ elastic. Optional: Cover stitch machine with stretch thread in looper.
- Sew one side seam from sleeve edge to dress hem, and leave the other side unsewn.
- Put dress on model and work out where you want the elastic to hit (I cinched the fabric up a bit so it would have some bagginess above the waist). Make a marking.
- On wrong side of fabric, draw a straight line at marked waist point (double check your waist line is perfectly parallel to the hemline. Don’t ask me why you should do this…. 😬😬😬😬). If you don’t have chalk or a fabric marking pen, a kids washable marker works great!
- Divide waistline and elastic into quarters. Mark quarter points.
- I used my Cover Stitch machine for this step, but you can use a zig zag or straight stitch on your sewing machine instead. Carefully attach one long edge of elastic along the waistline, keeping the fabric flat and pulling the elastic to fit the fabric. You’ll need to hold the elastic behind the presser foot as you do this. Repeat for other side of elastic, being sure to keep the fabric smooth so you don’t get puckering.
(Aside: you can also make a casing and then thread the elastic through. I am lazy and didn’t want to use that method!) - Stitch other side from sleeve to hem, ensuring elastic edges are aligned.
And for the doll…
The doll is wearing a modified Liberty Jane Clothing Pullover Sweater. I lengthened it to dress length, increased the width of the neckband, and used a strip of velcro along the entire back seam, per the request of Miss 7. This was my first time using real doll velcro* and it is AMAZING! It’s double sided, so one roll does both jobs!! If you think you’ll be sewing doll clothes in your future, be sure to sign up to get a FREE PixieFaire pattern every Friday (that’s how I got this sweater pattern)!
About the Fabric
This French Terry is pretty cozy and has a little glitter to it! The glitter doesn’t shed though, since it’s sewn into the fabric itself. Ti has just a little bit of this left, so if you want some, run and get it!
It’s hard for the glitter to show up in photos, so I made a little video of it 🙂 🙂
I was able to make the Emilie top (size R), dress (size J) and a matching dress for DD’s doll with 2 yards of fabric! I have a small scrap left that I might incorporate into a sweater for my daughter too!
Now go! Make all the Emilies!!! (And then come and tell me about it! I want to see what you make!). If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join the Jalie sewing group too!
I’m a Simply By Ti Ambassador and received this fabric complimentary in exchange for review and promotion.
I’m a Jalie Patterns Creative Ambassador and received this Jalie pattern in advance for purposes of review and promotion.
auschick sews 