Jeans and a nice top – how many of us have anything other this on our minds when we think of an everyday outfit ? Here is a sewing tutorial to sew such a ‘nice top’ to wear day in and day out. You just need 2 meters of fabric and some free time and of course your sewing tools
Sewing Pattern & Tutorial for a Jeans Top.
Step 1 Take body measurements
You need to take the body measurement around your bust, around your hip, around your armscye, around your arms where the sleeve (the top part and not the ruffle) ends, the length you need for your (top part) sleeve and the length of the ruffle. You can skip the ruffles if you do not want it.
Step 2 Cut the pattern pieces
Fold 2 fabric pieces of length 26 inches by the middle and mark the pattern.
You can change the armscye measurement as per your body measurement. Cut the back slightly longer or front shorter if you want to but ensure that the side edges are the same length.
Sleeve pattern -cut two
The bottom edge of the sleeve can be changed according to your body measurement..
Ruffle pattern – cut two.
Step 3Â Sew the back opening.
On the back a slit opening of about 4 1/2 inches has to be made and it will be fastened with a button and a thread loop.
Keep a fabric piece of about 6 inches length and 4 inches wide (facing) and keep it on the center of the back bodice. Align the center of the two and pin in place.
Mark a straight slit of 4 inches or so. Mark two lines 1/4 inches from the center line coming to meet the center line at the bottom tip. This is your stitching line. Sew through that line ( Do not sew on the center line at all). When you reach the end (tip) make a stitch or two across and then continue sewing to the top.
Cut through the center line carefully – ensuring that you cut till the very tip. Flip the facing to the back.
Trim the facing to about an inch around the slit. Fold and sew in place at the back. You may want to baste stitch before sewing with the machine or simply hand stitch it in place.
Step 4 Join bodices
Sew the two bodices together – front and back together, at the shoulder.
Step 5 Sew the ruffles to the sleeve
Finish the hem of the ruffle piece.Keep the piece on top of the sleeve and stitch together. You will have to gather the ruffle piece by the center.
Either gather beforehand or gather as you sew. If you are gathering as you sew, ensure that you join the either sides with no gather first and then sew the gather. Pinning helps. Here are some gathering tips.
The finished sleeve will look like this – the length looks slightly more elongated in the picture.
Step 5
Join the sleeves to the bodice.
Step 6 Hem the bottom edges
You can finish the hem of the front and back by using a baby hem method. This is ideal gently curving hems.
Step 7 Sew the side seams
Step 8 Bind the neckline
But before that sew a stay stitching line along the neckline edge to prevent the neckline gaping.
Finish the neckline – cut a bias binding tape and sew the binding.
I kept the binding a little to the outside making a faux piping along the neckline edge . You can find tutorial to do real piping here.
Step 8 Sew the fastener on the back opening
Sew a button and a thread loop for the button or use elastic thread as the button loop.
Finito. Now go and checkout more Free women’s clothes patterns.
hello
this is a beautiful top and i really want to try my hand on it……but can you please elaborate on the labellings of the patterns like AJ is full length of top etc so that it becomes easier for me.
Thank you.
Beautiful! I love your choice of fabric. Perfect for a nice walk around town; jeans & some cute flats while window shopping! Thanks for sharing!
I like the details of it and i’m going to try out mine, on a demin jean material. hope it will come out like this one.
Liked the detailed drafting
Being plus size I shall attempt to make my own
Thanks
Hi Mita
You can also look at this post for drafting a bodice
Sewing instructions on line will be welcomed!
Another beautiful pattern – thanks a lot Serina
Thanks for reading and Commenting Lakshmi
Thank you a nice lecture ,I have enjoyed my self and I wish to have it everyday, it has really helped me in my future . thank you very much .
Thanks Agyemang for leaving the comment
Nice top but it’s not made from jeans.
Hi Diane
Yes : ) It is a top to wear with jeans and not made from jeans