Lago Tank Pattern Review

Virginia tends to be pretty steamy during the summer.  I wanted to make a few knit tank tops for our summer trip home since most of my summer clothes no longer fit.

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I wound up with a piece that I actually like and wear a lot - at least once a week on this vacation.  I decided to try out the free Lago Tank (affiliate link) from Itch To Stitch, which I had printed out last summer, but not yet sewn.  But if you have a large bust, be warned that this pattern may not work for you without some pattern adjustments.

I sewed a straight size 10, which matches my waist and hip measurements (31.5"-41.5"). My full bust (40") puts me in a 12, while my high bust (36") puts me in a 6.  Usually I would do an FBA, but the finished measurement for the bust was 38 5/8", and my bust is about 40, and I figured that was about the right amount of negative ease for a stretch knit tank top.  I wanted a quick and easy sew, and I decided that, worst case scenario, I could wear the tank to sleep.

Well, it wasn't quite so easy.  The shoulders fit me very well (usually shoulders are way too wide for me if I use my full bust size), indicating that an FBA wouldn't necessarily have been a total fix for me.  However, the armscye gaped horribly.  I ended up making 3/4" darts for a total of 1.5" taken out of each armscye.  You can see the giant armscye dart in the photo below.

I was pretty annoyed about having to put in that dart, and the rest of the tank was pretty sack-like when I finished it, so my first impression was not great.  But as I am very much a make-it-work kind of a sewist, I shaped the waist a bit, and threw it into my suitcase.

Fast forward a few weeks, and this tank has become one of the stars of my vacation wardrobe - I have probably worn it more than any other me-made I packed, except perhaps for the Anna skirt (which I'm also wearing in these photos).

The darts no longer bother me, but I really like the front straps, which are slightly cut-in, and the wider racer-back shape that still more-or-less hides my bra straps.

I probably should have shortened it slightly and shaped the hem a little, but I didn't (you can see it untucked in the photo below).  I may take the pattern out again in the future when I feel like doing some flat pattern adjustments since I do really like the shape and cut of the upper bodice.  I'm not entirely sure how to adjust the pattern though - taking such a big dart out of the armscye would require rotating that fullness in somewhere else, and then redrawing the side seams so as not to add more width. Also, it's possible that the shaping provided by the darts is actually part of what I like about the fit, so maybe I should just continue making the pattern with armscye darts.

The fabric is the last bit of a cotton/lycra (and maybe a bit of poly) jersey that I previously used to make long- and short-sleeved tees. It is beefy and has great recovery.  I've worn the tank quite a bit over the past month with my as pictured, with shorts, and with linen pants.

As always, thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!