This is just about as easy as sewing a top can get. It's the perfect top for a complete beginner who wants to sew something they can actually wear. A couple of seams and it's done - perfect to get your sewing confidence.

It's inspired by a lovely easy maxi dress pattern from Sweet Verbena. I've made two of those dresses, here I am in my blue one, enjoying a glass of Sangria on holiday!

The other one is made from a patterned fabric, I'm on holiday in this picture too, but here you can see more of the dress! (Funny how the boys are standing in exactly the same way, I never noticed till now)

This is such a lovely dress to wear on a hot day, perfect of holidays.

Anyway, I had some left over jersey fabric from making the patterned dress, a long strip 248cm x 36cm (98" x 11"). It was a bit of an awkward size piece but enough to make a top, I just had to tweak the pattern to make it work.

I cut the fabric in half so I had 2 lengths both 124cm. This is how I decided the length of my top. If the fabric had been longer I think I would have made the top a little longer too. I would also have matched the pattern, but there just wasn't enough fabric to do that this time.

If you want to make a simple top like this, this is what you do:

Fold your first piece in half (so it's 62cm x 36cm, doubled up with the fold at the top) and pin along the right side leaving a 18cm gap at the top folded edge. This will be the arm hole.

Do the same for the other piece but this time pin the left side.

I did all this pinning with safety pins. That way I could try it on and adjust the size of the arm & neck holes before I stitch and I wouldn't stab myself with a bunch of pins. 

Then take the unpinned edges and, right sides together, pin the font and back seams. (again with safety pins if you want to try it on first)

Leave a gap 20cm from the top, this will be the hole for your neck. If you want the neck lower, just leave a longer gap. I really recommend doing all this with safety pins and trying it on. You want to make sure your head fits through!

Once you are happy with the size of your arm and neck holes replace the safety pins with regular pins.

This is what the neck hole will look like.

Put a double pin at the point where you are going to stop, that way when you are on the sewing machine you won't go whizzing past the point you have so carefully measured.

Once you have stitched all 4 seams it will look something like this.

That's it, you are done, easy eh! Turn it inside out and try it on. I think this is a "tuck it in" kind of top for me, although it might make a great maternity top too, or a whooshy floaty top if that's your thing.

If it were a little bit longer then it would be a great tunic with a belt too. Oh the possibilities!

I wore this to work the other day with my new bright blue jeans and green cardie.

I just wanted to show I do have other clothes (I always seem to be wearing the same jeans in my photos!) 

Julie

I'll be linking up to all these great link parties