Summer I’m ready for you! Said everyone, ever. And what better way to usher in a new season, temperature and attire requirements than to throw something together yourself? I’ve noticed pin striped styles making their way back into my summer wardrobe, via pinterest and window shopping at Zara. But recently while I was at IKEA stocking up on a few essentials for our home overhaul (more on that soon! I promise!) I zeroed in on a set of tea towels, the ‘ELLY’ to be exact. Cheap as chips and bang on trend with their heavy linen/cotton fabric and little stripe, I picked up few bunches and took them on home. Now, admittedly I haven’t been all that into IKEA hacks in my time, but this seemed too good not to share. I mean, a top, for $5. Who could resist? You can keep the rest of your sets for your next project, or perhaps even drying the dishes? Whatever’s your jam.
DIY Striped Strapless Top
You need
- Striped fabric (/tea towels)
- Elastic, enough to stretch around your chest
- Thread and Sewing machine
How to
- Cut your fabric to the right size. I cut a piece that equaled the length of my torso (where you want the top to sit) and then 1.5 times around your body.
2. Because I was using the tea towels, I had to pin the sections together, so,thing you won’t have to do if you’re using normal fabric.
3. Now you need to do a little trick to create the ruffled neckline, which involves making a casing for the elastic a few inches below the top edge. From spare fabric, cut a strip of fabric that matches other piece of fabric all the way around.
4. Pin it in place just below the edge of the top.
5. Sew it down (I made it s bit thinner too) on the top and bottom edge, that is once you’ve also sewn down the hem.
Where you have a seam meet you’ll need to leave an opening in the casing.
And then thread the casing with your elastic.
By the end you should have a nice tube top style. All you need to do is sew/tie the elastic together finish it off in the casing.
Done! Maybe I’m kidding myself after staring at this fabric for a while but I really feel like it doesn’t look like a tea towel…. I guess it could double as both if you’re ever forced to do the dishes after going to the beach?
Photos by Nicola Lemmon
