Peek-a-Back Summer Top

Open-back tops used to be quite a trend when I was in high school. They weren't scandalous or overtly sexy. In fact, most of the time, only the lower back was exposed. Summer temperatures where I grew up used to reach the 90s, and on those days my open-back tops seemed like the greatest invention of all-time (especially for a sweaty girl like me).

Feeling nostalgic, I decided to make an attempt to create my own "peek-a-back" top from scratch.

Here's what I did ...

First I took my fabric and folded it in half.
Next I took a top I know fits me really well and folded that in half (with the front facing out).
I lined up the folds and traced around top, leaving a half-inch for seam allowance.
Then I cut along the line (but not the fold) and unfolded it to get my front panel.

I took the fabric and folded it in half.
Then I took the top and folded that in half, this time with the back facing out.
Using a washable marker, I traced around the outer half of the top, leaving half an inch for seam allowance.
**NOTE: The top was not placed on a fold this time***
Then, keeping everything in place, I unfolded the top, and traced the remainder of the neckline about to where the shoulder strap begins (see pictures).
I drew a straight line connecting the top end point to the bottom end point.
I then cut through both layers of fabric to get my two back panels.

I connected the front piece to the back pieces beginning at the should straps and then along the sides.
I then hemmed along the diaganol straight edges of the two back pieces.
I connected the two back pieces to one another using a basting stitch close to the edge line.

(By "connect" I mean "sew.")

For the final step, I hemmed along the neck line, the arm holes, and the bottom edges.