Easy Circle Top Pattern for girls, sz 3 to 12
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Learn how to sew a circle top with knit fabric for your Lil’ Miss with this free Circle Top Sewing Pattern For girls (sz 3 to 12.) With only three pattern pieces, you’ll love how quickly this top comes together!
Circle Top Pattern for Girls
We’re still in back-to-school sewing mode around here, and today I have a super simple, new pattern to share! This pattern is a very Easy Circle Top Pattern for girls. The free pattern comes in sizes 3 to 12.
I promise you will love sewing this pattern! It’s just two pieces, plus the neckline binding; and since you are using knit fabric, you don’t even have to hem the edges if you choose not too.
My lil missy is in 5th grade this year, and her clothing tastes are definitely changing. She’s drawn to more adult-like patterns and stretchy rayon-y knits. And if I accidentally purchase a t-shirt made from standard t-shirt fabric that doesn’t really stretch? -Oh, perish the thought! Although I admit, I don’t care for those types of t-shirts either.
On a side note, her style tastes may be changing, but her messy eating habits are not! I missed getting a photo of one of the steps and had to hunt down this top from the dirty laundry basket. And oh man, it was covered with food! Yogurt, BBQ sauce, and who knows what else… Messy eating and unsupervised crafting are the exact reasons I usually don’t allow her to wear a test item until after I’ve posted the project since it never fails that I need the item back in good condition for additional photos for one reason or another.
BTW, I picked up this little origami book the other day for her to craft with and she is having a blast with it. If you have a tween girl who likes to craft, you should definitely add this book to your stocking stuffer list. Can you tell what she is holding in the photo below?
Ahh… Nothing like Starbucks with mom after a hard morning of modeling!
Are you ready to sew your own version of this top?
Products used and Recommended:
- My favorite fabric shop for knits: Funkalicious Fabrics and Girl Charlee. My favorite shop for cottons and other fabrics: Fabric.com.
- My Sewing Machine: SINGER 9960 Quantum Stylist, my coverstitch: Janome Cover Pro 1000cpx
- My Serger: Brother 1034D 3 or 4 Thread Serger or you can just use Pinking Shears
- Rotary Cutter
- I love my large ruler and large cutting mat, but you may prefer to start off with a smaller Cutting set
- Dritz Dual Purpose Marking Pen and Fray Check
- Wonder clips (I didn’t use these in the post, but they are just awesome!
- Ball point needles
- Ball Point double needle
- Walking foot
Circle Top Pattern For Girls Sewing Instructions:
Materials needed:
- Pattern (download link found on page 2.)
- Up to 1-yard stretch knit 58-inch wide knit fabric for a size 12 (see pattern layout guide for more info)
- Ribbed binding (usually has 50 to 70% stretch) or other stretchy knit for the neckline (you don’t want to use anything with less than 30% stretch-see notes under pattern tips and tricks)
- Ballpoint/jersey needle
- spray starch/iron
- basic sewing supplies
Fit Chart:
- Size 3: Height- 38.5 inches, Weight- 32 lbs, Finished length: 15.5.
- Size 4: Height- 41.5 inches, Weight- 36 lbs, Finished length: 16.5.
- Size 5: Height- 44.5 inches, Weight- 42 lbs, Finished length: 17.25.
- Size 6: Height- 46.5 inches, Weight- 48 lbs, Finished length: 17.875.
- Size 7: Height- 51 inches, Weight- 60 lbs, Finished length: 18.675.
- Size 8: Height- 53 inches, Weight- 66 lbs, Finished length: 19.375.
- Size 10: Height- 55 inches, Weight- 74 lbs, Finished length: 20.5.
- Size 12: Height- 57.5 inches, Weight- 85 lbs, Finished length: 22.25.
Pattern layout guide:
All sizes will fit on 1 yard of 58-inch-wide knit fabric. If your fabric is 55 inches wide, you will need 1 3/8 yard for sizes 10 and 12.
Pattern Tips:
- Enter your name and email to download the pattern. Save it to your PC, and open the PDF document in Adobe Acrobat. Don’t print from Google’s online version of Adobe. (It will sometimes cause the pattern to print too small.) *there is also a new option to print only the size needed)
- The seam allowance is 3/8 inch with a 1/2 inch for the hemline, and 1/4 inch around the neckline.
- Shorten or lengthen if needed by cutting at the specified mark and redrawing the side seam.
Binding tips:
- The pattern for the neck binding is designed for a ribbed knit with 50 to 75% stretch with good recovery (Fabric Fairy has a lot of good quality ribbed knit choices.)
- If using a binding fabric with less stretch or not a rib knit, measure the neckline, cut a fabric strip 15% less than the measurement (multiply the neck measurement by .85), and follow the instructions in step 4. (This is the “in the round” method– and it never hurts to do the finger stretch test before sewing…)
- If not using a rib knit, I also suggest cutting the binding out on the bias.
Tips for sewing with knits:
- Use a ballpoint/stretch needle
- Sew seams with either a serger, stretch stitch, narrow zig zag or a straight stitch with a longer stitch length and a slightly loosened tension. (Make a couple of practice stitches on your fabric to see what works best.) I also like to use this “lightning bolt” stretch stitch on seams that need strength but a little give. (For my project I used a combination of straight stitch and serger for seams and zig zag, double needle on the hems.)
- Use spray starch when pressing hems. Sew hems with a zig zag, twin ball point needle, narrow zig zag with a long stitch length or a straight stitch with a long stitch length and a slightly loosened tension or leave raw. (also helps to use a walking foot.)
- If you find your fabric keeps getting pulled inside the needle plate, place a small piece of tissue underneath the fabric, so the feed dogs have something to grip.
Sewing Instructions
Step 1: Print the pattern, tape together and cut out size needed.
Once you have downloaded the pattern to your desktop and opened it in the free Adobe Reader program, there’s a new printing option for you. You can now print only the size needed. (This pattern only, I’ll slowly go back and start updating the older patterns.) This function is super handy and makes it much less confusing when cutting the pattern, plus I love that it enables me to print in black and white. (that color ink can be pricey!)
Step 2: Cut pattern pieces from fabric
Cut a front and back bodice piece and neck binding. Transfer all pattern markings. (the side seam sewing line)
Step 3: Assemble Top
Line up bodice front and bodice back, right sides together and sew along the shoulder seams.
Hem all the way around the top, front and back (if desired, depending on the fabric you might choose not to hem, but you will need to cut off the 1/2 inch seam allowance.) I love hemming with my double stretch needle and walking foot!
Step 4: Attaching the Neck Binding
Fold the neck binding in half (long ways- like a hot dog) and press. (1st image below) Open the binding and fold it in half the other way, right sides together, so the short ends meet. Sew the ends together with a 3/8-inch seam allowance, so you have a circle. (2nd image below.) Refold the binding so the wrong sides are together.
Divide the neck binding into four equal sections. Mark with pins or fabric marker.
Divide dress neckline into four equal sections. Keep in mind; the front neckline is lower than the back, so the marking will be slightly in front of the shoulder seams.
Match up the markings on your dress to the markings on the binding, lining up the raw edges, and pin the binding to the dress neckline.
Sew the binding in place with a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Stretch the binding to fit the dress neckline. Take care not to stretch the dress neckline. (That is what causes wonky, stretched-out necklines. If this happens to a minor degree, pressing with lots of steam will help the neckline return to normal.)
PRO TIP: Some people like to hand-baste the binding to the neckline and then attach it with a serger. If you prefer a larger than 1/4 inch seam allowance for the neck binding, you can adjust the pattern slightly when cutting out the fabric. (Add a 1/4 inch to both the neckline and binding width.
Press the binding edge down towards the dress and topstitch if desired.
For an optional step, you can finish the inside seam with a serger.
Step 5: Sew the side seams.
Line up the sides of the top evenly, wrong sides together, and sew along the side seam sewing line marks. Repeat on the other side and you are done!
Let me know what you think! If you end up making one of these, please share your finished project over on my facebook page or tag me on Instagram!
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