Super Quick Boxy Top

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Want a sewing project that’s as easy and quick as it is verstile and comfy?  Well, alrighty then.  This knit boxy top has got you covered….literally.  Hardy har har!

Remember this post where I talked about how important loose tops and knit pencil skirts are in my life right now?  Well this is another rendition of that type of shirt and I just can’t get enough.  Bonus: this baby honestly takes 30 minutes to whip up.  The perfect project for those with creative ADD.  Ahem, moi.

The following diagram should help you get an idea of how easy it is to come up with this basic shape based on a T-shirt you already own.

Fold your fabric in half, along the grainline.  Next, fold a ready-to-wear T-shirt you own in half down the center and lay it on top of the fabric, lining up the folds.  Trace around the T-shirt in a boxy T-shirt shape as shown below.  How big or fitted you make it is up to you, and also depends on how fitted the shirt is you’re using for a pattern.

Cut out along this shape and you have your shirt front!  For the back, retrace the same shape only cut the neckline about 2″ higher (again, your preference how high it goes).  Lay your front and back pieces on top of each other, right sides together.  Sew up the sides all the way into the sleeve portion, as well as along the shoulder/top of sleeve; press.

For the neckline, measure the raw opening of the neck and subtract 1-2″.  Cut a neckband measuring this length x 2.5″.  Sew the short sides together, right sides together, press.  Now fold the neckband in half lengthwise, all the way around, wrong sides together.  Pin neckband along neckline of the shirt on the outside (right side), raw edges matching up: the neckband will be smaller than the neckline so you’ll need to pin it evenly all the way around.  The best way to do this is to place a pin at each quarter measurement around the neckband (i.e. if it has a 16″ circumference, place pins 4″ apart) and then do the same to the neckline.  Match up pins and pin both pieces together.  Sew neckband to neck opening while stretching the former.  The slightly smaller neckband will help the neck opening keep it’s shape.

Fold your sleeve hems under and stitch in place (I love a double needle for this.)  And, voila.  Done!