Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Simple Bow Tie Top : a tutorial

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I'm so happy about how this turned out. This is one of those projects that's been on my to do list forever and now that I finally got it done, I wish I had done it a long time ago. 


This is such a simple project. One of the easiest I've ever made. Don't have much sewing experience? Give this a go, I promise it's a piece of cake and any mistakes made are hardly noticeable because of the gather. You can make this project even easier by purchasing ribbon rather than sewing your own sash. 


Materials:

                 5/6 + yard knit     &     1/3 yard  silk, cotton, etc.                                     (any of these fabrics would work)



My knit is 60" wide  and my dusty pink silk (faux) is 45" wide.
Your fabric doesn't have to be exactly as wide as mine, just keep in mind that if you buy a fabric that is less wide you may need to purchase more to compensate.


Cut two large squares to the dimensions of  30" x 30"

If you bought 5/6 yd of 60" fabric all you have to do is cut along the fold line.

**Edit- 30" length gives you a long top. I ended up cutting off 4-5" off the bottom. I left the measurements this long to allow plenty of length and room for the bottom to be hemmed**





Make a casing at the top of each square. About 2" wide. 




Sew down with a zig zag stitch (so it can stretch).





Start working on your sash. This is pretty much the same process used here in the big bow belt tutorial. 

-UPDATE- 

I made a mistake when I made my sash and cut where I shouldn't have. So your process may look slightly different than mine in the pictures to follow. When in doubt follow the instructions and don't let the pictures confuse you (:

....

Cut right down the middle of your fabric so that you have two 45" by 6" strips. 










Sew your two strips together (Short sides with right sides together)




Now that you have sewn your two strips together you have a 6" wide by 90" long strip. Fold the sash in half hot dog style and sew a point as shown below. Then continue to sew down the long (90") side.


Leave about an 8" gap in this seam so that the sash can be turned inside out. 








Cut off extra fabric




and turn the tube right side out. 

The finished sash will be roughly 90" by 2.5" ( or a little less because of seam allowances).






Press and either sew a top stitch around the entire perimeter or secret stitch your opening.






Use a safety pin to pull the sash through both panels of fabric.










At this point I tried it on and determined where  the seams on the side should begin. I marked this place with a pin. 





Pin along sides. 





and sew together. 






Hem or serge the bottom if you like or leave it raw like I did. 



Voila. Done!  I told you it was easy. 




A breezy, summery top. Perfect for this ridiculously hot weather. 104 here in Texas!


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123 comments

Happy in red said...

This is so cool and it looks so easy!!

kachasek said...

looks great and easy to make :) I'll try it (maybe ;p)
hugs from Poland :)

Barbara said...

Super cute!

Anngela said...

Great job Katy! This (in a dress version) has been on my 'to do' list but I think you've just inspired me to put it on the 'get it done!' list! haha Very pretty colors and it looks great on you! Wish I could luck out like you did on your knit fabric find!

Rebecca @ My Girlish Whims said...

ohhhh so cute!!!!!! i love it :) i'm tempted to try, even with my severely lacking sewing skills :)

And I think a dress version would be awesome too!

sbot said...

Wow! You did a great job!! Very cute!!

Im your newest follower, hope youll want to follow me too : )

www.baublesandbangles.blogspot.com

www.rosivintage.etsy.com

-Stephanie

Originally Yours said...

Another fabulous creation Katy! This is such a sassy top, love it.

Katie said...

I love your top! I've been wanting make one, and I think I'm finally going to give a try with some supplies I have at home.

I found you on pinterest and am now your newest follower. I'd love if you came over to Sew Woodsy and link this project up!

While They Snooze said...

Beautiful. Great fabric combo! Newest follower :)

www.whiletheysnooze.blogspot.com

Monica and Whitney said...

I just found your blog and I am in love!

Enter our giveaway for a $50 Visa Card!

Rachel // Maybe Matilda said...

So adorable! I love it! And I think it would make a gorgeous dress!

K_stets said...

Just found your blog through pinterest.

I LOVE this top. I'm wondering if I can bribe my aunt into making me one. Ha, or I should just break down and finally buy a sewing machine so I can start doing all these awesome ideas you have.

p.s. love your name :)

-Katy

Maria said...

i've been following your blog for a couple of weeks now and finally have to comment -- i. LOVE. your blog!!!

i'm so inspired by so many posts & tutorials, i don't know which i want to try first. thanks so much for making it fun & showing how accessible DIY work can be :-)

i'm in north texas myself, so i also especially appreciate a warmer weather perspective -- it seems like so many sewing/craft/etc blogs i read are based in new england, where "warm" and "summer" mean completely different things than down here!

Sawdust Girl said...

What a cute top. And it looks easy enough that I may be able to handle it. Maybe...

Janice said...

Really cute! love the bow. And it looks so quick and easy - my kind of project!

Emily said...

I'm so confused about the ribbon. Why do you need three prices of fabric...it looks like two would be fine. Does it just make it a bit thinker and thus more sturdy?

Crazy Wonderful said...

How great is that!!! Really like the fabric you used as well. Now there's another thing added to my to-do list ;D

Allie said...

Found you on Ucreate! Your top turned out so cute!! I love the colors you chose, too. I've also had this saved for forever to do. Guess I need to just get on it!

Katy said...

Emily,

I think I see where you're confused. When I say under materials needed "silk, cotton,etc.", I mean that you have an option to use any of those fabrics. I can see where that's unclear, I'll update my post! Thanks for reading, let me know if you have any other questions!

ιρινι said...

this is a fantastic blouse!!!!Congratulations!!!!
Best regrads
RiRi -from Crete/Greece!!

* Nancy * said...

Absolutely darling! Can't wait to attempt this project, one for me and my little girl! Thanks for sharing.

LuLu Kellogg said...

This is so darling! Thank you for sharing this tutorial!

Anne said...

Love it..I've been on the lookout for simple tutorials like this because I have no idea how to do zippers or other fancy stuff! Thanks for sharing. :o)

prettyladydesigns.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

this is so cute! :-)

Heather said...

What a What a great idea!!! It's 100 and something here in Vegas! http://bellesbazaar-heather.blogspot.com/2011/07/fat-friday_14.html

Megan said...

That's so cute! Found you from Ucreate.

KJ@letsgoflyakite said...

Love the grey knit with the lilac. The top looks terrific on you.

Found you via Ucreate.

Aimee @ SmallAnchors.com said...

i love this!!! making one this week while i attempt a pillowcase dress for my daughter! wish me luck! :) :)

http://www.artfire.com/users/auntiechrisquiltfabric said...

I love things like this that are quick and doable in an evening.Looks great!

Tori said...

This is a beautiful top! I love it! I can't wait to do this! At the tip of my list!

Unknown said...

Love the color combo!! I'm a Texas girl too and this will be on my post maternity list! Thanks for the great tutorial!!

Sylvie Créative - Créations Ma Déco Maison said...

Great!

Rose and Heather said...

Yet another top that I love that you have made!

:0)

alyssa johns said...

this is super cute! gonna try it...

Mama Layman said...

I'm also confused on the ribbon. What are the dimensions when finished? I'm so confused. I got lost after sewing the 6in piece to the combined 3 inch piece. Do I sew that completely around? Where do I get my other tip? Do I sew a point under where I joined them together and later trim that off? Or do I sew the pieces together, fold in half, and then have a 3 in ribbon 90 in long?

I don't even know if either of those options are correct. I'm certainly confused and frustrated. I'm in the middle of making it. Help!

Katy said...

So sorry you're having issues! The finished sash will be roughly 90" by 2.5" (2.5 because of the width taken away when sewing the seams). Since you've got all your stirps sewn together now you need to lay the whole sash right sides together and start at one corner sewing a point. Then sew down the long side until you get around halfway. Stop sewing, and skip down about 8 inches and then sew down the rest of the length of the sash, ending once again with a point.  

Does that clear anything up? Let me know if you have any other issues!

Erin said...

I'm down here in Texas too and this is on my to do list now!

Gina said...

This is so cute! I'll have to make sure to find time to try this out.

Lindsay Conner said...

Ridiculously cute!

chrissyblake said...

This is the first article of clothing I have ever made! I wore it to work today and got oodles of compliments, It is so comfy and suuuper cute! Thanks for your tutorial!

Anna said...

so pretty, i love the bow. You did a great job! :)

Rachel Sayumi Porter said...

I'm obsessed with this!!! I want to make a dress version.. what kind of fabric did you use (gray)? I love it

Rose and Heather said...

Just made this top! I love it, I think it would be adorable as a dress too! As soon as I can, I will be posting this on our blog.

Thanks,

Heather

SewStylishBoutique.blogspot.com

ikaxela said...

I love the colours, thanx for the tutorial!

norcalval said...

So cute... can't believe how simple it is!! Where did you find the knit?? Online anywhere?

Brandie said...

Love this! Thanks for sharing!

Jennp1751 said...

Love!! I completely understand about the weather...I live in Alabama and it's hot as crap here as well.

Anonymous said...

i wish i could sew! this is awesome!

Meagan said...

has anyone tried this with cotton for the main piece? What a great tutorial! Thank you!

PC said...

Love this...add this to my project pinbooard!

Meagan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Meagan said...

oops deleted to fix link.

Finished mine! I took out the bow tie though, the sash fabric I bought was too bulky. See a picture here.

Thanks for tutorial! You should consider doing a video tutorial!

SV said...

great idea. like a pillowcase dress, but the grownup version - the dress. newest follower. love the blog!!!

Dana said...

I must have done something wrong. I used two 30x30 squares just like the tutorial states but this shirt is HUGE on me. I'm an average woman, 5'4 160 lbs and it looks like a mini dress on me. It could be a maternity shirt!

Katy said...

Dana, sorry it turned out so big! I actually just edited my post to say that the length of the top is supposed to be longer. Some people like shorter tops, other like longer tops. I just always figure too long is better than too short. Can you cut a few inches off the bottom of your top to make it work? That's what I did too. About 4 inches off the bottom and it was a good length for me.

Melody said...

If I were to just buy a ribbon instead of make a sash how long would it need to be? I want to go get the materials for this today so just curious. Thanks!

Anne said...

I made this during my kid's naptime today...I ended up ditching the sash; I had used cotton fabric for it but it was just getting all hung up in the casing and it didn't make a pretty bow. I found a silky scarf to feed through there instead. My top was also huge...I ended up cutting a few inches off each side of the panels, and even then it's still a little big. I'd be willing to try it again, I just know now not to start with as much fabric as before; with different body types, it would be smart to start with the 30 inches and then see if alterations are needed. thanks for the tutorial! :o)

Mandy H. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mandy H. said...

I too am having issues with sewing the sash. The instructions are very unclear. They read as if I am to sew the two 3 inch pieces together on one long side, then open and sew right side together on top of the 6 in piece. If that is the case that would make a 45 inch long 6 inch wide sash. I am unclear as to why there is a 6 inch wide piece to begin with. It's quite confusing. The math doesn't add up to a 90 inch long sash at all. Perhaps 2 (45 x 6 inch) strips sewn together on the short ends, then folded right sides together then seamed down would create an easier instruction to come to the completed sash of 90x 2.5 Either way I love the concept. I just found your blog via pinterest! Adore it! cant wait to see what else you are up to.

mako said...

Omg, this is SO adorable!!!!

Kate said...

These are awesome! Are you planning to make any fall tutorials?? Don't know if I want to start on summer clothes when my summers almost over. :(

Creativity said...

This shirt is adorable!! I've already started making mine!! :) Thanks for putting this up, it's so simple to do!

Lindy said...

I am totally in love with your blog/style. I have barely any experience sewing but can't wait to go home for a visit and try out some of your tutorials on my Mom's sewing machine! I am also an education major at A&M (you said you were going to college in TX so I looked at your about me and figured it out, ha). I'm sure i've seen you around Harrington Tower! Kinda crazy!

Also, wish you had a tutorial for the cinch bag. Wayyy too cute!

Jessica said...

As soon as I saw this tutorial I knew I had to try it! I moved it right to the top of my crafting 'to-do' list! I actually made it into a dress and I love it! Thank you so much for sharing- your blog is wonderful!

You can check out my dress here:
http://lookslikespiltmilk.blogspot.com/2011/08/i-wish-i-was-dressmaker.html

Karen said...

this is so sweet! thanks for sharing!

tpride12 said...

Im Getting my very first sewing Machine tomorrow, it was my husbands Great Grandmothers sewing machine! I have only done a little sewing when i was younger and i'am SOOO looking forward to trying this i think as my first project!!! Thanks so much for sharing! it might take me a while but if you want you can check my progress at http://thenewcrafter12.blogspot.com/. I am the Country Crafter :)

Erika said...

Found this tutorial on Pinterest...love it and must try to make one myself! I'm now a follower...love your ideas!

Marion said...

Hi, I am from Lyon in France... It's a wonderful tuto but I get lost with inches and yards actually ;) Could you help me about it. I use cm and meters ;) Thank a lot for your help. I can't wait sewing this top !

Unknown said...

i just made this out of a pillow case. It looks adorable. So cute with jeans and flip flops.

Shannon said...

Oooh. This would make a cute dress too. Unfortunately my sewing machine is packed up on the moving truck, but I am saving this for later. Cute!

EmmiJulino said...

I made this and it turned out great! Your instructions were clear and so easy to follow! I'll try to post a picture! I used a little bit thinner knit by the looks of it and different colors! Thanks so much! There are so many ways to use this basic pattern to make many different styles!

Craftily said...

I love this! I can't wait to try making a maxi dress this style - super cute!!!

Anonymous said...

Love this :) If I end up doing this I'll post here a link ;)

Marion - google 13 inches in cm, it'll convert you :) I use this all the time to guide myself since I also use cm :)

Katie said...

Very Sweet! I'm going to try it today...XoXo

Andi said...

I love this so much! I made my own and linked to your tutorial here: http://crazydazedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/09/learning-to-make-shirt.html

This is such an amazing shirt! Thank you so much!!!

christe said...

is there any suggestions on trying to easily sew knit??? this was awful! it kept rolling on me... guess my ocd kicked in and because it wasnt just for me i went crazy! any suggestions, other than getting a pillowcase or mans t-shirt(whiich in that case would still roll on me)... im all ears!!!

Ladybug & Co said...

Mine is almost ready!

test said...

Such a nice article on bow ties.I lobe ties most with my suits.

Ele said...

Congrats ;) What a nice projects!
I'm looking forward to create something like that! :D

Allyson McGuire said...

I just found your blog (through a link at http://lookslikespiltmilk.blogspot.com), and these ideas are just incredible. I'm kind of new to blogging, and it has been so hard to find people in the same stage of life as I am - I'm going to school to be an elementary school teacher too. Thanks for sharing your ideas! I'll definitely be making this shirt soon!

Thanks
Allyson
http://cupcakescandycanes.blogspot.com

linnyadcox! said...

What does the back look like?

Linlinxoxo@gmail.com

Shelley said...

I made a newborn version for our little girl due in March. I used ribbon for the bow. It was super fast and turned out cute. Thank you for posting this!!

Deebi27 said...

Just darling I would say. Any young lady would love this top for summer...looking ahead!

leah said...

Super cute! Can't wait to try! ^_^

anjali said...

Hey it looks lovely….you know you can do this on your crew neck t-shirts too

Andrea @ This Pug Life said...

I found you on Pinterest and I am loving your tutorials. I would really like to get back into sewing but am a bit intimidated. My grandma taught me when I was young but I mainly stuck to pillows and didn't do much as far as clothing.

Anyway, my question is, how can I figure out how to adjust the amount of fabric needed for a bigger size? I'm a plus-size, so I'm definitely going to need more fabric than you!

Enid said...

I just make this but has a dress... It is so easy and came out perfect! I'm 3 month pregnant and made this with the same size has said and it fits me perfectly. Maybe it will last for a couple of month too!

Thanks for the tutorial.

Enid

mummycorky said...

Thanks so much for this tutorial! I am a total novice and I have just finished this top in less than a couple of hours and I am so happy with the outcome. Even hubby is impressed. Thanks again all the way from England xxx

mummycorky said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Katie @ Loverly She said...

I just bought a vintage sewing machine and this is going to be among my first projects:) thanks for sharing! -Katie (loverlyshe.com)

Robin said...

I just made this tonight - sadly it didn't make me look as thin as you do in it ;), but it still looks adorable and will be great during our long hot Israeli summers. I didn't want to deal with the sash so I used a very pretty fairly sheer floral ribbon.

Thanks for a great tutorial and even more for the inspiration to try it.

Anonymous said...

thanks for this tute, i'm in the middle of a similar pattern for a dress pattern I bought. I love the bow Idea thank you!!!

Anonymous said...

Saw this from pinterest...I'm not a sewing pro but this this looks like something I can handle! Thanks for sharing!

www.kraftinmommy.blogspot.com

PrincessBones said...

I'm so excited about this, it's my first sewing project ever :) I'm making it into a maxi dress with more ribbon to make a tie for the waist!

Thanks for sharing this <3

creative.chaos said...

I actually have 2 store bought tops that are similar to this (basically, this without the bow and the bottom edge is kinda pointy) and I've been wanting to make more. I'm not a seamstress by any means and have figured it was pretty simple to make. You just sealed the deal, I'm gonna have to try to make it. (Although, I'm a plus size gal, so I'll need a bit more fabric than you used!)

Mandy said...

What a great idea! I have always hated working with knits but I decided to give it a go and make this as a dress. I love it! I blogged about it and made a link to your page.

http://mysticmandy.blogspot.com/

Kara said...

I found you via Pinterest! I rarely am the comment-type, but I LOVE that you did the knit with a sewing machine! I'm terrified of my serger and have basically written off ever doing knit tops for myself. Never again!

Thanks.

BTW, I love the color and fabric combo you chose. The sash gives it that extra "Pretty" oomph!

Unknown said...

This is a great tutorial. I so easy, I think I will make them for my daughters. By the way, I live in college station, so don't be surprised if you see two cute little girls wearing this top!!
Thanks!

Kathleen said...

Awesome tutorial! I made this as a dress and added in a belt and pockets--it's super comfortable and so relaxed on the sizing. It's going to be great for summer.

Sam said...

I tried this as my first sewing project. Had to make some adjustments because it was too much fabric but i think it came out cute. Thanks so much for the tutorial! Oh, and Gig Em!! http://bigcitygirlsmalltownheart.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/simple-bow-tie-top-4/

Foot of the Cross Ministries said...

WOW! Thank you for sharing!!!!! I love patternless sewing!!!! One question I have, when you do the side seams, do you lay the material flat without the ribbon or leave the ribbon in and then do the side seams? Does that make sense? I started a cute purple tye dye one the other night, I just need to do the side seams and hem it. I will post a photo when I finish it.

Anonymous said...

Love this project! Also, you mentioned you would like to make a dress version of this. Why not try making a game day dress with this same pattern? I would love to see it!

Amber M said...

Found you on pinterest and I love this top. I have an event to go to next week and I took the tee shirt for the event and with a few modifications, I have a cute tank top. Thank you so much!

Unknown said...

I just made this top and I absolutely LOVE it! I'm a plus size girl (somewhere between a 1x and 2x), so made a test run on some scrap fabric. I didn't cut it any bigger than the measurements said, and it worked perfectly. It was definitely too long, but I appreciated having the length to work with, and ended up making it kind of an uneven hem because that's what looked best. Thank you so much!!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

thanks for the tutorial, i made a top and will definitely make a dress next. the top is a bit big (even though i did smaller measurements than stated) so i cinched it in with a slim belt and will hem it :-) oh and i used lace ribbon instead of a sash because i'm lazy!!
i love the colours you used, will definitely try a block colour with contrasting ribbon next.
photo here https://plus.google.com/photos/105346591557642336697/albums/5771079607873150977?authkey=CJWesdTctfXsyAE

Lissa Shell said...

I can't wait to try this for me, and maybe even as a "sun dress" or bathing suit cover up! We live at the beach and you can NEVER have too many bathing suit cover ups!
Thanks for the awesome tut!

Unknown said...

Super cute! I've seen a ton of maxi dresses in the shops for up to $45 with this kind of top and I kept thinking to my self, I could probably make that, but had no idea how to start. Now I know how!! Thanks a bunch!!

Unknown said...

Super cute! I've seen a ton of maxi dresses in the shops for up to $45 with this kind of top and I kept thinking to my self, I could probably make that, but had no idea how to start. Now I know how!! Thanks a bunch!!

Atelier d'écriture Le Goût des Mots said...

Hello,

Thanks for all these very good ideas and your simple tutorials. It's really great to find people like you.

Sophie from France

Ellie said...

What size are you? Wondered as I was curious this measurements compared to mine. I'm on the smaller size, and didn't want to make this too big.

Blissful & Domestic said...

I featured you today on Blissful & Domestic. Stop by and check it out!

-Danielle
http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com/2013/05/10-summer-tutorials-feature-friday-link.html

Meri said...

Just did this top as a dress in 2 hours. Because I am pregnant, this is great for me, flows around and I made it in red with an orange with white sash. Can't wait to wear it next week in Thailand ;)
Thank you for the tutorial

StarryA said...

This top is so pretty and looks easy enough! I'm going to try it and post the results on my blog http://andhavingwritmoveson.blogspot.fr/ . I will link your blog of course!

Thanks for the detailed tutorial!

Unknown said...

this is a fantastic bow tie!!!!Congratulations!!!!

Papillon

Unknown said...

This was a great & very easy to follow tutorial...Consider me a fan! Have you seen similar tops, using a man's shirt and tie? I think I will use your tutorial to try and make that work...
Thanks!

Smila ♥ said...

This is so pretty! Thank you for sharing.

Streuterklamotte said...

Thank you so much for all your wonderfull tutorials!!!
Ganz liebe Grüße, Sabine

Natalie said...

I pinned this top three years ago(!), and I finally made it!
https://vegetablog.wordpress.com/2015/06/29/sosm-community-match-round-one-black-jersey-tie-top/

Thanks for the great tutorial.

Unknown said...

Another cute option for the scarf is a man's silk neck tie! Cute, fun and versatile not to mention extremely affordable at most thrift shops!

Penelope Sanchez said...

Love how your top turned out. Lovely! I will make that too.

Penelope
Click here for Alaska Fishing Lodge Information

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