7: Dark navy top with a step by step tutorial guide to making

Having made my warm black top I was going through and re-organising my fabric stash mainly due to complaints from my other half about the amount of space I am taking up storing it all.

Anyway I have 6 metres of this really nice navy knitted fabric. Probably fibre is acrylic. Its got a self-stripe which is quite wide. I bought this because it was a bargain at £3.68 with no particular idea what I would do with it. Then yesterday I had an idea because I am loving playing with my overlocker. I made two tops with the stripes sideways on this one and a second one with longwise stripes. I only took photos of the one though since they are identical really.

There is no pattern for these. I just cut rectangles and then angled the sleeves but this Burda pattern is very similar if you wanted to make one of these. You could also make an easy dress by this method by just making the rectangles longer.

http://www.burdastyle.de/burda-style/schnittmuster-unter-1-eur/longshirt-u-boot-ausschnitt_pid_1519_7181.html

I decided I wanted exposed overlocked seams on the outside edges though. Its that "old punk" bit of me I suppose! It would also work with the edges inside. In the end I have worn it both ways. There is a certain advantage to having something you can wear the right side when its inside out or right side out because there is never a wrong side.

1. First of all to make this you need to measure yourself.
2. Then some maths: for example for a 36 inch (91.5cm) bust: half of 36 = 18 (46cm) and add a bit on for comfort so say 2 inches (5cm) = 20 inches (51cm)+ seam allowance giving in my case 21 inches (53cm) wide ( if you want it baggy maybe up to 6 inches (15cm) so would = 42 inches (107.5) + seam allowance, but remember then you will need shorter sleeves)
3. I cut out the pieces: front and back (identical rectangles are 20 inches (51cm) wide each and as long as you want. Mine were 29 inches long (71cm).)
4. and two sleeves - also rectangles 20 inches (51cm) wide but angle in slightly at the wrist to make the sleeve narrow. Mine are 28 inches (71cm) long so that I can have either very long sleeves for keeping my hands warm or I can fold them back.
5. then overlock/serged the shoulder seams. 
6. Then I overlocked around the neck and checked it will go over my head. It was a bit tight so I simply made it bigger by over locking again and cutting off the first lot of overlocking. 
7. Then I added the sleeves by pinning the centre of the sleeve to the centre shoulder seam and overlocking all the way accross. If you want exposed seams you need to check you have both seams on what will be your right side. 
8. Once the sleeves were attached I serged the side seams and sleeve seams together. I am very happy that all the fabric stripes actually matched up perfectly despite my hap-hazard method of making. 
9. Finally I serged all the hem edges and thats it. Finished.

It took probably about 30 minutes to cut and make each top. Since the fabric is thin I think they look great over patterned T-shirts or tops and I can layer them under thicker tops like my Warm black top I made a few days ago. I may make a few more of these types of too since I really enjoyed wearing one of them today.

Thanks for reading

Bracken