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- FreeSewing Designs
- Diana draped top
- Diana draped top: Sewing Instructions
Diana draped top: Sewing Instructions
Step 1: Finish the back neckline
- Cut a strip of main fabric the length of your back neckline, and around 3 cm wide.
- Press a fold into this strip, 1 cm from the edge.
Tip
For woven fabric make this a bias cut strip.
For knit fabric make a strip with the stretch of the fabric running along the long edge.
- With good sides together align the non-folded edge of the strip with the back neckline.
- Sew the strip to the back neckline and trim the seam.
- Turn the strip to the wrong side of the fabric and topstitch along the folded edge to keep it in place.
Step 2: Close shoulder seams
- Finish the raw edge on the front neckline in a way that suits your fabric (if it doesn’t fray, you can leave it unfinished).
- With good sides together, place the front on the back aligning the shoulder seams.
- Fold the front neckline seam allowance over to the wrong side of the back.
Note
If you have a lightweight woven fabric you can fold this edge up again, so it will form a narrow double hem afterwards (it can help to press these folds first).
- Stitch the shoulder seam, enclosing the raw edge of the back neckline in the fold.
- Turn to the right side and press.
Step 3: Finish front neckline
- Press the hem formed in your fabric by the folds you made at the shoulder seam when you closed the shoulder and topstitch close to the edge.
Step 4: Attach sleeves
The sleeve will be inserted flat, meaning the armhole seam will be sewn first and the sleeve and side seam will be closed in one go.
- With good sides together, matching notches, pin the sleeve head along the armhole.
- If necessary, ease in the sleeve head at the top, between the notches.
- Sew, finish and press the seam.
- Repeat for other sleeve.
Step 5: Close side and sleeve seam
- With good sides together pin the front to the back along the sleeve and side seams, making sure to line up the armhole seams.
- Sew, finish and press the seam.
Step 6: Hem
- Finish the sleeves and bottom hems in a way that works with your fabric choice.
Note
Again, this can mean folding the hem under twice and
, finishing the raw edge with a serger
or zig zag stitch and folding it under once or leaving the edge raw, folding it under once and
trimming close to the stitching.
topstitching
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Step 7: Enjoy!
You’re all done! Now go enjoy your new top!