I’m continuing our Dawson Top celebration week with another simple hack for this pattern! Have you ever thought about making Dawson sleeveless? I certainly have! I’ve been wanting to try out this hack for a while now and I’m so glad I finally did.
Dawson is on sale right now! Get this pattern for 20% off until September 26th, 2024, no code required.
When making a sleeved pattern sleeveless there are often are steps you need to take beyond just removing the sleeves. Luckily, because Dawson is a tighter fitting knit top, it already works really well without the sleeves—you are likely to require little to no changes to the pattern.
Checking the Fit
Construct the top as normal, leaving off the sleeves but finishing the neck opening using your chosen view. Gently (try not to stretch out the arms!) try it on and see how it is fitting at the shoulder and underarm. If the underarm feels too loose or too low, increase the side seam allowance at the underarm to bring it in/up.
If the shoulder feels too wide, trim off some of the fabric to bring it in towards the neck. Keep in mind that some fabric will be removed when we finish this edge.
The first time you sew a sleeveless Dawson you may want to make some adjustments to get the right fit, and then you can transfer the adjustments to the pattern for the next time!
Finishing the Armholes
I like to finish my armholes on sleeveless knit tops with a simple turned under hem. You can finish them with a band (like the neck opening), but it can get bulky and it looks a bit more sporty. Turning it under and sewing it with a lightning bolt or zig zag stitch is quick and easy. I turned the fabric under once using a ⅜” (1 cm) seam allowance and topstitched it with a zig-zag stitch.
And that’s all there is to it! This sleeveless Dawson is one of my new favourite tops! I hope you give it a try.
Dawson is on sale right now! Get this pattern for 20% off until September 26th, 2024, no code required.
