This month I’m featuring my Miri Tank Top pattern with a brand new sewalong. Today, we’re going to be talking about fabric, notions, tools and supplies. I’ll share my favorite fabrics to use with this pattern, the fabrics used in the samples and a few ideas from my favorite online shops. This woven tank top pattern is designed to be beginner friendly with a minimal amount of notions and supplies required.
Miri Pattern FABRIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Fabric choice is crucial for a successful sewing project. Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to find fabric that works with the Miri Tank Top. The Miri pattern is designed to be used with light to medium-weight woven fabrics such as linen, chambray, cotton lawn, poplin, double gauze, rayon, tencel and crepe de chine. You can even use quilting cotton. In the samples shown above, I used cotton chambray, rayon challis, yarn dyed cotton and cotton poplin. The fabrics are all a “medium” weight. The rayon challis is the lightest and has the most drape.
There are two things to consider when selecting your fabric. First, consider the drape of the fabric. The thicker the fabric is, the more it will hold the shape and stand away from the body. If you use a fabric that is thinner and has more drape, the fabric will hang closer to the body and move more freely. Take a look at the top two examples above. The one on the left has more structure while the one on the right has more drape.
Second, I recommend a fabric that is NOT see-through or transparent. The neckline is finished with a facing so if you have a transparent fabric, you’ll be able to see the lines of the facing.
If you are shopping online for fabric, here are a few options that I think would work well for the Miri Tank Top.
Fabrics shown above:
Sagewood Sunshine Florals Quilting Cotton from LA Finch Fabrics. This shop is based in the LA area and mostly features deadstock fabric so their selection varies. I don’t use quilting cotton often for making garments but I would use it for the Miri Tank. Quilting cotton has a lot of great prints and it’s easy to sew with, making it more beginner friendly.
Abstract Summer Floral Slub Linen Blend Apple/Blue from Stylemaker Fabrics. A linen is a great option for the Miri Tank if you want a natural fabric that will hold the shape of the top. Stylemaker is based in Washington State and is family run. They always have a large selection of apparel fabrics. And, there are two other color ways for this print.
Grape Mousse Tiny Xs - Yarn-Dyed Dobby Weave - 100% Cotton from Eureka Fabrics. I haven’t purchased from this fabric store before but I really like their selection. I love that the plus/X print on this fabric is created with the yarn rather than printed.
Daisy Woven Stone Blue by Fableism and available from Harts Fabric. This fabric looks a little thicker and would hold the shape of the Miri Tank really nicely. I love the woven daisies!
Sandwashed Cotton Poplin in Cobalt from Fluid and Drape. A cotton poplin is easy to work with and makes a great Miri Tank (see pink and blue example above). Fluid and Drape carries a few different solid color options of this fabric.
Viscose Challis - Navy Parrot Party from Sewing Studio. For a more relaxed silhouette, try using a rayon challis or rayon crepe fabric. I think this top is a great opportunity for using a fun and whimsical print like these parrots.
SUPPLIES FOR SEWING THE Miri Woven Tank Top
THREAD For thread, I generally use an all-purpose polyester thread but you can also use cotton thread. In my experience, cotton thread is more prone to breaking down over time, but I believe it’s more environmentally friendly than polyester because it does actually break down with time. (You can choose what works best for you.) Note, the only place with visible top stitching is the hem.
SEWING MACHINE NEEDLE With woven fabric, I generally use a Universal needle. For a medium weight fabric, I’d use a medium sized needle, 70/10 or 80/12. If your fabric is getting snags during sewing (this can happen with silks or other fussy fabrics), try using a Microtex needle.
FUSIBLE INTERFACING For this pattern, I recommend applying a fusible interfacing to the facing pieces. This helps stabilize the facing and the neckline. I like to use a lightweight non-woven fusible interfacing. (I’m very basic when it comes to interfacing ;) I like to buy it in bulk so I always have some on hand and I recently bought 5 yards from Wawak.
tool RECOMMENDATIONS
I recommend having the following tools on hand when sewing this pattern.
Fabric scissors for trimming the seam allowance (and cutting out fabric)
Rotary Cutter (optional for cutting out fabric)
Thread snips for trimming thread and clipping curves
SEWING MACHINE REQUIREMENTS
The Miri Tank Top can easily be sewn on a conventional sewing machine. To finish the raw edge of the facing, I generally use a serger but you can also use a zig zag stitch or another overlock stitch on your conventional machine.
I hope that you found this post helpful. Click here to see all of the posts in Miri Sewalong. Or, scroll through them below.
About the Sew DIY Miri pattern:
The Miri Tank is a wardrobe building basic that will quickly become the shirt you reach for most often. This simple-to-sew top can be worn with skirts, pants or shorts for a variety of everyday outfits, throughout the year.
This A-line shaped tank top is fitted with a bust dart and cropped to end at the high hip. View A features a classic rounded neckline and armholes, while View B sports a V-neck in the front and gently angled armholes and back neck shaping. Both views are finished with an all-in-one facing. When made in a linen or cotton, the tank will maintain its A-line shape while worn. When made in a drapey rayon or Tencel, the shape will hang closer to the body.
This beginner-friendly pattern is drafted for sizes 0-32 and includes three cup size options for all sizes. Choose from A/B cup, C/D cup or E/F cup for a customized fit through the bust.
If you’d like to save this post for later, you can save the image below to Pinterest. Happy sewing!
