Catalina Tank – So Sew English
Even though I am very excited for fall to begin, I can’t help but still love and crave everything summer. What better way to enjoy these last few days of hot weather than with a brand new tank! The Catalina Tank from So Sew English certainly fulfilled that want and even has a little extra flair!
The Pattern
The Catalina Tank is the newest pattern from So Sew English and it is a great one to round out the summer. This tank features three different lengths, and straps that make it a little extra special.
Options include: Crop, Shirt, and Tunic Length
Straps are double straps with a V-back. Though it looks like there are 4 separate straps, there are really only 2! This makes construction a breeze. The straps are “free moving” in the front allowing for some adjustments as well.
Another secret to this pattern.. there’s a built in shelf bra. This is the first time I’ve made one and let me tell you it is MUCH easier than it sounds. It also means you can wear this as a lounge shirt, no bra needed 😉
One issue I personally had with this pattern was when using my projector with the A0 file. They separate sizes with colors (which is great!) but my size happened to be a light green which is not easy to see on the fabric from a projector screen.
However, an easy fix for this would be to invert the colors or, like what I did, use scrap paper over the fabric to help make the lines stand out more. Honestly this was a very minor issue and is easy to fix.
The Fabric
This pattern is perfect for lightweight knits. While you could probably get away with medium knits, anything heavier might lead to unnecessary stretching/sagging. The straps are quite thin and something to consider.
For this pattern I used DBP (Double brushed poly) from, you guessed it, So Sew English!
You will also notices I chose to use a solid color back which coordinates with the black in the front bodice pattern. While I’d like to say it was a style choice, it was more out of necessity since I did not efficiently cut the patterned fabric! However, I actually LOVE how the end result turned out more than my original plan.
Other fabrics you could use with this pattern would include ITY, Cotton Modal, and Rayon Spandex or knits with at least 25% 2-way stretch.
Sewing/Construction
The thing that drew me to this pattern was the straps. I personally didn’t have any shirts in my collection that were similar so I was very interested in giving it a try! I thought it was going to be a bigger challenge than it actually was.
Funny enough, the thing that took me the most time with this pattern was turning the straps only because I was testing a few new turning toys unsuccessfully. I apparently need more practice! What finally worked was securing one of the serger tails with a bodkin and feeding that through the tube. It had a steadfast grip and was skinny enough to slide right through the tube!
This is the kit I purchased from Amazon which includes a bodkin and other tube turning goodies:
Get the Look!
The Catalina tank can be purchased for $6.99 on So Sew English. Or… you can get it for FREE when you purchase $50+ in fabric! You can’t go wrong with that!!
Pattern: Catalina Tank from So Sew English
Fabric: DBP from So Sew English
