We've all seen them. The cute little top that is just a bit too little. And when they're on the $2 rack, it is sooo hard to walk past. You can just see the potential there, waiting to be unleashed.
Well, maybe just a little.
In this project, I take a cute little singlet top in rayon, with buttons down the front, and another sporty top in a lacy fabric, and I put them together to make something uniquely mine.
Step one, deconstruct the top.
Care is always needed when removing parts from or deconstructing a garment. It is all too easy to make a nick in the fabric, and then you have another thing to deal with in your reconstruction.
Fortunately, I managed to unpick the side seams of this garment without causing further damage.
Before starting the deconstruction, I managed to wriggle into the top, to see just how snug it was. If you can't do this, then a tape measure is your friend.
I judged that I would need about 2 generous inches on either side for a comfortable fit, and the fabric of the top I chose to make the insert panels has a great geometric pattern with a suitably wide repeat.
This fabric is a kind of knit, which has the added advantage of not fraying along the cut edges.
The final width of the panel is 2.5 inches or 6cm.
It was sewn in flat, with the original side-seam seam allowance tucked under. The top and bottom of the chevron stitch anchor the folded edge to the panel, and contain the edge of the seam allowance between the fabric of the top and the edge of the panel.
This creates a neat and secure attachment between the pieces of fabric.
By using a rayon thread and a "decorative" stitch, the join becomes as much a feature as the panel itself.
A more secure attachment could have been achieved by sewing along the opened fold of the top's original side seam allowance, but enough additional fabric has been inserted that there is minimal pulling on the stitching.
Once the excess fabric was trimmed to the length of the unfinished hem and underarm, the unpicked hem was recreated and extended along the edges to create an even finish.
All in all, I was very happy with how this top turned out, and it is wearing well.
$2 for the rayon top.
$1 for the stretch lace top (purchased specifically for the fabric)
$4.75 for the DMC Satin thread in black (#310)
I have to admit that I'm always on the lookout for garments that, while I might not wear them, will provide useful fabric for a future project. The hardest part of that, of course, when I get it home, I sometimes find that I actually like it as it is.
