I’m loving these cross tops that seem to have made a comeback from 20 years ago. They don’t always seem to fit correctly, though. If you are top-heavy, you end up looking like a hussy. If you have a longer torso, they end up fitting like a belly shirt. They can be oh-so-tricky. To get your best fit, make one your damn self! You already have what you need in your closet. You may have to take trip to your local sewing supply store. After an hour, from start to finish, you will have a couture top that fits you perfect!

Supplies:

Old cardigan
Thread
Needle
Pins
Ruler or measuring tape
Safety pins
Scissors
Chalk

Steps:

  1. First, try on your cardigan and cut off all your buttons. Next, put the cardigan on inside out and take a look in the mirror to see where you want the top to cross. It should be right below breast line. But if you want your cross top to fit more loosely, it would be about 3 inches under breast line. Mark with chalk. Remove, and measure to the chalk line. Now, make the same measurement on other side.
  2. Lay the cardigan flat and inside out. You want to pop the seams on the sides or cut them with scissors on each side to the chalk measurement. Put the cardigan back on, not inside out. You will want to take the side that has buttonholes first and pull it to cross and reach where the other side is cut. Safety pin it in place. Then, repeat this step with the other side. This should hide most of the buttonholes. Make sure to do this while looking in a mirror, so you can see how it will all lay.
  3. Now, take the cardigan off and leave the safety pins in place. You may want to remove the pins to make the lines more precise and clean. Now, pin in place where the crossed fabric meets the side seam. You will do a quick simple stitch. Nothing fancy, just a very basic in-and-out stitch that is even. Remove the pins and put the top back on. Make sure everything is how you want it. You can either leave the crossed fabric to create a V bottom or you can sew the bottoms to the sides. It is that simple!
  4. I like to add a stitch to the bust, so that I do not have any unexpected shifting.

Jamie Burke