Quick and Easy Upcycle Idea: How to DIY a Patchwork Top

I found two handmade patchwork pillow shams in my local thrift store. I had to get them because as soon as I saw them I knew I could easily turn them into a super cool top.

You probably won’t find the exact same items, but you can use any similar size pieces of fabric to do what I’m about to do.  

I’m going to show you one of my simple upcycle ideas and how to make a top all in one step-by-step tutorial.

Tools and materials: 

• 2 patchwork pillow shams or pieces of fabric
• Garment as template
• Measuring tape
• Fabric marker (optional)
• Pins
• Scissors
• Pinking shears (optional)
• Sewing machine

1. Prepare the fabric

You need two pieces of fabric that can comfortably wrap around your body and give you the fit you want.

Because these are decorative pillow shams, they have a pocket in the back for the cushion pad.

Keeping this would make the already padded fabric much too bulky, so my first task was to cut the backing away on both pieces, as close to the seam as possible.

I held the fabric up against my body and decided to use it in “landscape” mode, to give myself a loose fitting top that wouldn’t be too long.

My aim with this project is to do as little sewing as possible.

2. Plan the basic shape

Lay the two pieces together with the right sides facing.

Decide on the basic shape you want and find an existing garment to use as a template.

I’m using a baggy short-sleeved t-shirt as it has the relaxed, boxy fit I’m looking for.

Place the neckline of your garment on the edge of the fabric and arrange the rest of the top smoothly on the fabric.

Measure carefully from the outside edge of the neck to the side of the fabric, to ensure the template is placed right in the center of the horizontal edge. 

If it’s not, your top is going to be lop-sided.

If your fabric is more lightweight than mine, you can fold it and the template in half lengthways and place the center front fold of the template onto the fabric fold. That way you can cut both sides together.

Place pins at the critical points of the shape, such as either side of the neckline. Make sure the neckline is wide enough if your fabric isn’t as stretchy as the template.

I placed a pin at the end of the sleeve on each side and at the side seams under the arms.

My last set of pins are at the lower edge of the side seams.

As you can see, I’m making full use of the finished edges of the fabric in planning my top.

3. Sew the top

If you’re feeling nervous, trace around the template garment with a fabric marker or use more pins to outline the shape in greater detail.

Sew around the shape you’ve outlined as evenly as you can.

I didn’t sew a straight diagonal line between the neck edge and the end of the sleeve. I kept the shoulder line quite high and gently curved it into the sleeve because my fabric is bulky. 

Adapt your design to suit the requirements of your fabric.

4. Trim the excess

Cut away the excess fabric outside the stitching line.

Depending on your fabric, you may want to use pinking shears for this, to help prevent the edges from fraying.