DIY Tank for Summer Heatwaves

The Peplum Split Tank is the perfect me-made garment for beginner sewists. #garmentsewing #summerstyle #slowfashion

Clearly, I’m on a kick with all things me-made at the moment. As the handmade garment goodies continue with the Peplum Split Tank.

You know I’m not a garment sewer, at least I haven’t been, up until the last few weeks. My garment journey really started with the quilted coat I made back in 2021. I’d had my eye on fashion sewing, but quilting was keeping me busy and, I’ll admit, to being a little intimidated.

After my success with the quilted coat, my intimidation dwindled and my curiosity grew. Me-Made-May is always a fun time of year that really does encourage you to give it a go and participate.

So, I did!

And made quite a few items, five, in fact!

So far, I’ve shared the:

And today I’m sharing the Peplum Split Tank with you! Read on for the fun way this sewing project came to be!

I made a DIY summer top with ruffles! It's super cozy and lightweight and perfect for hot summer days. #diy #garmentsewing #tanktop

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The story behind the Peplum Split Tank

Picture this, I’d just finished making the Collage Gather Top Dress Hack and posted a photo in my stories giving a quick peek at her. I got so much love from you on that, with one of you (hey, Daisi!) saying how I inspired you to get the pattern and make one too 😊 Love it when we inspire one another!

That same day, I’d seen that the team at Matchy Matchy Sewing Club had a pattern tester call out for their new top – you guessed it, the Peplum Split Tank. I loved the look of it and thought “Hey, I could test that.”

So, I wasted no time and messaged the ladies to introduce myself and offer to help.

They responded they’d love to have me – yay!

With our information details exchanged, the pattern arrived in my inbox the next morning.

I got the pattern printed and traced that very night, before settling in for the most important sewing task of all – picking my fabric!

Peplum Split Tank

The style of the top is a modern update to the classic A-line top with a fun peplum on the back.

The pattern includes instructions for two styles:

View A – a solid front
View B – a split front perfect for colour blocking

Love a pattern that has multiple options.

Shannon wearing her handmade Peplum Split Tank paired with the Peppermint Pocket Skirt as part of her me-made summer wardrobe. These pieces fit beautifully and allow for lots of easy movement! See more pictures on the blog. #garmentsewing #summerwardrobe #summer #skirt #handmade #fashion

Back view of the Peplum Split Tank featuring the beige linen and blue and cream stripe. See more on the blog #summersewing #summerstyle #tanktop #handmade

Fabric selection

My original intent was to make View A; however, the fabric I wanted to feature I sadly didn’t have enough on hand to make it work.

My fabric approach changed to what I love most about creating for myself and that’s challenging myself to make it work. I find that in itself is a fun creative challenge. So, after playing around with my fabric combinations and pattern pieces, and Tetris-ising things together, I realized that the best use of my fabric would be to eek it out of what remained of my beige linen.

My rationale was that I wanted a top that coordinated with my Peppermint Pocket Skirt without it being overly matchy-matchy 😉 Plus, it meant maximizing my fiber investment in that linen yardage.

Again, my first plan was to go with View A, but I didn’t have enough of the beige linen left either, so I decided to pull in the lavender chambray that I’m loving and that I featured in this dress and in my mum’s quilted coat. The linen and chambray feel glorious together and keep the top feeling light and airy.

On the back, I was able to keep a tied-in look by featuring the linen on the upper back and pulled in this lovely deeper blue and cream stripe for the peplum.

The pairing felt fresh and a little feminine, which I’ve been gravitating more toward these days.

With my fabric pull in hand, it was time to get cutting!

Shannon wearing her handmade Peplum Split Tank paired with the Peppermint Pocket Skirt as part of her me-made summer wardrobe. The deep pockets are so cozy and practical! See more pictures on the blog. #garmentsewing #summerwardrobe #summer #skirt #handmade #fashion — Shannon wearing her Peppermint Pocket Skirt with the new Peplum Split Tank.

The Fit

Fit is always a fun component of garment sewing – ha!

I shared in this post that I wondered if the sizing was different based on the country you live in. I know we talk about size in different ways, but surely it must have a consistent baseline to which they all adhere. I’m not sure about that!

The other challenge when it comes to fit is:

the intended style of the garment and
how you want it to fit (i.e., fitted, loose, etc.)

Since I found the Collage Gather Top in Small a little big on me, I opted to downsize to the XXS for the Dress. The dress fits very well, but I wondered if the XS would have been better.

So, this time, I decided to go with the XS.

I love the fit, however, I do feel that there’s a little bit of gaping in the arms that maybe the XXS wouldn’t have on me. Not sure, I’ll probably play around with the next one I make 😊

Shannon wearing her handmade Collage Gather Top paired with the Peppermint Pocket Skirt as part of her me-made summer wardrobe. Lots of movement in these pieces. See more pictures on the blog. #garmentsewing #summerwardrobe #summer #skirt #handmade #fashion — Pictured above is Shannon wearing the Collage Gather Top paired with the Peppermint Pocket Skirt.

Side view of the Peplum Split Tank as worn by Shannon paired with the Peppermint Pocket Skirt as part of her me-made summer wardrobe. These pieces fit beautifully and allow for lots of easy movement! See more pictures on the blog. #garmentsewing #summerwardrobe #summer #skirt #handmade #fashion

Video on Demand Quilted Coat Course featuring the Hovea Coat + Etched Diamond Quilt x Hovea Coat Pattern Extension #howtoquilt #memadefashion

What I’ll wear the Peplum Split Tank with

The heat has already hit here in Quebec, so these handmade pieces are getting stitched up at just the right time! The heat and I don’t mix well, so having light, breathable, and airy pieces in my wardrobe really helps me navigate the hot humid summers.

Here are a few ways I plan on styling my chambray and stripe Peplum Split Tank: