Easy Banded Top for Me

A few weeks ago I came across some gray knit fabric at Joann's and thought I could use it to make a new top (which I have been wanting to do all summer, but keep finding other things to make instead). Anyway, I spent an evening with my sewing machine and came up with this! 

Basically, I just traced another shirt I already own on top of the fabric, then cut and sewed up the sides. 

My sleeves ended up being longer than I wanted. So I cut them. I didn't bother with a hem. I did, however, fold over the neckline to neaten that up a wee bit.

For the band at the bottom, I used two strips of leftover fabric from this skirt and made the band about an inch or so less wide than the bottom of the top, sewing the raw edges together.

Not bad for an evening's work. And it has already seen a few uses, which is good because I have found that, for some reason, I make things for myself, hang them up, and then forget about them. Like this skirt - I never wear it (probably the last time I had it on was for those post photos. Oops.). 

Do you ever make something simply because it's fun to MAKE -- I mean, the challenge is fun, but maybe the end product is not something you really needed (or wanted)? I have done this more than once, for sure.

But I do wear this striped top that I entered in Rae's Spring Top Sewalong quite a bit, and that's why I made this new gray one, as a sort of scaled-down version (band vs. ruffled sides, raw-edged sleeves vs. tailored sleeves). The structure is basically the same.

Well, here's to making useful (and easy) garments! Wa-hoo!