Make a Top a “Little” Bigger

I recently purchased this top at a thrift store:

I saw it and loved it.  The store had two, in different sizes.  I tried on the smaller one and it was just a little too small.  So, I bought the other one.  I got it home and found out it was the same size as the one I tried on.  I was really disappointed.  Then I started looking at it and got an idea.  I could make it just a little bigger by adding a panel in back.  Here is how I did it:

Materials:

One top that is slightly too small

One piece of matching or contrasting fabric

10 metal eyelets

1 length of thin elastic

Sewing machine

Matching thread

Eyelet setter

First I removed the elastic from the sleeves, only because I don’t like elastic around my arms.

Then I removed the stitching from the center back.

I cut a panel of fabric 10 inches wide by the length of the top with seam allowances. First I sewed the panel in, right sides together:

Grey represents wrong side, white is right side.

I did this on both sides.

I then sewed another seam with the fabric wrong sides together.  This seam allowance was slightly wider than my eyelets.

I then placed a line of eyelets, five on each side, evenly spaced down the back of the top:

I laced a ribbon through the eyelets:

I didn’t like the way the ribbon looked.  It was hard to adjust and started to fray.  It also tended to untie.

I replaced it with a thin length of elastic.  The top is much more comfortable.  I can pull it on and off without untying it. 

As you can see, I did not put the eyelets all the way down.  I like the way it flares at the bottom.

I think this would also be cute with a different colored top, maybe with a contrasting piece of fabric and multi-colored eyelets.