I've been meaning to make more casual summer pieces to wear on the weekends and around the house, and this tank top is perfect for that! This is the True Bias Zoey Tank that I made in this Minerva Core Range Cotton Rib Stretch Knit in the Aqua colorway. I am in love with this fabric, especially this aqua color, and this pattern and fabric combination is a match made in heaven!

I chose to make the original neckline of this pattern which features a soft front V and a scooped back neckline. I also chose to make the hip-length version to be able to wear it tucked or untucked as I like.

This fabric is perfect for this tank top pattern; it is the ideal weight and elasticity, and not only does it feature good elastic recovery, it is not too itchy and not too clammy against the skin.

I used a stretch needle and my machine's walking foot to sew this tank top and even though it squished outwards a little bit under my machine's presser foot as I sewed, this tank top still came together neatly. To finish the straps and hems as neatly as possible, I cut and ironed on strips of Vliesine Stretchfix, which featues a double-sided stick effect and can be used in the place of pins or clips to hold stretch fabric in place and stabilize it to avoid stretched out, or wavy seams. I also used a lightening stretch stitch for most of the seams for durability, and a three-step zig zag stitch to sew the hem for extra elasticity.

I made a straight size 0 of this pattern as it best corresponds to both my bust and high hip measurements. The body of the tank top fits well, but unfortunately, the straps were way too long when I first tried this top on after finishing the straps. This is because technically, True Bias patterns are about 1 size too big for my bust and upper chest measurements, and I didn't think it would be necessary to manually grade this pattern down, but I forgot to take into account strap length. It is also, unfortunately, not possible to unpick the lightning-shaped stretch stitch I'd used to finish the straps without also ruining the fabric, so I couldn't cleanly shorten the straps by unpicking and resizing them. I ended up taking out the extra 4 cm of length on each side by pleating that extra length down towards the back of the straps and sewing the pleats down. It's not the cleanest finish, but at least this garment is now wearable.

Apart from that error, I'm really pleased with this tank top! The front v-neck is a little too revealing for my comfort to wear out (I'd have to be very careful bending over and reaching so as not to flash anyone), but it's great for around the house on very hot days. The best part of this top is this fabric - I love how it feels and the color is just stunning! This aqua color makes me happy just looking at it and I'm very happy to be able to wear it too!

Thank you for reading,

Sarah

Instagram: sarah__naomi_

YouTube: Sarah Naomi

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