This time around I decided to take a different approach to my content, and decided to explain how to make this super simple and easy top from any fabric you may have at your disposal.
This shirt is inspired by my freshman year roommate Hannah. Over quarantine she got into sewing and actually taught me how to sew on her sewing machine, resulting in me buying my own. She made a shirt very similarly to this one, making her the inspiration behind this piece.
This entire project only took me about an hour, and that was with distractions, breaks, and even a few errors. This shirt is super easy to make and perfect for beginners. It is low stress and nice pastime activity.
Required materials:
Fabric of your choice
Fabric scissors
Chalk
Tape measure
Thread
Sewing machine
Chain/rope for halter neck
Iron
Sewing pins
My first step of making this easy shirt was to get a yard of fabric from the store. I think a half a yard would have been more than enough, but I loved this pattern, plus I always need to room for error. I chose a cotton blend which worked seamlessly.
If you have a maxi skirt lying around that you don’t wear anymore or old bedsheets/curtains, those would totally work too as fabric for the shirt!
The best thing about making your own clothes is that you can make it fit you exactly!
Measure out a square piece of fabric that would be best for your body type. For me it was about
16.5 inches, but if your torso is rather long or short feel free to adjust accordingly.
I flipped my fabric over in order to measure and mark where I would be cutting with chalk.
Cut along these lines to get a square piece of fabric.
My material was a bit wrinkled, so I brought out the iron, and this is what I was left with.
If you’re into the raw hem look, feel free to skip this step! But I folded over the edges about ½ of an inch to create a seamless look. I ironed down the folds, however you could simply pin if that works better for you.
Another note, if your fabric is more see-through, cut out two of these squares (leaving extra room for seam allowance) and sew them together right sides facing each other. Then you can flip it inside out and have a thicker base with more coverage. Luckily for me, my material is not see-through.
I like to get all of the prep out of the way first. This piece will serve as the main part of our top.
The next step is to cut 4 long rectangular strips out of the fabric for the ties in the back.
Pin each together, right sides facing each other.
Now we get to sewing. Sew down all of the ironed edges of the square piece and sew together your two long ties. Make sure to leave an open space in the ties so we can turn them inside out.
We are now left with three sewn pieces. My straps were a bit puffy, so I ironed them out before attaching them to my shirt.
Sew each strap to the sides of the corners of the shirt.
Now choose your top piece and fold it over and sew, creating a channel for the halter neck.
After this step feed through whatever material you want to use as your neck strap. I opted for a gold chain since I already had it on hand, but you could use another strip of your fabric, a cord, or even a constricting fabric.
Here is the finished look:
I love this shirt especially now as the weather is getting warmer.
It is almost completely backless which is perfect for summer.
If you make the top at home make sure to send photos to Refine LA or tag us on instagram @refinela!