I made this Halla Patterns* Agnes swing top and absolutely love it!! I love that I can wear it almost year round. It is great in the summer as a tank top, but still perfect for cooler weather with a jean jacket or cardigan. Right up my alley!
They also have the Sweet Agnes*, which is the kid’s version of the Agnes. I have not made the Sweet Agnes, but assume that it’s very similar to the Agnes. Be sure to visit their facebook group for a few codes for some free patterns! Hint: the Agnes for Woman is one of them.
The Agnes pattern has a few different options, like all of the Halla Patterns*. You can choose from swing top, knee length dress, or full length dress. Then you get the option of sleeveless, short sleeves, or long sleeves. As you can tell, I chose the sleeveless swing top version. Actually, most of their other patterns have even more options than this!
Another thing that makes Halla Patterns* stand out from other pattern designers is that they include rulers on their pattern pieces. The rulers help to show ease of the pattern and make it easier to get a perfect fit for your body. So you can adjust exactly where needed instead of just making a bigger size. If you end up getting some of their patterns, join the FB group and search “ruler” for a better explanation as to how to use the rulers. I would link for you, but it won’t work if you aren’t already part of the group.
I used ITY from So Sew English and it’s SOO soft and flowy, making it a perfect choice for this shirt. It’s pretty light weight, a little slippery feeling, and breathable. It’s also cool to the touch which was new to me as I’m used to sewing with cotton lycra or french terry. Definitely a good summer fabric, but paired with a cute jacket of some sort it’s doable for cooler weather as well.
I measured into a size 2/4, but because of the nature of this pattern, I decided to make a zero (one size smaller) and the fit is great! I knew that I didn’t want too big of a swing as it wouldn’t be as flattering on me, so going down a size was perfect. This pattern is really a very basic pattern and would be great if you are just getting started with sewing clothes for women.
I find that with tank tops, it’s super easy to pull the binding unevenly so then there are wrinkles on the sleeves. So if you have never done binding before, maybe start with one of the sleeve options so that you only have the neck binding. Once you have it down, the sleeveless version shouldn’t be too difficult!
Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Halla Patterns so I get compensated for any orders placed through the links in this post.
