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Amber's Four Favorite Adventure Tanks

I've been sewing loads of Adventure Tanks lately and, with summer weather upon us, I'm happy to have quite a few in my wardrobe of both muscle and racerback versions. After testing the pattern in several different stretch fabrics I'm here to share my favorites makes and give you some insight into the behavior of some of my favorite knit fabrics.

The four Adventure Tanks I'm sharing are made from these three fabrics--(1) Hemp/Organic Cotton Jersey, (2) Liberty of London Dufour Jersey and (3) 100% Linen Jersey. These are three of my top picks for garment making. They all have unique qualities, and its great to have an idea of how they will work in a garment. They act quite differently, and I'll tell you all about their characteristics and quirks.

Amber's Liberty Racerback Adventure Tank
Pattern: Fancy Tiger's Adventure Tank - Racerback Version
Materials: 1 yard Liberty Anatolia Dufour Jersey (95% Viscose/5% Elastane)
Size Made: Medium
Modifications: None

Liberty Dufour Jersey is a dream to work with and to wear. This viscose jersey has an amazing feel, soft and silky with the quality you would expect from Liberty. One thing that makes working with Dufour Jersey so nice--it doesn't curl up much when you are working with it. This makes it so easy to cut out and sew. The fabric has a little drape to it, but it has a bit of weight to it too. This means it's not shear and the fabric is stable. I love my Liberty Racerback. I whipped one up in another Dufour Jersey during the Creativebug shoot. In addition to the fabric being so wonderful, the Liberty prints tend to be some of my favorite printed jerseys for garments!

Amber's Lavender Grey Linen Racerback Adventure Tank
Pattern: Fancy Tiger's Adventure Tank - Racerback Version
Materials: 1 yard Capri 100% Linen Jersey DK Grey
Size Made: Medium
Modifications: None

I made this Racerback Tank from gauzy 100% linen jersey. Never have I worn a more comfortable fabric for hot summer weather. This jersey is loosely knit, and breathes so that you can feel the slightest breeze cooling you through the fabric. It is sheer without being see-through. The fabric is a little more finicky to work with, but the result is lovely and so worth it. Don't be scared--it's not hard to sew with, it just has a few quirks...

One thing about this 100% linen, the fabric recommends hand washing. I decided to forgo the fabric recommendations and wash and dry in my machine. I am not much for hand washing unless we are talking hand-knits. When I pulled it from the dryer, the fabric had shrunk about 14%, so if you are going to treat your fabric like I do, you may want to purchase a little extra. I also noticed the fabric wanted to shift into a trapezoid shape. The selvedges were angled instead of perpendicular to the crossgrain. If I can get totally nerdy for a minute, my yarn spinner's brain is telling me that that means the threads used to knit the fabric are "energized" or have a little twist in them. Rather than force the fabric square, I decided to ignore the lengthwise grain and let the trapezoid fabric have it's way. If you look closely at my shirt the lengthwise grain is a little diagonal, but the shirt hangs straight. Cutting this way meant I lost a little width of the fabric, but I was able to make it work. With all it's crazy personality, this fabric is one of my favorites. There is nothing quite like a 100% linen, gauzy knit fabric for summertime comfort and style! The fabric comes in stunning colors (more colors coming soon!) and this "dark grey" has a hint of lavender to it.

Amber's Neon Linen Muscle Adventure Tank
Pattern: Fancy Tiger's Adventure Tank - Muscle Version
Materials: 1 yard Capri 100% Linen Jersey Neon Lemon
Size Made: Medium
Modifications: None

Because I love the linen jersey so much, I also made a Muscle Tee from this amazing neon lemon color. I had the same biasing issue to work with, used the same method of dealing with it, and the resulting tee hangs and drapes absolutely lovely! The fabric makes such an amazing Muscle Tee! This flowy neon muscle tee is my go-to for comfy and rad summer wear. I've noticed the linen fabrics stretches a little in length with wear because of it's silkiness and loosely knit structure.

Amber's Hemp Muscle Adventure Tank
Pattern: Fancy Tiger's Adventure Tank - Muscle Version
Materials: 1 yard Henna Hemp/Organic Cotton Jersey
Modifications: None

Our Hemp/Organic Cotton Jersey is one of my all-time favorites, and I have garments in almost all the colors and stripes at this point. It is so effortless to work with--it doesn't curl, it responds well to ironing, and it doesn't shift or stretch. If you haven't yet sewn with jersey, this is the fabric to start with. Besides that, it is made from some of the most ecofriendly and comfortable fibers. This hemp jersey gives the Muscle Tee a classic look, and the fabric is hearty and perfect to put to the test on all your Adventure Tank adventures.

Check back tomorrow for more Adventure Tanks!

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