Quick Saturday Summer Top

Happy Saturday, everyone!  I had big plans this morning - get up at 8 and go for a run, and then go to an estate sale at a fancy hotel.  They were selling things guests left behind along with the owner's private collection of antique goodies.  Unfortunately it was pouring and 40 degrees.  To warm myself up, I made some coffee and a quick summery top. 

I bought this table runner from Bethesda Thrift Store for 75 cents.  I wasn't sure what I could use it for, but for that price, I couldn't pass it up.



It wasn't long enough for a top, but it was plenty wide.  I figured I could cut it in half and double it up to make it longer.  First, I removed the binding on top.  It'll make a pretty trim for another project.



Then I pinned my two pieces together.



It's long enough now!



I measured an existing top of mine, and it was 14" across at the elastic portion and 20" at the bottom.



I cut my piece to 20", and then fed a piece of elastic through the top band.



I thought this would be a good opportunity to practice French seams. Look how nice and neat on the inside! I might have to start doing French seams for all my projects.



And it's done!



Then I tried it on, and I wasn't loving the shapelessness. I gotta have some waist definition! So I added a second band of elastic at the waist by sewing a piece of hem tape all the way around to make a casing.



It's underneath a ruffle, so you can't even see the stitching! Now it's really done.  Can't wait until it's warm enough to wear!