Blue and white striped simple tie neck top and peach-picking

Blue and white striped simple tie neck top and peach-picking

• 8.18.2015

I woke up Saturday morning with an idea. I'd been loosely thinking about going out to a u-pick farm to pick peaches one of these weekends, but I wasn't sure how long the season was, and I thought it would be fun to make something loose, woven, and cottony for the trip. (I love going out to farms, I wanted to make it special!) I called the farm we go to (Jossy Farms in Hillsboro) and... this was the last weekend for picking peaches, and they weren't open on Sunday.

So, I went to the sewing room, found some pre-washed fabric and a simple pattern (Simplicity 1355, a recent fave), and... an hour and 20 minutes later (!!), I was out the door in my new top!

I wanted something really simple, since I didn't have a lot of time and wanted something light and airy for being out in the hot sun. Two inspirations here.

Source/Source

I used (and modified) Simplicity 1355, which I've used a lot lately. It's a dress and jumpsuit pattern, but I cut basically the top for view C/D, but extended the front and back pieces about 6-8" to make it a top. I thought about doing a dress shirt hem, coming up at the sides, or a slight high-low hem with the front a little shorter, but I wanted to honor the structure of the stripes and keep it symmetrical all around.

I also made the drawstring casing smaller and made the drawstring as narrow as possible. I think it's cuter that way.

The pattern has a seam down the center front and back to accommodate the slits, but I didn't want to mess with the stripes by adding a seam, so I cut a narrow V in the center front and gave it a tiny hem.

I chose to tie mine in the back, which takes a little coordination after you put it on... but preserves the smooth front look.

The armholes have a white bias binding.

A seriously fast sewing project!!

I don't know when the last time I bought a top pattern was (I don't make them often), but I don't like to do pattern-free, either--I usually find garments that are at least loosely based on a pattern are more flattering on me!

The top was perfect for our peach-hunting (hunting because there weren't many left on the trees, really had to look closely!) at Jossy Farms in Hillsboro. How cool is that barn??

We got... some peaches. Most of the really big ones were already on the ground! We got this box, and froze the ripe ones for later.

Shorts: Old Navy. Shoes: Old Navy (similar). Hat: Nordstrom Rack c. 2004! (similar) Belt: Vintage. Top: DIY!

It's the beginning of pear and apple season, though! We got a few too many pears.. not sure what to do with them all! I guess I could can them?? Pear sauce?? We try not to eat too much fruit and save it for special occasions, so I'd like to do something I can use slowly!

I love the top and it's exactly what I wanted for a hot summer day outside!