Hello sew-friends! Today, I'm happy to bring you another Miri Tank hack! A couple weeks ago, I shared the Square Neck Button Back hack and today, I have a gathered waist dress for you. I'm often wary of gathers and ruffles but I really like how they've turned out in this dress. It feels weird to say, but I actually like it more than I thought I would!
This hack is really pretty easy to sew (much, much easier than the previous hack). Plus, I have a few tutorials that will help. I think this is a great dress for summer and it can even be worn in transitional months with a cardigan or a t-shirt underneath. You may even be able to wear it in colder months with leggings and turtleneck.
BUY THE MIRI TANK TOP PDF PATTERN HERE.
The Miri Tank is an A-line shaped tank top, 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. When made in a linen or cotton fabric with structure, the tank will maintain its A-line shape. When made in a drapey rayon or tencel, the shape will hang closer to the body (like the sample here).
This beginner-friendly pattern is drafted for sizes 0-32 and includes three cup size options for all sizes. You can choose from an A/B cup, C/D cup or E/F cup for a customized fit through the bust. You can learn more about this pattern in the launch post.
Getting the photos for this dress was a bit of an adventure. Usually, I can run out to the courtyard at my complex and quickly snap a few photos with no problems. But this day, I had just 30 minutes to do it and for some reason, could not get the tripod in a good position. I must have adjusted it 5 times! Then, despite a clear forecast, it started to drizzle. It rains about three times a year here, so I was NOT expecting rain. And, just as I was debating whether to wait for the rain to stop or pack it in, my camera battery zoomed to 3%. Fortunately, I had some good photos in there!
I bought this fabric at EuroKangas in Helsinki, Finland when I was there in summer 2019. I loved Finland and it's so nice to have a wearable souvenir to remind me of the trip. The fabric was in a big remnant bin, which was really fun to sort through. I bought about 4 different fabrics at that store and they are all just fantastic prints. This is a rayon fabric and it has a really nice drape.
To make this Miri Tank Dress Hack, I started with view A, then shortened the bodice and added on a long gathered skirt with in-seam pockets. You can also use view B with the V-neck and square armholes. The skirt is just two big rectangles, one for the front and one for the back.
I had about 2 meters of fabric so I started by cutting out the bodice front and back. Then, I cut off the leftover weird shapes to have one big rectangle. I then brashly tore the fabric in half lengthwise. Usually, this would work fine but my fabric was a little more narrow than I realized. Eek! The two rectangles ended up being extra long and not really wide enough. But, lucky for me, the dimensions were perfect when the rectangles were used on the crossgrain. This solution wasn't not ideal though because my fabric has a directional print. But, I tried on the bodice and held up the skirt pieces in the mirror and decided that it would be ok to have the print going different directions in the bodice and skirt. Phew!
How much fabric you need for this hack will depend on the size you’re making and how long you want the skirt to be. I used about 2 meters with only super tiny scraps leftover, plus a lining fabric for the facings and pockets. I tried to maximize this fabric as much as possible. I even ended up piecing together two scraps of the print fabric for one of my pockets. If you are planning to use a different fabric for the facings or pockets, I HIGHLY recommend using something that is the same weight or lighter than you main fabric. A heavier fabric will feel noticeably bulky.
In case it’s helpful, I made a size 12 C/D cup with a .25” square shoulder adjustment. I’m 5’11” and this skirt is as long as I could make it with the fabric I had.
How to Sew the Miri Gathered Waist Tank Dress
Step 1: Determine the length of the bodice. (To do this measure an existing blouse or dress or just use a flexible tape measure to estimate it. I made my bodice about 15.5" long.) Cut front and back bodice pieces to new length, including the seam allowances.
Tip: If you have a D cup or larger, you may want to add a little curve to the bottom of your front bodice piece to help it lay flat. Larger bosoms will lift the front hem of the bodice up making it look high. I would cut the front bodice piece just a little longer than needed 1-2". Then, after assembling the bodice, try it on and use chalk to draw a "straight" hem.
Step 2: Assemble the bodice using the pattern instructions. Just don't hem it.
Step 3: Cut two rectangles for the skirt. For the width, I recommend about 1.5 to 2 times the width of the bottom of the bodice. Use your desired length.
Step 4: Attach the in-seam pockets to the skirt. See this tutorial to learn how and download a pocket pattern piece.
Step 5: Sew two lines of basting stitches at the top of the skirt. Mark the center front and center back of the bodice and the skirt using pins. With right sides together, pin the skirt to the bodice matching the side seams, center front and center back. Pull the basting stitches to evenly gather the fabric to match the size of the bodice and pin together. Stitch. Finish the bodice/skirt seam allowance and press towards the skirt. Remove visible basting threads.
I will be posting a video about sewing gathers in the next week or two. Stay tuned for that! Edit: See this tutorial for more help sewing gathers.
Step 6: Hem the skirt. I used a blind hem stitch (video coming soon!) but you can use the method you prefer.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this pattern hack. I really love this dress and am looking forward to wearing it. I’m especially pleased that I was able to squeeze it out of a large piece of remnant fabric. If you haven’t gotten your copy yet, you can get the Miri Tank pattern in the shop. And make sure to check out the Miri Sewalong for more tips and tutorials posts. Happy sewing!
