Flowery Top

This is the top I have just made myself.  I used a top I already had and fitted nice for the pattern.  It was really easy to make, the top front and back are just like horseshoe shaped bits of fabric, I had to cut two of each, two fronts and two backs.  The fronts were a deeper U than the back.  The front and back main bits are just long rectangular pieces with a slight diagonal cut to the top corners where the arm holes would continue.  I turned a small hem along these four diagonal edges then run a gathering thread across from side to side across the tops of the main bits.  I found just by sewing a large stitch on the machine it gathered itself enough to fit.

Next I sewed the shoulder seams of both front and back pieces so I had to bits that were sort of circular in shape.  Then I placed the two bits together right sides facing and sewed all around the neck line, turned it through and pinned (would have pressed it if it had been a cotton but this fabric I wasnt sure about putting the hot iron on so did it without pressing) all the way round and then edge stitched around the neck.

The next thing to do was to mark on the sides of the top bits where the shoulder strap parts would stop with some pins and then I pinned and stitched the main front piece to the front top (just to the top layer, the other layer will be the facing) and the back piece to the top layer of the back top.  Then I laid it all out on the table and turned a smalle hem in around the shoulder straps and pinned the two pieces together and carried it on all the way round so that the seams I had just sewn were enlosed under the facings.  Once it was all pinned together I sewed a line of stitching as close to the edge as I could making sure all the edges were turned under and sewing right around the circular piece over the front, across one shoulder, over the back and then across the other shoulder.

Next came the side seams which I zigzagged after.  Then I turned up a half inch hem at the bottom and run a piece of elastic around inside and that was the top finished.  The fabric cost me just £2 a metre at Lewisham Market and I have used just over a metre of it.