Off the Shoulder Chambray Top

Much like my latest pair of culottes, I've had this make planned out in my head for a long time. It came down to a question of weather as I knew that an off the shoulder top would be perfect for the summer. I made my self an off the shoulder top a couple of years ago and have found that it's one of my favourite things to wear on holiday so I was keen to make another but with a couple of changes.

Having a make that turns out exactly as envisioned is a much sought after situation and this top is exactly that. I pictured a plain chambray off the shoulder top with a gathered waist and cuffs and, through the magic that is sewing, I was able to create just that. For me it's the fabric that is the making or breaking of most garments. Having a 100% cotton fabric always makes the garment feel better quality and is much nicer to wear in summer. I was keen to use a plain fabric for this top to show off the details of the elastic and I really like the colour of this chambray from Craft Cotton Co. The weight of chambray fabric was perfect for the gathers of this top and feels light and summery too.

This top is such a simple design but the addition of the elastic elevates it somewhat, in particular on the sleeves. I wanted to create a sleeve which was fairly volumous so that it could be gathered in at the wrist without it looking too ridiculous and I think that the perfect balance was achieved! To create this top I used this great tutorial for drafting the bodice and sleeves, I then simply extended the sleeves and made them wider for the gathering and also shorterned the top at the waist.



I'm hoping that this will be the perfect addition to my wardrobe. It's slightly fancier than a basic t-shirt but is still comfortable enough to wear everyday. I'm really pleased with how the pattern turned out too, I like the elastic features a lot so I expect that another similar top may be made in the near future!