Solo Sewing

Youth is a perpetual intoxication, a fever of the brain.  

~ Francois de la Rouchefoucauld

Our foster teen had a bit of a traumatic weekend vis-a-vis her Facebook boyfriend - welcome to love in the new century...  So she did a lot of talking on her cell phone at night and sleeping during the day.  

I went ahead and worked on this top for her daughter by myself - there will be plenty of time for us to sew together (if she wants to) in the coming weeks and months.  

I love this top - it is so simple, with only these two pattern pieces - the center front is placed on the fold:  

You cut 4 of the back and 2 of the front, so that it is fully lined - this avoids the need for facings around the neck and armholes:  

The sparkly, ballerina monkey fabric was a bit stiff, so I shopped my stash for a softer pink cotton for the lining:  

After attaching the back pieces to the front piece at the shoulders (of both the lining and the fashion fabric), you stitch the fashion fabric and the lining together (right sides together) around the armholes and the neck and center back seams.  Then you pull the 2 back pieces through the shoulder holes, to turn it right side out.  It's pretty simple and it ends up looking quite nice!  

All you have to do after that is close up the side seams:  

Which you also do in a way to hide all the seams:  

By opening the seams out and stitching right sides together...  

Okay, there is one more "pattern piece" - you also have to cut a long rectangle for the bottom band.  The last time I made this top, I gave the band square ends.  This time, I used my French curve ruler and gave it rounded edges.  

In hindsight, it might have looked better if I had used a drinking glass.  I don't think this curve is the right proportion...  

You put some gathers on each side of the band - but you don't gather it all the way around.  Here is a view of the back - still missing the button holes and buttons:  

The gathers are supposed to be centered around the side seams:  

Here is a shot of the front:  

Hopefully, our teen and I can make the matching skirt together - fingers crossed that the latest drama will subside soon...  Poor kid...  

I hope you had a great sewing weekend and are ready for the work week...  :)