I have recently been on a tear making super quick tops as I realized I had no handmade light tops for Me Made May. I had originally picked up this cotton shirting as a remnant and had a totally different vision for it. It was going to be a preppy sleeveless blouse with a collar and the daintiest bow buttons.

Two things changed my mind. 1) I had a growing stash and pattern collection and the overwhelming feeling I would never make it through all the projects I wanted to get done before our trip in July; and 2) I’ve been gravitating to a more minimalist aesthetic lately and wondered if gingham and a collar and little bow buttons would be just a little too much.

So, I turned to my now-favourite McCalls 7195 to make the simplest-ever sleeveless blouse. I used the neckfacing I created for my horsey peplum blouse, made bias tape to bind the arm holes and adjusted the bottom.

I knew I wanted something a little bit longer in the back with slight slits at the side. I used a tank I own to decide what kind of curve I wanted and the length difference. Since I was dealing with a curved hem and I wanted to keep things as simple as possible, I bound the bottom in bias as well. Also, I love how gingham looks on the bias.

I bound the front and back pieces separately and then sewed the edges into the seam, which looks pretty good and was super, duper simple. I love the over all look of this top – the blue gingham is pretty classic and preppy, but the cut is ultra simple so I feel it’s modern without departing too much from my general style. Plus, this cotton is the lightest ever and is going to be amazing for sight-seeing this summer. I’m so glad I decided to make this top after all!