high low gathered back shirt tutorial and the beautiful view of san francisco

 I didn't know how small this city was until I could almost squeeze it into an entire photograph. At the top of twin peaks, you can get the prettiest view of the city and a little glimpse of windy roads sandwiched between rolling green hills. I want to come here every week! The houses and buildings are so packed together, with millions of people in this little place. Crazy. Isn't it so beautiful?

This shirt was super fast to make and easy to do....just a few snips and stitches and you are ready to go! Doesn't it seem it would be harder? I love how loose and comfy it is. You can make it even tighter if you like around the chest, But it mostly needs to be a little loose so the gathered part in the back can be flowy. My husband took the pics, which means I didn't get a great frontal shot, but I think you get the idea.

Extra supplies:

1 to 1. 5 yards of flowy fabric (mine was knit)

Instructions:

1. Take a loose shirt and lay it on your fabric (if you are using knit, make sure the stretchiness is running horizontal) cut around it. Always add more length and width than you think. Lay that piece onto your fabric, and cut out a half rounded version like the picture below. Then cut out a rectangular piece that is as long as at least 1.5 to 2 x the width of the shirt (horizontal) and the make it as long as you want. But it will be coming down from your mid to lower back. But keeping it long just in case will not hurt!

2. Gather the top of the long side of the rectangle piece to be the width of the half back shirt piece. 

3. Pin it to the rounded edge, right sides together and sew.

4. Topstitch (stitch on top) the remaining inside raw edge that was just created, by folding it up to the flat rounded piece in the inside of the shirt and sewing a straight stitch an eighth or quarter inch on the outside following the round back. 

5. Lay the front piece onto the back piece and sew up the sides and shoulders. Leaving the neckline, sleeve openings, and bottom open.

6. Cut the neckline to as open as you like minus a half inch for seam allowance....less is more, you don't want to cut too much out! Hem the neckline and sleeves.

7. Iron down the gathered piece in the back softly so it doesn't stick out too much.