Make your own exercise top with stretchy knits and the Tabula Rasa Knit Tee pattern! There are plenty of activewear and athleisure fabrics available today and you can tailor the exercise wear to your preferred style and degree of fit. Carrie explains how she modified her knit tank top pattern to create a comfortable top to wear to yoga, barre and other exercise classes. Incorporate these techniques to adjust your own knit top patterns for the gym or leisure wear.
As with most of her wardrobe pieces, Carrie’s preference is for a somewhat relaxed but flattering fit. For several years she has favored two exercise tops made from Goheen Designs Madi tank pattern, which features a close but modest fit and easy construction very similar to Fit for Art’s square armhole. Sadly, those tops have grown too snug and need to be replaced.
Exercise Tank Top # 1
Carrie took up the challenge to tailor her nicely fitting knit tank top pattern (based on Twin Set Variations for Tabula Rasa Knits) for wearing to the gym. Her first effort was sewn from a reversible stretch knit deadstock purchased from Core Fabrics. Basic changes were made to the basic knit tank top pattern, taking it in through the torso to accommodate the very stretchy fabric. The armscye was also opened a bit in front and back.
One construction change was made from the Twin Set directions for sleeveless tops, finishing the armholes with one continuous piece of binding. Carrie stitched 1 1/2″ wide binding strips to the neckline and armscye edges with a 5/8″ seam, trimmed the seam allowances by 3/8″, then wrapped the binding to the inside and top stitched it in place. Because this type of fabric does not fray, Carrie didn’t bother with finishing the raw edges of the binding.
After the tank top was assembled, she reshaped the hemline to match a shape she likes in other exercise tops – a little longer in front and back and shorter on the sides. The curved hemline was serged to give it a little stability, turned up to a 1/2″ deep hem, and top stitched in place. The resulting top hung nicely and looked great. Fortunately, the floral print is pretty enough to wear as a tank top anytime, not just for athletics!
Exercise Tank Top # 2
After wearing tank #1 for a hot beach walk on a sunny day, Carrie found that the top to be too loose through the torso, so she made further modifications to her tank top pattern for the next iteration:
- 3/8″ was trimmed away from the neckline and front and back armscye because she had trimmed that much fabric away when binding top #1.
- The armscye was opened even more front and back to come closer to the athletic style of the Madi tank.
- 1/4″ was trimmed away from the front and back sides seams below the armscye for a closer fit in the torso.
- The side seams in her flared side pattern were also reduced to fit the torso and hips.
- The curved hem was transferred to the pattern.
Top #2 was cut and sewn with lycra stretch knit activewear from Minerva, a British online fabric, sewing and craft store. The top was first basted together and tried on, and a few refinements made to the side seams to flow comfortably over her hips. After sewing the adjusted seams with standard length knit stitches, the interior shoulder and side seams were finished to a 1/4″ wide seam allowance with the serger. Binding, 1 1/4″ wide, was applied to the neckline and armscye with a 1/4″ seam. Final finishes of the binding and hem were executed in the same way as top # 1.
From these back view, you can see the evolution of Carrie’s exercise tank top.
Exercise Tee and Pants
Not into sleeveless? Fit for Art still has you covered. Rae made herself an activewear set a few years ago using her Tabula Rasa Knit Tee pattern for the top and a modified Eureka! Pants that Fit pattern for knit pants. You can see from this photo that she also elected to create a curved hemline for the top. Look to the curved hem templates in Wide Neckline Variations for Tabula Rasa Knits to shape this hem. Read more about making stretch knit pants with a fingertip pocket in Ponte Pants with Zipper Pocket.
Continue to wear and refine the fit!
Remember that knit fabrics differ wildly in their degree of stretch, so it will always be a good idea to baste a stretch knit garment together and try it on. This is also why Fit for Art continues to use a 5/8″ seam allowance when sewing with knit fabrics, unlike many activewear patterns with 1/4″ seam allowances. With a deep seam allowance, you can easily adjust the fit before finishing the seams.
After wearing top # 2 to a few classes at the gym, Carrie decided a few small refinements were in order. These changes, plus the final seams at the hip, have been transferred to the patterns awaiting the next iteration of an exercise tank top. Carrie would like to try a more breathable performance knit for the next iteration, so if you have recommendations for appropriate fabrics or sources, please share them in comments to this post.
