I made this top for someone I work with. She is always so helpful when she doesn’t have to be and admires my other sewing projects when I wear them to work. She is also a sewer but some vision problems prohibit lots of sewing in her life. She is also very crafty, making her own jewelry for friends and family so I knew she would appreciate and wear this top. I found that jersey was on sale at the fabric store and I bought her favorite colors, purple, black, and gray for minimal cost. I zig zagged the jersey to keep it from pulling the threads out and cut the stripes wide since some people don’t like thin stripes. I went for a vertical stripe to keep things flattering–horizontal stripes aren’t always flattering to some either.
I started by sewing the stripes together and then added the neck piece and hem piece. I sewed the shoulder seams together and finished with the side seams, trimming along the way to make sure things were even throughout. This top only took a few hours to put together, a simple beginner or afternoon project if you have measurements handy.
I used a three inch piece of gray jersey on top to sew the shoulders together and give a nice cowl to the neckline without there being a black and purple seam to get in the way. I had seen some other shirts with diagonal stripes but thought this would suit the person I was giving it too a little nicer. I kept the back simple with solid gray knowing the recipient wears sweaters/cardigans almost every day and scarves regularly. This stripe block wouldn’t get in the way of a scarf of necklace and compliment most colors within range without being too busy. She loved the gift and the flowy nature of the jersey made it compliment her nicely.
I left the sleeves and hem un-hemmed since the jersey won’t fray and will curl up and look super cute. Zig zag yours if it bothers you!
