Skip to main content

Summer of T-Shirts Event: Date Night Tank Top

This week's post is from Vatsla of Fashion By The Seams. She is also one of our Fabricistas!


HI Fashionistas!

I am so excited to be participating in the Summer of T-Shirt Event.  Can I just tell you that tees and tanks are my favorite? I am a stay at home mom for the most part, and I teach and freelance part time. A lot of my work happens from my home studio. I practically live in jeans. But I still want to be stylish! So I always try to dress up my look with something a little more interesting than a basic tee or tank. Here is my version of a dressy tank paired with casual white jeans!




I'll be showing you how I hacked this basic t-shirt pattern to get something a lot more dressy! I used the McCalls Palmer/Pletsch 6964 view A and modified it to my liking.



Here is my sketch. 


Typically I do not trace off patterns, but a pattern with minimal markings makes for an easy to follow visual aid.. so I traced off the front bodice onto pattern paper. There are 2 types of pattern paper I typically use:

1. Medical exam paper (typically for my working patterns)

2. Banner paper , typically for my production patterns. I like using banner paper the most, because it is sturdy, easily accessible (Office supply stores like Staples and even Walmart carry them.)


Here is the front bodice piece. I made the following markings on the pattern. 
  • The green is the stitch line marked, which is 5/8 from the pink line, which is the original cut line. 
  • The only alteration I made is the neckline, I squared off 1/2 inch from the centre front, to convert the V neck to a scoop neck. The squaring off is important to prevent a pointy shape. Then I drew a scoop neck as desired. This is drawn in purple. I did not lower the neckline. 



If you are going for a fitted tank like mine, remember to take negative ease into account ( the pattern needs to be smaller than your measurements). I used a rib knit, so I know how it will behave. If you are not sure what size to cut, its a good idea to find a tank top in your wardrobe and take some flat measurements from it. Then use a similar fabric. When in doubt, start with a bigger size and take it in as needed. Since you are converting a t-shirt pattern into a tank top, don't be surprised if you have to take in the side seams and shoulder seams, unless you proactively cut a smaller size.

 
  
There is nothing special about the back of the tank. Its pretty basic.  While I did not alter the armhole on the pattern, I did end up lowering the armhole by about 1/2 an inch after I did my 1st fitting. 



I did end up creating a centre back seam after I did my initial fitting. It is not part of the pattern but it can give you a better fit if your knits has  moderate stretch like the pattern calls for. 


Here is a close up of the lace. I sewed it such a way that it looks like a cap sleeve.  The chains are from the beading section of Joann Fabrics. I hand stitched them down on the shoulder seam of each shoulder,  catching the stitches in the seam allowance of the shoulder seams.


Here is a close up of the ruffle. To create the ruffle, I used one long strip of chiffon, folded it lengthwise, and stitched it to create a tube. Then flipped it right side out, and created some loose box pleats on it. I wanted voluminous ruffle, very unstructured... and I was able to accomplish that with the chiffon. I love chiffon!


I can best describe this tank as romantic. I love this look. The black look is dressy, I would love to pair this with a dark blue skinny jean. If you make this in a lighter color like blush or ivory, it would be perfect for brunch or shopping with the girls! 

I am in the middle of sewing about 5 more things! I hope you are doing well and sewing away! If you liked this tutorial, please check out the rest of my tutorials HERE.


See you soon!

XO-


Thanks again to Vatsla for helping us think outside the box with embellishment for tanks and tees!

Did you miss our previous posts on t-shirt pattern hacks? Check out our Summer of T-shirts Event Page.

We've also put together a t-shirt inspiration board on Pinterest. Check it out HERE.

Don't forget you can sew along with us at home. Share you t-shirt pattern hacks (new ideas you have and ideas that we have shared with you) on Facebook and Instagram using #FMSummerofTshirts. At the end of the summer, we will compile all the people that used the hashtag and you will be entered into a random drawing for $75 gift certificate to Fabric Mart!

Comments

  1. What a simple, modern, elegantly beautiful idea!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice additions to make the simple t-shirt simply fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Michelle! Girl - did I tell you I went out and bought black rose trim after seeing your jumpsuit? So chic!

      Delete
  3. How did you finish the neckline? Did you use a stabilizer at all? It looks so perfect!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Workwear Ready

I'm excited for my first post in 2023! At the beginning of the year, I recently went back to working in person so now I am looking to make and wear pieces that I can wear to work.  The goal is to be functional but also very fashionable since I am a fashion design professor. I saw this blue denim fabric and knew I wanted to make some pants; I just wasn’t sure what kind.  I decided to make Mimi G x Simplicity S8985 View B pants.  I liked the oversized flare look, I just made one slight modification to them by adding a pintuck along the front.  This was easy to add since the waistline was called to be slightly gathered to fit.  The fabric had a hand closer to linen and was very lightweight which was great and very satisfying to sew.  I lengthened the pants by 3” and finished with a 2” hem. The top I used Simplicity S9707.  It’s an oversized partial button down top.  I decided to create a high low hem by combining two different views.   I loved the print of the fabric but honestly as s

Made By A Fabricista: Spring into 2023 with Liberty of London!

Hi Fabricista Fans! I'm excited to be back with my first FabricMart project of 2023 and my second with Liberty of London Tana Lawn ! This fabric is so luxurious and wonderful to work with, I just can't pass it up whenever I see it come on sale! With such a high thread count, Liberty of London doesn't easily crush, and although it's 100% cotton, it's so flowy that it's perfect for billowy dresses, blouses, and skirts. With my $50 budget this month, I purchased 2 yards of Tana Lawn and made a Peony Patterns Rosemary Dress with inseam pockets for my youngest daughter. This is a gorgeous button down dress with long and short puff sleeve options. After cutting it out, I realized I had plenty leftover for a skirt for my eldest, so I whipped up the FREE Peony Patterns Apple Berry Skirt for her. Since she needed a top to go with it, I raided my stash for some additional fabric, and found a lovely eggshell Fabric Mart Rayon Lycra hidden away. (Don't worry, I still ha

Made By A Fabricista: A Denim Set for Spring

Happy Friday All! I am ecstatic to share my latest make that I had on my to make list for a while.  My goal for the month of February was to sew a mini vacation capsule for a trip, but unfortunately I did not get a chance to. I was able to make 3 of the 6 pieces including this denim set. When this beautiful denim fabric arrived, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I have been wanting to recreate a linen look I made a few years ago using the Montoya coat pattern with a few adjustments.  I created VIEW A without the peplum and lengthened it by 6 inches. Instead of sewing the tie inside the seam of the top like I did here, I wanted to make it separate so that it looks like a jumpsuit. (Read the blogpost here ). Moreover, my body has changed and I needed to cut a size larger so that I can rock it as an open vest or a top tucked in. I love the way it turned out but wish I had extended it by 8 inches instead of 6. For the pants, I went to my tried and true simplicity 8605 pants pattern and