Slub knit is one of my go-to fabrics for summer, and some of my favorite shirts and dresses are made from slub! But what is slub, and why is it so appealing?

Slub knit is made from yarn that has an uneven texture, with spots in the yarn that are thicker than others. These thicker irregularities, the slubs, give the fabric some really great, but subtle, texture. The slubs also absorb color differently, so you get a nice heathered effect in the fabric.

Slubs used to be common when yarn was hand spun, and were typically avoided or removed! Now with machine spinning, textile creation has become more precise. We now can have the texture of the slub without compromising the integrity of the fabric. These intentional slubs create dynamic texture and visual effects on the fabric.

Slub knit is usually made with cotton or cotton + mixed fabrics (modal, linen, polyester, lycra, etc). The way it’s woven makes it lightweight and breathable, which is a must for my summer wardrobe, but also makes it a good option year round. Slub knit has 4 way stretch, but usually more stretch in one direction than the other.

Because of the natural fibers, slub can shrink when washed. So just like with all of our fabric, we recommend pre-washing before cutting and sewing.

I’ve made shirts and dresses out of slub knit, but it is also great for hoodies, joggers, sweaters, and skirts. Today, I’m going to walk you through my latest slub knit sew!

I love a good dolman top, and the Domino Dolman from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop checks all the boxes! I wanted something pretty simple for my bold stripped slub knit so I went with the basic option, but I love that this pattern has so many color blocking choices. I’ll never run out of variety and I love getting a versatile pattern! Plus, there is a kids version too, which I’ve used many times for both my girl and boys.

I have a store bought dolman top that has rolled sleeves, and I wanted to duplicate that look so I hacked this pattern a little. Keep scrolling to see how easy it was!

First I cut the pattern. Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop has projector patterns for all of their new patterns (and a bunch of their older ones too, they update the old patterns once they have a projector file made!) and if you have read my other blog posts you know how much I love my projector. It was seriously a game changer in my sewing room, and with how much I’m saving in paper, ink, and tape (not to mention time!) my projector paid for itself so fast!

This particular slub knit has some linen in it. I absolutely love the way it feels and wears, but I sacrifice some horizontal stretch. Knowing that, I added just 1/4 inch to the neckband (1/2 inch overall, since I cut on the fold) so I wouldn’t have to fight the neckband so much when it came time to attach.

This dolman pattern give you the option to cut on the fold or a single layer. I love cutting a single layer for panels or lining up stripes, but since these stripes were so big (and I was feeling a little lazy) I was able to cut on the fold just fine. I added 2 1/4 inches to the length of my sleeve (on top of the already included 1/2 inch seam allowance) by markinging dots past my cut line then connecting them with the ruler.

Since I was going to roll this part and it would end up close to the original hem line, I made sure to not taper the sleeve to get narrower, so it looked a little boxy, but that’s what I needed! I also marked the original cut line with a few dots, so I knew around where I wanted my sleeve length to be after I rolled it.

I wanted my stripes to match front to back, so once I had the front cut I laid it over my fabric for the back and matched up all the stripes, projected the back pattern onto the fabric, lined up the shoulders of the front (I already cut out) and the back projection. Then I removed the front piece and cut out the back! I might have a little more waste this way, but I love the end result so much more and it’s worth it to me!

Next I needed to determine the right vs wrong side of the fabric. The awesome thing about this fabric is the yard is dyed, so the colors are vibrant on both the front and the back. That also means there isn’t really a “right” or “wrong” side of the fabric, you just decide what you like best!

Once I made my choice I sewed up the top following the instructions. Dolmans go together so quick! Then I was ready for my sleeve hack. First I took my serger to the raw edges of the sleeves. I didn’t cut any fabric off, I just wanted to finish off the raw edge so I wouldn’t have fraying.

I rolled the sleeve up 3/4 inch with the right sides together, so opposite direction that if you were just hemming, and pressed it. Then I rolled it up again, the same direction, another 1 1/4 inches and presses again. Finally, I hand sewed some tacks to keep the sleeve rolled.

I did one over each serged seam (one on top and one on bottom) and one on each side. I made sure to pick a white stripe to make the tack on, so it wasn’t as noticeable, even if it meant they weren’t evenly spaced out.

If you look closely you can see a tack towards the bottom. I might decided I need to add more after a few wash + wears, but my other shirt with a similar sleeve only has two!

I love the end results so much. I love the way this fabric feels and breaths, it is so comfortable. And with how quickly this shirt sewed together it was an easy project during my busy week! I even managed to snap a few picture just as a literal snowstorm was rolling in, and after pictures it layered so beautifully under a cardigan. This dolman immediately became one of my favorite things in my closet! Don’t be surprised if I end up with one in every color of slub we carry.

KnitFabric.com generally has a good selection of slub fabric. To see what we currently have in stock click HERE.