Coral Lace Panel Top

This is my part of the post that we did for the Sewlebrity Crush over at Family Ever After on Friday. I'm still frantically running around trying to get ready for backpacking TOMORROW!!! YIKES!!
P.S. Pick Your Plum has Washi Tape today!! I've used it here, here, here and featured someone here, and LOVE the stuff! Plus, it $3 for 2 rolls! Sweet! I'm getting one of each!

I got some clothes from someone that wouldn’t fit them, so they passed them on to me. I really liked the color of the top (it’s a coral/salmon color, but hubby would say it’s pink), and it had some unique things, but it was so tight and clingy. I don’t really want to wear a top that shows my belly button indent through the top. Know what I mean? It also had a weird knot thing at the bust, and a seam down the front that just wouldn’t stay centered, so it always seemed off. The front is longer than the back. Maybe it’s a maternity top? I dunno. But, here it is:

Now, I had a friend that wore a cool top, and I really liked the look of it, and a few days later I was at the mall, and saw the top! Hers was cream and lace, this one was red. So I snapped a quick picture to stew in my brain for a bit. (in case you’re wondering, the store was Head Over Heels at the Layton Hills Mall. I don’t know if that’s where she got it, but it looked like it)

So, I kept seeing that coral top, and never wearing it because I didn’t like how it fit. So, what if I add lace to it like the inspiration top? First thing I did was cut up the seams on the front and sides (while watching a movie). Like so:

Then, I got my lace. I went into a fabric store with the kidlets, and couldn’t find any stretchy lacey fabric, so I went with a trim. It’s 4” wide if you’re curious.

I ironed the lace in half to get a crease in the middle

and then put it in one of the side seams, matching the middle of it with the underarm where I had stopped unpicking, and it turned out really wonky.

This is after ironing it. I didn’t pin it, just laid them on top of each other and went for it. The problem is, one is stretchy knit, the other is woven lace. Not gonna work. So, do as I say, not as I did. It’s really not fun to unpick lace. Just FYI.

Pin the shirt to the lace on a flat surface, without stretching it at all!!! That’s the ticket.

See I matched the middle of the lace up under the arm, and then the edges match at the bottom. Then, sew it on your machine without stretching! As you’re going along, if the fabric is trying to stretch, just put the needle in, lift up the presser foot, and smooth things out. I probably did this every few inches.

Then, after you sew one half, lay it out again and pin the other side and sew. It turned out so much smoother!

Notice how I left extra lace hanging past the hem? Yep, that’s on purpose. Make sure you leave about an inch. After I did the sides and front, I ironed the shirt in half in the back, matching up seams as best as I could.

It’s very faint, but there’s a line that I followed to cut.

I cut it up the back, and then sewed the lace panel in the back. After I sewed them all in, I turned the shirt inside out, and this is what it looked like.

I ironed it flat, so the lace is smooth.

Then, I decided to top stich on the outside to make sure everything would stay flat. (lifting up the presser foot periodically as needed and keeping it smooth with your fingers)

Then, it looked so nice!

Then, I turned it inside out again and carefully trimmed the extra lace off (don’t cut your shirt or lace!)

My shirt was finished on the hem with a skinny rolled serge, but my serger is acting up, and I don’t have matching thread, so I went with a zigzag stitch. I just made the hems match up with an imaginary line I sewed on.

It’s faint, but there’s a pink line across the bottom: (seriously, have you tried to take a picture of white lace on a white table? It's like the time Nat made Invisibility Cloaks for her boys!)

Then, I trimmed off the extra again.

And the shirt is finished!

Gotta love awkward self portraits, right?



Some tips:
If you're going to try this, it would probably be a little easier to use a woven shirt with woven lace, or stretchy lace with a knit shirt.
It's really not fun to unpick lace. Make sure to buy a little extra...just in case:)
Coral/Salmon doesn't like to photography consistently. So it is the same shirt even if it keeps changing color!
Come over and show us if you make one! I'd love to see it!