Wiksten Tank!

After lusting over the beautiful Liberty tana lawn cotton prints for the hundredth time, I decided to tackle my biggest sewing fear...and make a garment. The intro to sewing class I took last summer taught me how to read a pattern and Karyn at The Workroom assured me that the Wiksten tank was the perfect entry level pattern.  I'd seen the Wiksten tank top all over Flickr and it looked like it flattered just about any body type.

 

My former colleagues gave me a gift certificate to King Textiles as a parting gift so this weekend I picked out a two cotton solids and one cotton/linen blend. I wanted to try making the shirt in a less expensive fabric before cutting into the Liberty, so that my mistakes wouldn't hurt quite as much (the Liberty is pricey!).

The Wiksten pattern was extremely easy to follow, even for a newbie like me. I made an extra large, due to my, ahem, ample bust. I think the next time I make this top I'll modify it, or perhaps  use the large or even medium size and increase the bust using this tutorial. 

 

I was concerned that I'd run into difficulty with binding the neck line and arm holes but it worked out perfectly!  One other modification that I'll make next time is to shorten the straps a tad, even half an inch would be enough to ensure no gaping at the arm holes. 

I can't wait to make this pattern again. This fabric is a bit stiff and I can just imagine how awesome this tank will be in the soft and flowy tana cotton! 

P.S. I'm going to link up with Manic Monday over on Sew Happy Geek (see sidebar for details).
P.P.S. Don't forget to enter my 100th post giveaway!