Children's Olivia Top

The Olivia

Difficulty Level = Beginner

The gathered neckline and sleeves give a gorgeous easy fit. With very simple peasant-top-style construction, you’ll want to make lots of Olivia’s!

There are instructions for how to add an optional ribbon detail on the hem and bow or you could alter it with embroidery or applique for a different look. With both ¾ and short sleeves plus an optional gather on the sleeve hem, The Olivia is perfect for spring, summer, winter or fall!

Our Facebook group is a great place to get help, share your tips and creations! We are a friendly bunch, and we love to help and see what you have made.

Please read the full instructions before getting started.

Wash, dry, and press your fabric before starting your project. A bit of prep now prevents shrinking and means your garment will stay the same size you made it.

Never leave a child or baby unattended or allow to sleep in a garment made from one of our patterns with ties, snaps, buttons, or anything they could remove, choke on, or get caught on. Always use caution if you are unsure. We love our patterns, but we love your bundles of joy more!

Size Range

Newborn – 12yrs

Size Chart

This pattern is drafted to the sizes listed below. If your child is between sizes, choose the larger size and adjust the pattern to remove the extra width/height to achieve the intended fit.

Finished Measurements (Inches)

This is a traditional pillowcase-style top. It’s very loose and floaty around the body. The neckline is in between an off-the-shoulder and a regular neckline. The neckline elastic is fairly loose, it is measured so the top rests gently around the decollate. If you tighten elastic to draw it around the shoulders, the armholes will not be deep enough, and it may cut in under the arm.

• Measure, measure, measure – Please measure your model and check their measurements against BOTH the size chart and the finished garment measurements. Sizes vary country to country and the sizing may match what you’re expecting, or it may not. To ensure you get the best fit, please use the size you fall into on our size chart, rather than what size you’ve worn in ready to wear clothing.
• Muslin – To get a perfect fit, make a muslin (test garment) out of practice/old fabric to see if you want to make any fit adjustments. 
• Picking your size – When picking your size, if you fall between sizes, go for the size with the correct bust measurement. That way the shoulders, arms and upper back are likely to fit well. Then grade out or into the correct waist & hip size.
• If you get stuck with fitting, see our favorite resources on our Pinterest Sewing Fitting Advice board. 

Suitable fabrics are light to medium-weight woven fabrics (e.g. 100% cotton, cotton blend, linen, taffeta, chiffon, georgette, rayon), or knit/stretch fabrics (e.g. jersey).

Make sure when you are picking your fabric to consider the type of look you’d like and how much drape your fabric has. If the fabric is stiffer (e.g. cotton or linen), the finished look of the garment will be boxier, oversized, and more structured. A fabric that has drape will hang in folds and swing when you move, limiting the oversized appearance.  

Olivia doesn’t sit off the shoulders, but also not quite on. This allows the armhole to be comfortably fitted without being loose, as you might expect from an oversized top. So, try different fabrics and enjoy a closet full of comfortable, beautiful tops with lots of different looks.

Fabric Requirements 45 inches/115 cm wide (in YARDS)

Fabric Requirements 60 inches/150 cm wide (in YARDS)

* If you are using a narrower fabric, a directional print, or a fabric with nap you may need more.
** Make sure to wash, dry, and press all fabrics before cutting out in case they shrink.

You will also need:

• Elastic – Child sizes use ¼ inch wide elastic. You’ll need approximately 1-1.5 yards for child sizes (depending on whether you do the sleeve elastic, which sleeve you do and what size you are doing). See the chart in the cutting section for exact lengths.
• OPTIONAL – Any trim or ribbon you’d like to use. You can use any width and type of ribbon you like but for the exact look in the photos, we used 1 inch wide satin ribbon, and some ric rac. For child sizes to do as we did in the photos, you’ll need 1-2 yards of ribbon. 
• Thread to match fabric & any trim.

Tools needed are a sewing machine, pins, scissors, and tape measure or ruler.

Settings

The pattern is a separate download. Choose either the US letter paper, A4 paper, or A0 paper size based on the printer you wish to use. If you are in the US or Canada then your printer will likely use US letter paper. Other regions normally use A4 paper. Some people prefer to print their patterns at a print shop: A0 is best in this case.

Print at 100%.

On the second page, you will find a 1-inch and a 3-inch square test box. Print this page first, on its own, and measure these squares.

Once you are happy that the test box is accurate, print the rest of the pattern pages.

Please follow this video for information and assistance on assembling this pattern.

Also, please note that some Rebecca Page patterns and projects also come with cut files and a printable design page which you can use to plan your project if you wish. These are provided in a separate section below to avoid any confusion!

Cut each of the pieces according to the directions on the pattern piece. Seam allowances are all included so just cut them as is.

Elastic Cutting Chart – Elastic cutting guides are included, however if you prefer to cut using a cutting chart, the elastic lengths are listed below.

If you are using knit or heavier fabric, you may need to reduce the neckline elastic length by approximately 1 inch for children. This is to tighten the elastic to allow for the weight and drag that knit fabric can add. If possible, try the garment on and adjust while wearing it.

Neckline elastic – The elastic in the neckline runs all the way around the top of the garment and over the shoulders. The cutting chart below should be roughly accurate for most people. However, we would recommend to (1) check the measurement for your size on the cutting chart is accurate by loosely draping your tape measure around your model’s shoulders, then (2) adjust the elastic for personal preference when you get to the part of the sewing instructions where you fit the neckline elastic. If in doubt, cut the elastic longer than you think as you can always reduce it to fit once it is in the garment before we stitch the neckline closed.

OPTIONAL Sleeve elastic – You will have the option to fit elastic around the hem of your sleeves to gather them and make them look slightly “puffy”. If you then choose to do the sleeve elastic and have your model on hand, cut the elastic to fit their arm at approximately 1 inch below the armpit if you are doing the short sleeve, or at the wrist if you are doing the ¾ sleeve. Add 1 inch to the measurement so you have enough to cross it over and for ease of fitting. If you don’t have your model to hand, cut the elastics using the below guide.  

Cutting Charts – All pattern pieces are included, however if you prefer to cut using a cutting chart, the dimensions for the rectangular pieces (in INCHES) are below:

Cutting checklist:

• Front and Back – Fabric cut 2 (1x mirror image pair)
• Sleeves – Fabric cut 2 (1x mirror image pair)
• 1x neckline elastic
• OPTIONAL – 2x Sleeve elastics
• OPTIONAL trim or ribbon – If you are adding ribbon or trim, pop this aside for the moment, we won’t cut it just yet. It’s much more accurate to measure & cut it on the finished garment so we will wait until then.

NOTE – To cut fabric on the fold, fold your fabric over parallel to the selvage edges. Align the pattern piece so it is on the fold of the fabric. Cut around the edges, leaving the fold. If you have folded your fabric correctly the fold will be parallel to the two edges of the fabric that are finished. The raw edges (e.g. the ones you could pick at and threads would come off) will be at a right angle to your fold.

Tips for Sewing with Knit Fabrics

Using a serger is not a necessity to sew with knit fabrics! Here are a few tips to get the best results on a regular sewing machine:

• Use a ball point needle of a size appropriate to your fabric when working with knits – The ball point needle has a slightly rounded tip and will prevent damaging the fibre. Use ball point pins or clips and, if you can’t, use regular pins into the seam allowance and you should be just fine.
• Use a stretch stitch – You can use either a short and narrow zigzag or a stretch stitch (lightning bolt stitch) for construction. Test on a scrap of fabric to find which stitch and tension settings work best for you. You don’t want the fabric to pucker under your stitches.
• Your machine might have many fancy stretch stitches and you are welcome to play with them, but often the basic zigzag or stretch stitch are just right.
• Use a walking foot – Using a walking-foot is not a necessity but it is highly recommended when working on a stretchy knit. The walking-foot helps to prevent one layer of fabric from stretching out while sewing. Both layers of fabrics are fed at the same time under your needle.
• Reduce your presser foot tension – Some machines will allow you to change your presser foot tension. Check your manual to see how to reduce your presser foot tension. Reducing tension will prevent your fabric from stretching while it goes through the machine.
• Use a ball point twin-needle (double needle) for top stitching – Using a twin-needle will give you a regular double line of straight stitches on the right side and a short and stretchy zigzag on the wrong side. Alternatively, if you don’t own a twin needle, you can use a medium size zigzag stitch for hemming and topstitching. I like to lengthen my stitch a little when top stitching with the twin needle. Test on a scrap of fabric to find what works best for you.
• Finishing the seams – Because knits don’t fray, it isn’t strictly necessary to finish your seams. That being said, you will achieve a more polished and durable look if you do an overcasting or zigzag stitch on your raw edges.

Here is an example of some of the stitches you could use.
From left to right: Ballpoint twin-needle, narrow zigzag, stretch stitch (lightning bolt), overcasting.

Seam allowances ½ inch for serging, or ¼ then ¼ for French seams – Topstitching ⅛ inch

Sewing –

1. TOP SIDE SEAMS – Stitch the top side seams either by serging or doing a French seam.
2. SLEEVE SIDE SEAMS – Stitch the Sleeve side seams either by serging or doing a French seam.
3. HEM THE SLEEVES – Turn under ½ inch and then another ½ inch and press. Top stitch. If you are inserting elastic, make sure to leave a gap to do this later.
4. ATTACH THE SLEEVES – Attach the Sleeves to the top either by serging or doing a French seam.
5. FINISH THE NECKLINE – Turn the neckline over ½ inch and then another ½ inch and press. Top stitch, leaving a gap for inserting the elastic later.
6. NECKLINE ELASTIC – Insert elastic around the neckline. Stitch the elastic ends together and let it fall back into the neckline. Check the fit and make any adjustments. Stitch the gap closed on the neckline topstitching.
7. HEM – Hem the top by turning under ½ inch and then another ½ inch and press. Top stitch.
8. OPTIONAL ADD TRIM – Stitch on any ribbon or trim you wish to add.
9. OPTIONAL SLEEVE ELASTIC – Insert elastic around the Sleeve hems. Stitch the elastic ends together and let it fall back into the Sleeve hems. Check the fit and make any adjustments. Stitch the gap closed on the topstitching.
10. OPTIONAL BOW – Stitch on some ribbon for a bow wherever you’d like it. Tie bow.

Congratulations, your Olivia is done. Enjoy! 

We would love to hear how you got on and see photos of your finished project!

Join us at our Facebook Group, tag us on Instagram, or use the hashtag #rpolivia.

Thank you for using a Rebecca Page pattern.

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