Wrap Yourself Top

So the other day I was working out.  I love the 10 Minute Solution discs!  Especially my latest excercise attempt- Dance Yourself Thin.  Well, while I was doing the ballet portion, I started looking at the top she was wearing.  It was a really cute wrap top but looked like it was made of a thin knit material.  I loved it!  So I decided to try my hand at making myself a wrap top out of the knit that I got from the fabric district. So that is my big tutorial:  Wrap Yourself Top

(fingerprints courtesy of Miss M... probably should've washed those off!)

I love the ties in the back.

I love the scrunched up layers of knit.

Want to make one?  Lets get started.

Grab a shirt with a good fit, some material, scissors, and turn on your favorite tv show.  I personally love to create and sew while watching Project Runway but whatever your flavor is.  (thats why the cutting is taking place on my family room floor and not on my sewing table...  oh and that could explain why I sometimes forgot to take pics or they aren't very cool!  I was a little distracted)  But fold the material and cut out your base shirt on the fold following your shirt as a guide.

**  Now don't cut your top too long.  I made that mistake.  Because its a wrap top, you don't want the end of your shirt to be too long otherwise you'll just get extra bunched up material like I did.  Not that it's necessarily a bad thing...

Then do the same with the sleeves- cutting out 2- on the fold

And you can choose your length!  Short sleeves would also be really cute.  I personally wanted a 3/4 sleeve with cuff so your choice.

This is what you should have at this point:

a back piece and 2 sleeves

Now cut out to more back pieces.  These will actually be your front pieces but they are essentially the same for now

Next your going to your cross-over front.  Measure from your shoulder to where you want it to hit.  Cut one piece then take the scraps and flip it over so that the angles match but are opposite.  Does that make sense???  Just check out the picture and hopefully it shows it better :)

and check.  This is where you should be at this point.  Almost everything is cut out!

Next if your adding cuffs, cut those.

and then your wraps/ties.  I wanted mine extra long so I just used the whole width of material.  This is again totally up to you and your personal style preferences

Now we start sewing!  The best part- seeing it start coming together.

Ok so like I said, I kind of got distracted.  Especially at this point!  I didn't take anymore pics...  Sorry.  But it is going to be the same as this shirt tutorial here.

First sew your shoulders together.

Then sew your sleeves on at the shoulders.

Then sew from the end of your sleeve up, around the armpit, and down the side seam- one long stitch.  And then lastly- sew on your ties.

And thats it!  Your done!!  Easy peasy- right?  Now you've got your own
Wrap Yourself Top:

I know the coloring is off but I wanted to share the pic that I snapped real quick of me wearing it to church this last Sunday (as we were rushing out the door!  Thats why I didn't check it and realize I should've taken another one- especially considering my arm looks like a broken chicken wing!).  Thats the beauty of this top- so versatile!  Throw it on with a skirt and some nice heels or your favorite jeans and some flip flops.  Love it!  If you have any questions at all about this tutorial- please just email me or leave me a comment!  And be sure to let me know if you make one!!