Check Out How I Made the Most Perfect Spring Top in This Tutorial

Rubyvale Road
by Rubyvale Road
11 Materials
$20
2 Hours
Medium


I love spring. It’s the perfect season if you ask me, and that means I just had to make a perfect top to go along with it. This top is fun and playful and is made from a beautiful spring print. Gorgeous ruffles really complete the look. Follow this tutorial to see how I made this stunning top from scratch. I, for one, am so excited to wear it!

Tools and materials:

  • Fabric
  • Homemade pattern
  • Sewing machine
  • Sewing pins
  • Elastic
  • Scissors
  • Loop thinner
  • Ruler
  • Measuring tape
  • Fabric chalk
  • Butons
Spring top pattern
Draft the pattern


The first thing I had to do was create my design. I sketched out the design I had in mind and then drafted the pattern, using my own measurements for the different parts of my torso. Making your own pattern requires some math, and you can see how I got these numbers in the video. Once my pattern was ready, I cut out the required pieces of fabric. 

Spring tops
Sew the straps


Once all my pieces were cut off, I began to sew parts of the shirt, starting with the drawstring. Then I sewed the pieces for the straps, right sides together. Next, I trimmed the edges of the straps and used a loop thinner to turn them right side out. Then I pressed them flat with my iron, making sure the seams were in the center.

Spring tops for women
Create the loops


The next thing I did was to create the loops for the front of the top. I cut out one strip of fabric in the right measurement of 5 cm, then used that strip as a guide to cut out five more. Then I measured and marked their placements on the front. I measured 7 cm from the opening, and then 4 cm in between each loop. I pinned the loops in place, with the raw edges facing the raw edges of the shirt, then I sewed them down with a short stitch. I also marked on the other side where I want the buttons to go. 

Cute spring top
Add a strip over the loops


To keep the loops looking neat, I cut out a strip of fabric and stitched it over the loops, right sides facing each other, across the top and down the outer side and back along the bottom. I folded over a cm at the raw edge so that it could be folded over when I turned it out. I did this by folding the corner across and under and using something sharp to poke out the corner as I flipped it. Then I topstitched both the front and back of the strip. On the other side, where I added the buttons, I first folded the edge over 1 cm and then again 2 cm, and then did a topstitch along the fold and on the other side. 

DIY spring top
Make the casings


To make the casing for the drawstring, I folded up the top edge of the shirt by 1 cm and then again by 2 cm. Then I topstitched the fold all the way across the top of the blouse. While I was at it, I also hemmed the bottom and made a 1 cm channel for the elastic. 

Spring top with elastic
Insert elastic and drawstring


I measured the elastic around the bottom of the blouse, then subtracted 2” and cut it to size. Then I pinned a safety pin to the end of the elastic and fed it through the channel, ruffling up the blouse as I fed the elastic through. I tried the top on to make sure I was happy with the fit of the elastic, then sewed the end of the elastic down and trimmed off the excess on both ends. I then repeated the process with the drawstring at the top of the shirt.

How to sew a spring top
Make changes


Once I got to this part of the project, I realized that I actually preferred this top with the elastic at the top and the drawstring at the bottom. Since the pattern went in one specific direction, however, that meant having to take it apart and redoing it. So I added an extra casing and switched them around. 

Spring top with straps
Make the straps


To make the straps, I first pressed the seam in the center of the back. Then I took a 30 cm long piece of elastic, which is less than the 54 cm length of the straps, and sewed it in place, pulling the elastic as I stitched so that it would gather up the strap. I pressed them with my iron, then tried on the top and pinned the straps where I wanted them and topstitched them over the topstitch of the elastic channel. 

Spring top with buttons
Add the finishes


I decided to also add another little strip of fabric so I could have a tie at the top as well as at the bottom. Then all I had left to was to hand sew the buttons and my top was complete!

Spring top with ruffles and buttons


That’s it, guys! I love the way this shirt came out! It’s so cute and the ruffles are just gorgeous. I especially love the ruffled sleeves, and they were so easy to make. As annoying as it was to make a bunch of changes throughout, I’m so happy I went back and fixed it all because I am just ecstatic with this final result. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below! 

Suggested materials:
  • Fabric
  • Pattern
  • Sewing machine
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Comments
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 2 comments
  • Debi O'Brien Debi O'Brien on Mar 09, 2021

    I totally LOVE this...can't wait to make my own

    • Rubyvale Road Rubyvale Road on Mar 13, 2021

      Thank you so much Debi! I'm so pleased you like it! It's one of my favourite tops to wear and it was so easy to make 😊

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