Cotton is a great fabric to start sewing with! It's one of the easiest fabrics to sew and care for. It's also easy to find in beautiful colors and patterns! I picked up this plaid fabric last summer at a garage sale. You'll need a yard to 1.5 yards of fabric to start with.
Straps- Cut 2 rectangles 45×2.5in. Fold right sides together (lengthwise) and stitch a tube closed on one end only. Then, flip the tube, press flat and tuck the open end in. Press and stitch tube closed.
To make: 1. With right sides together, stitch both side seams starting 7-11 inches down from the top. This creates the side seam and the armhole opening at the same time. Once finished, press the seam open and topstitch the seam allowance of the armhole (see photo below). To do this, start from the top of the left panel, stitch down to where the closed seam begins, lift the foot and turn the corner to make a right angle. Stitch across to the right panel and once you have reached an equal distance from the center of the seam, lift the foot and turn the corner again to stitch up the front panel. Repeat on other side.
3. To create the casing at the neckline, stitch or press 1/4" seam down so the raw edges are finished once turned again. Once this fold is made, fold over again leaving enough room for your straps to be pulled through (we did a 1/2" seam). Stitch down on both front and back panels creating two casings.
Feed your straps through the neckline casing and tie on sides! ♥
This is a great practice piece! This pattern can easily become a dress too. Try this pattern with different fabrics, you might even want to add pockets and hand stitched details!
This sewing basics series was created in collaboration with Missy Creed of Momentum Fashion. Missy is a talented seamstress who sews for Red Velvet!
Hi
Thanks for this great idea. I hope it’s ok to use it in our sewing group we have just started in the UK to get people doing creative things in these difficult isolation times. I am giving you full credit of course. Thank you and keep well!
Jo
I made this for my daughter out of some Disney quilting cotton I bought on clearance. She loves it and the style is perfect for the spring/summer. Thanks
Hi, is this top made from stretchy or non stretchy fabric? Bc i only have non stretchy cotton.
Thanks x
I love it but it is not really my stile. I would do one shorter that shows your belly but…………CUTE!!!
This looks great, I have nothing to wear tonight to go out so i’ll be making one of these!
This is so awesome. Thank you. I am fairly new to sewing. I have a few basic items I can make. I pulled out all my fabric tonight and let my girls “place their orders” for some new clothes. They want shirts and dresses, but I really only have one basic shirt pattern.
Now — I have TWO! This is such an easy pattern to follow that I will surely be able to do this!
Thank you.
Choose a light weight to medium weight cotton, don’t start too heavy because heavy fabric is harder for the machine to handle.
Love this top. Love the fabric you chose, who makes it??
I got a sewing machine for mothers day and this was the first project I made ( a little longer I wanted a little dress) and it came out perfect!!! I live in Puerto Rico so this is a 365 garmet. Thanks, this is great!
Very cute top! Thanks for the instructions. I think I’m going to make matching tops for my 3 y.o. daughter and I 🙂
Thanks for the tutorial. I will make a dress like that but using batik! 😀
I made a black and white paisley version of this today with a ripped sheet. Being my first piece of clothing to make, I wanted to make sure it was big enough. So as it is, I will need to shorten it, but OMG this was so easy. Thank you so much for a wonderful, easy tutorial.
Sew cute and easy! Def on my to-do list!
http://www.guccibagsjapan.com/ 同署によると、遊漁船は同日午前5時ごろ、登別港を出航。同日午前10時過ぎ、海がしけてきたため、帰港しようとしていたという。5人ともライフジャケットは着用していた。
Hi Elsie,
I am trying to make this top (well, mine will be a dress) right now. I’m having a little trouble with the straps. Is there a trick to flipping that little tube right side out? It’s so long and I’m getting frustrated. Help!
Thanks,
Lisa
wow very nice i will make for my doughters
Hi! I completed this tutorial last week. It was so helpful, thank you! I feel like I definitely understand more about sewing now 🙂 I took some pictures, too:
http://rebecca-abroad.tumblr.com/post/16662420522/learning-to-sew-has-been-difficult-but-thanks-to
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I found your pattern via One Pretty Thing and was just thinking today that I need something like this to accomodate my pregnant belly! I’ll have to take a belly measurement rather than a hip one though! And it’s even more perfect for the weather in Australia at the moment!
So cute! I have the perfect piece of fabric for this project!
This is super cute!
I’d love for you to share: http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/2012/01/pinteresting-party-week-24.html