Sweetheart Bow Tie Crop Top DIY
Today, I’m going to be making an adorable summer crop top featuring a large decorative bow across the bust. This top was inspired by the Chanel Cruise 2019/2020 collection, but I put my own spin on it. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions to make this adorable DIY bow tie crop top.
Tools and materials:
- Fabric
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- Elastic thread
- Pins
- Fabric chalk
- Needle and thread
- Iron
- Sewing machine
Measure and cut
To begin, I folded my fabric in half and measured 24 inches from one side, and cut across the fabric at that point.
Next, I measured an 8-inch wide strip and cut that out of the fabric. This will be my facing.
For the straps, I cut two strips, each 16 inches long and 2 inches wide.
Fold and sew
Fold the fabric for the straps in half lengthwise, right sides facing each other, and sew down the long edges.
Turn
Using a safety pin, I turned the straps right side out.
Press
Then I pressed the straps flat.
Attach the straps
Moving back to the main fabric, I laid the facing and the main fabric together, right sides facing. Then, I marked my top and attached the straps using the steps explained in the video from 2:07-2:51.
Once the straps and facing were attached, I pressed the top seam flat. You can also top stitch this seam if you’d like.
Pin and sew
I created the center back seam by pinning and sewing the two ends of the main fabric together. If you haven’t hemmed the facing before now, do it at this point, as well.
Mark the back
I drew a line on either side of the back of the shirt, starting from the point where the straps are attached. This marked the section for the shirring.
Then I made a mark every ¾ of an inch on either side and connected them with horizontal lines.
Wind
I wound an empty bobbin by hand with elastic thread and loaded it into my sewing machine. Make sure to pull slightly while doing this, but not too tightly.
Sew
Then I sewed along the lines I drew in the back with the elastic thread to create shirring.
Mark
To create the sweetheart neckline, I first folded my top and marked the center front.
I drew a 6-inch line on the center front of the shirt and sewed along that line with elastic thread.
Measure and cut
To make the bow, I cut out a piece of fabric measuring 25 in x 16 in.
Fold and sew
I folded the fabric across the longer side and sewed it down with a straight stitch.
Then I turned the fabric right side out, folded it in half, and sewed the edges together.
To make the ribbon for the bow, I cut out two rectangles and attached them on one end to make one long strip that was 4 inches wide and 16 inches long.
I folded the strip in half lengthwise, right sides facing, and pinned and sewed down all the edges, leaving a gap in the center so I would be able to turn the fabric right side out.
Turn
I used a pencil to turn the fabric right side out, and also to push out all the corners to make them nice and crisp.
Cut
Next, I cut out a small rectangle, measuring 3 in x 6 in.
Fold and sew
I folded it in half, sewed down the long edge, and turned the fabric right side out.
Gather
I used a hand needle to sew gathering stitches along the center of the larger rectangle, and then pulled the thread to gather the fabric in the middle. Then I wrapped the thread around the center a few times to create the bow.
Add ribbon
Next, I placed the ribbon in the center of the bow and wrapped the small rectangle strap around the center of the ribbon and the bow together. Then I sewed the strap down by hand to secure everything in place.
Attach bow
Finally, I attached the bow to the front of the shirt by sewing it down with a hand needle.
And that’s it, guys! This awesome, easy bow tie crop top is done!
I hope you found this bow tie crop top tutorial helpful. If you use my instructions to make a bow tie crop top of your own, I would love to see the results!
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Comments
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Adorable top! Beautiful print and I love the bow detail!
Great job! Something cool to wear in this stifling heat!