Summer Top Pattern, An Easy Two Hour Project Named Tina

Tina is a summer top pattern, is the easy two-hour project I'm sharing with you this weekend.  The trend this summer is to wear bike or yoga shorts.  Personally, I find it awful, however, I can appreciate the practicality of this trend.  It allows people to bike everywhere and teamed up with the right top and a small jacket it can even make it as an outfit for casual Fridays at the office.

My daughter would tell you that this trend is new, but for us that have been through the beginning of the '90s as young people, we knew this trend in lime green, turquoise, and hot pink.  At last, this time, we have come around to black.  What to wear with this trend?  An A-line sleeveless top that you can make in two hours.  This summer top pattern comes in sizes 8-20 and will cover your bottom.  Made in a very flowy silky fabric it can be the perfect companion for riding back from the office.

This summer top pattern should be a staple in your collection.  Cinched around your waist with a belt, tucked in with a pencil skirt or just on top of bike shorts or capri pants will be a very practical item in your wardrobe.

I have used a combination of rayon and cotton with great drape, I purchased the fabric while in India so I don't have any idea where you would get a similar print but I have put some good alternative suggestions from Fabric.com below.

The top has a scooped neck and biased armholes.

A bust dart to give it shape around the chest while it falls gently in an A-line shape around the rest of your torso, making it a little longer will give a very easy to wear summer dress as well.

Materials

• 1 to 1 1/2 yards of silk, rayon or cotton batiste
• 2 to 3 yards of bias tape
• Thread to match

Tools

• Sewing machine
• Needle size 70

Size Chart and Finished Measurements

Size              Bust
8                    34          (86.4 cm)
10                  35 1/2   (90.17 cm)
12                  37           (94 cm)
14                  39           (99.1 cm)
16                  41            (104 cm)
18                  43           (109 cm)
20                 45           (114 cm )

Fabric suggestions from Amazon.com

Skill Level: Confident Beginner

The knowledge of how to apply bias to armholes and necklines, french seam, and sewing darts are essential skills.

How To Download And Print The Summer Top Pattern

Please use Adobe Reader, print in landscape mode, and do not scale.

Pattern Download

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Download Pattern HERE

Pattern Layout

How To Sew Your Summer Top

The construction of this top is very easy.  I have used the tutorials that we have already written for you to save myself about 16 hours of work, plus why repeat what we have already shown you.

Step One: Sew The Dart

How to Sew Darts – How to Sew A Skirt Series

Step Two: Sew The Shoulders

I used a french seam, but you can either use the zigzag in your machine or an overlocker.

How to Sew a French Seam: the Best Seam for Delicate Fabrics

Step Three: Sew the sides

The use of a french seam is ideal if you are using silk or cotton batiste for this top.

Step Four: Apply The Bias Tape To The Neck, Then The Armholes.

Use Bias Tape for a Neckline or Arm Hole Facing

Step Five: Make The Hem

How to Hem Sheer or Lightweight Fabrics

So who is Tina anyways?

Tina was a roommate I once had for a couple of months in New York City.  She was a bike messenger by day and studied chemistry at night.  She practically lived in her summer top and bike shorts.  According to her, the top brought her luck, so she had me make her some in a few in different colors.

She had crazy hair and a lean body due to the hours of biking.  One day she had a terrible accident which coincidently happened when she was not wearing the top and ended up suing the guy who ran her down.  The payout was in the millions.  I heard a few years ago she took the money and went to France to study Chemical  Engineering and opened a controversial lab for animal testing of blood pressure medicines and diabetes.

How did I find out about her?  That is another story for another day, but I can tell you that the world is very small despite the 7 billion of us on it and that there are just a few degrees of separation between all of us.

I hope this summer top pattern brings you luck as it did to Tina. Let me know if you would like this top with flutter sleeves, or you rather see my take on a diaper bag, a curvey friendly teddy or the ultimate top to hide a roll around the belly button in the style of Channel.

Until Next time, happy sewing!

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