Make a Lace-Up Top from a Plain Tee Shirt Pattern

I am quite pleased with myself about this one!  I wanted a top with a lace-up detail that isn't tedious to wear.  Here are some examples of what I'm taking about.  I decided I just wanted the look of the trendy lacing, not ones that actually function to hold the neckline together. 

I started with a plan tee shirt pattern that I like.  Mine is McCalls 6886, but any tee would do.  For the neckline, I bound the back neck edge and drafted a simple facing for the front.  I used a lightweight fusible interfacing on the front facing, attached it and understitched.  Voila!  That's it!  The last step is adding the metal grommets, which was really easy to do.

I have had the fabric in my stash for a while.  I think it was from Gorgeous Fabrics, but I'm not 100% sure.  It feels like a rayon jersey, very silky.

I tried both this silk cord and a thin leather strip for my lacing.  Both are a little stiff.  Other options would be narrow ribbon, very thin rope, or a tube of fabric.  I wore this top a LOT on my recent travels (nothing fancy, alas, just visiting family).  It is super comfy but just a little elevated from a plain tee shirt.  Now I want to make McCalls 7391 even more than before!

McCalls 6886 in Art Gallery cotton/spandex Knit

 Well, it didn't take me long at all to break into my recent fabric order.  I knew this top would be quick, so into the wash for pre-shrinking went the fabric and after about one and a half hours of cutting and sewing the next day, I had my spring top.

The pattern is McCalls 6886, which is actually a dress pattern, but it fits me so perfectly that I've made it my go-to tee.  I also used this pattern for my recent striped tee.  I went for a gentle shirt-tail hem again.  I think this is so modern and flattering.  It doesn't cut me right in half at the hip.

The fabric is an Art Gallery print that I purchased from fabric.com.  It is a cotton/spandex jersey, and it is just heavenly.  So smooth and soft.  Excellent quality.  I've been checking out the other prints.  This one is calling to me, but luckily for the wallet, it's out of stock right now.

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The pattern calls for turned under hems at the neckline and armholes, but I made bindings for a nice, casual finish.  I know this will be in constant rotation this spring and summer.

This isn't the only fabric I cut in to... I actually sewed up the Liberty of London knit into a wrap dress for Easter, so expect to see that soon.  Here is a sneak peak, via Instagram.  :-)