Pattern: Aurora Tank by Seamwork

I love to travel. Over the last few years, I’ve really made it priority and planning trips has become almost a major hobby. My latest trip was a girl’s trip in Austin, TX with a couple of my closest friends. We planned the trip under the guise of running a race down there, but in reality we were more interested in exploring a new place rather than being competitive. I wanted to have a new piece for my trip so despite it being cold and wintery outside, I decided to sew up a knit tank top inside.

I knew I wanted to make another Aurora Tank, since it’s such a simple pattern and I enjoyed the one I made before. However, I knew my previous tank was not perfect so I decided to do a little reading about twin needle stitching on knits before I attempted another one. I saw some familiar issues with “tunneling” between the stitches and also tension issues which cause the thread to break. There were a few options to try, but I decided to go with using a fusible knit interfacing on the seams where I would need to use my twin needle. I also increased the tension on my machine a little – I had to test out different tensions on my dial before I found one that seemed to be stable enough.

I was able to use my twin stitching on the arm holes and on the hem. Most everything else I used my serger with it being knit and all. I really liked how this tank top came out – and definitely a way better look than my first attempt. The fabric was definitely a great find as well – I bought it and actually cut out a wrap dress that I still haven’t gotten to sewing up yet. I was thinking about this dress and what a shame it was that it wasn’t completed since I loved the way the fabric looked, so I checked my stash to see how much was left. I was pleasantly surprised there was just enough for this tank, thankfully I didn’t mess anything up.

The weather in Austin was a bit all over the place. The first day was actually quite cool, but a few days later it had gotten up to almost 80 degrees. I was glad I got to break out this tank top while exploring shops in the SoCo area, trails near the river and the top of Mount Bonnell. The weather kept getting hotter throughout the day but I stayed cool and comfortable. It’ll be awhile until I can wear this again in Boston, but I’m looking forward to it.

My next trip coming up is in April and I have some sewing plans for that as well. This will be a different trip as I’m going to Florida with my S/O and his family. I just started cutting out a new bathing suit, after my first test attempt failed. I’m hoping I can figure out what went wrong this time around.

Sewing for vacations is my new favorite thing. In a way, it’s become a part of the planning of the trip. It keeps me looking forward to the vacation, but also keeps me on my sewing game which has definitely taken a back seat these last few years.

I think the reason I love travel so much is that I always learn something new where ever I go. Beside learning that Austin is a place for weirdos, impressive street art, secret bars and excellent BBQ, I took away something else extremely important. No matter where you are in life, nothing beats spending time with people who will give you great stories and memories and keep you laughing until you can’t breath. Cheers to my girls who make this life livable.