Sunday Sew-Day: Plaid-Back Tee

This shirt came from last autumn's clothes swap. It'a little too snug, leading to gaping buttons at the bust.

I also had this plain tank top from my heavier days. It just happens to be the exact same purple hue as the purple in the plaid shirt.

I cut the front panels and collar off the plaid shirt, leaving raw edges on the sides and top of the back. Around the armhole edges of the sleeves, however, I just cut the front panels off as close to the seam as possible, but I left the serged edges attached to the sleeves.

Then I cut out the front of the tank top, leaving the neckline edging, but trimming off the armhole edging.

I put the back plaid and front purple pieces together, right sides facing, and sewed the side seams. To encase the raw edges of the woven plaid fabric and keep it from fraying, I folded the purple jersey fabric over on top of it before sewing the seams.

Then I attached the purple armholes to the plaid sleeves. Since I left the serged edges on the plaid sleeves here, I didn't have to worry about encasing the raw edges. Because the armholes of the tank top had been larger to begin with, I had some extra fabric at the top of the straps that was chopped off.

Next I folded the purple fabric over the plaid at the shoulder seams, and stitched those together.

I gave my new neckline a nice curve in the back.

To finish that raw edge, I snipped one of the waist ties off the remnants of the plaid shirt. I used my seam ripper to open it up, making what was essentially bias tape from it.

I attached it to the back neckline, and I was all set!

I contemplated putting a plaid pocket on front too, like I did with my tribal tank top, but then I decided, since I had left the sleeves intact, a pocket might be too much plaid.

By pulling the tank top straps outward to meet the sleeves, it created a very wide neckline, which I'm really digging.

And luckily, since the tank top started out fairly long, I was able to keep the length of the plaid shirt, with that great curved shirt-tail hem in the back.

With the thin cotton back, this should be a great shirt for summer. But I feel like it's going to carry me into fall nicely as well.