Hello lovelies! Today I have yet another variation of the Lou Box Top to share with you. This version is inspired by two lovely sewists that I've had the pleasure of meeting online, Emily of In the Folds and Rebecca from Vida Doce. I have more of these tops than I can count and this one quickly became a favorite. I've been wearing it at least once a week since I finished it, usually with my Birkin Flares (yay! for me-made). But without further ado, on to the details of this top.
When Emily of In The Folds and I swapped patterns a couple months ago, she made a Lou Box Top with a seam at the hem section. The pattern comes with three different hem styles that you can mix and match. The pattern pieces for the hem are separate from the body making it really easy to lengthen or shorten and as Emily so cleverly did, add a seam. Adding a seam at the hem extension, can save you a bit of fabric and also adds a nice detail. You can even use a different fabric for the hem to create a color blocked top.
The next feature I added to this top was inspired by Rebecca. She asked on Instagram if I had ever done a zipper back version and I was shocked to realize that I had not. I decided to do an exposed zipper to really showcase this feature. I found a great metal zipper in my stash and set to work.
How to sew a Zip Back Lou Box Top with Hem Seam
Notes:
Here I made View A with the straight hem and crewneck.
The zipper should be not be longer than the body piece. Mine is 11 inches.
I did french seams in this top everywhere except for the center back around the zip.
Step 1: Cut the hem pieces separately from the body, adding an extra .5 inch seam allowance to each hem piece and body piece along the side with the half circles. Do not cut out button loop.
Step 2: Install the zipper. Place zipper against center back seam with the zipper stop .25 inch below the raw edge. Mark where the bottom of the zipper is. I used this tutorial from Megan Nielsen to install the zipper. It was so easy to do. It took all of 15 minutes to complete and made me feel like a rockstar.
Step 3: Stitch front hem to front body. Stitch back hem to back body. Finish the top as usual: shoulder seams, sleeve hems, side seams and neck binding. Photos of all those steps can be found in the Lou Box Top Sewalong.
The fabric is a light weight gray linen type that I picked up in the LA fashion district. The fit of this top is intended to be very boxy and loose. I made a size M-L and have a 38 inch bust. The pattern is such a great basic that can be made in woven or knit fabric. I love how Lauren made one size smaller in a knit fabric for a more fitted t-shirt. I'm definitely going to have to try this soon.
I released the Lou Box Top pattern a little over a year ago and I'm still finding so many ways to use it. Not only is it super fast to sew, it's also really versatile. The pattern is now available as part of the Indiesew Spring Collection. It's an amazing bundle of great patterns that will save you money and help you build an awesome spring wardrobe. For evidence, check out my Birkin Flares (seen here), Rushcutter Dress and Sanibel Dress.
