On my video, I show each project and chat about each one. I would love your feedback if you like this format! Here are all the projects I show in the video:

Woven Dress Sewing

I have had the By Hand London Hannah Dress on my list for some time, and I am so glad I finally took the plunge and sewed it up.

This pattern is perfect for Spring and so flattering in this rayon challis. I wrote a pretty extensive pattern review on it here when I first posted it. You can also see more photos of it here.

After writing about it, I fixed the gaping neckline issue and then immediately cut out another one! I can’t wait to share that one with you soon.

Woven Top Sewing

I made two woven tops this month – a short pleated sleeve Seychelles and a flowy Victory Tank Top. The Seychelles is in a Swiss Dot. You can read more details and see more photos of my make on this pattern here. 

The Victory tank has a low cut neckline and a peekaboo in the back. It is fully lined so you have no binding or facing. 

I wrote more about the Victory Tank at the bottom of this blogpost. 

Swimsuit Blog Tour

I was on a blog tour this month with Raspberry Creek Fabrics and had the opportunity to sew swimsuits for myself and my 3 daughters. 

It is not quite warm enough to jump in the pool yet, but sewing these suits made us look forward even more to summer and vacation! I also feel so happy to know that I am getting a head start on summer sewing. 

You can read all the details of each suit pattern and the fabric on the blog tour post I wrote here. 

Activewear Sewing

Ya’ll know I have a special place in my heart for activewear!! I sewed up an activewear set out of a pink and cream athletic brushed poly, and I have worn this make the most of all my makes this month. It is so comfy, easy to move around in, and I feel good in it! I have a tutorial on how to do the adjustable straps on this bra here and a post with more details on this make here.

I made two other pairs of simple (no pocket or side seam) leggings and finished a tank top that I found in my scrap bin as well. 

You can find my post on these two pairs of leggings here. 

Knit Top Sewing

Gardening Shirts

I have lots of work waiting for me in the garden this year. I have really been procrastinating and seem to be spending much more time in my sewing room. We had a long and hard freeze that a few of my plants did not survive as well as I have areas that still need a little TLC.

The days are finally warming up, and it feels good to be outside; so, I made a shirt for myself that offered some sun protection as well as protection from poison ivy.

I used the scraps to make a shirt for my youngest, and I am so happy with how these turned out.

It definitely helped to inspire me to get out there and get some yard work done!

I used the Greenstyle Waimea Rash Guard pattern for my top. You can read the details of the fabric and pattern for my top in the post I made on them here.

I used the Misusu Flex Raglan for my daughter. You can read more of the details on my daughters top here.

A Bumblebee Romper for my Daughter and a Matching Fitted Top for Me

I also made my daughter another Jade Romper from Made for Mermaids this month. This is a pattern all my daughters just love, and this little one has grown out of hers. I was happy to make her another!

These bumblebees are so cute and the knit is really soft and comfortable for her to wear and play in. You can read a more detailed post on her romper here.

After I finished her romper, I realized I had just enough of this knit left over for a fitted tee. I am so happy with how my V neck turned out on this one. This will be a nice top to wear with some loose and flowy skirts or culottes.

I used the Megan Nielsen Rowan for my top. Here is the post with more photos and details. You can also see more photos of me having fun twinning with my daughter here.

Kids’ Oversized Tee

I also made a quick and comfy Oversized Tee for my youngest using a scrap of cotton interlock. You can read more details on this pattern here. 

The Itch to Stitch Gothenburg

At the beginning of the month, I made a stretch sweatshirt fleece pullover that has been perfect for chilly mornings and cold baseball games. This one has an interesting funnel neck and bust darts. I love that the pattern includes cup sizes and how quick this one was to sew up.

The pattern is the Itch to Stitch Gothenburg, and you can read my more detailed post on it here.

Resources

• By Hand London Hannah Dress Pattern 
• Woven Top Sewing – Itch to Stitch Seychelles Woven Top and Chalk and Notch Victory Woven Tank
• Swimsuit Blog Tour Post
• Athletic Sewing – Greenstyle Cavallo Tights, Power Sports Bra, Simpatico Leggings, and Lille Tank
• Knit Top Sewing – Greenstyle Waimea, Misusu Flex Raglan, Rowan Tee, Jade Romper, Ellie and Mac Oversized Tee, and Itch to Stitch Gothenburg

Hello everyone! I am today’s stop of the Raspberry Creek Suit Up for Summer Blog Tour, and I am so excited to show you what I have made! I made swimsuits for my three daughters as well as myself and am going to tell you all about them in today’s post. Hopefully it brings some inspiration and joy to your day!

Spring has just begun in my area of the world, and it feels so nice to be a little closer to summer and to be looking forward to warmer weather, days by the pool, and time to stop and relax. I really enjoy sewing swimsuits, and I remember before I sewed my first one several years ago, I was so intimidated by swim fabric! 

Don’t let the slipperiness of swim intimidate you. It is not that much different than sewing with a knit fabric. You need to sew using a stretch stitch and to remember that when a step in the pattern calls for basting, don’t skip it! Also, you can construct most swimsuits using only your sewing machine. If you don’t have a coverstitch machine, a good ole zig zag is the best way to topstitch. I have a coverstitch machine but still find myself doing this when I sew swim. 

As far as fabric, I have several suits I have made using Raspberry Creek swim fabric over the last 2 years, and it has held up wonderfully to chlorine, sun, salt, and all the hard things I and my kids seem to put swimsuits through. We have a pool in my backyard, so you better believe we put this fabric to the test during the summer of 2020. It seemed to be a huge part of our everyday life!

Let’s get into all the little details of each suit I made. I will chat about my suit first, and then go from oldest to youngest. Read to the end because I have a discount code for you.

My Swimsuit – The Pattern and Details 

I used the Greenstyle North Shore Swimsuit pattern to make my swimsuit in the Tropical Floral print from Raspberry Creek. This fabric has aqua blue, magenta, yellow, and green in it. It is so beachy and makes me so excited for summer! The print is matte and the fabric base is a polyester spandex.

For my top, I used the full cup deep V option on the front with the halter on the back. Even though I do not have a large bust, I still like the full cup option better because it covers my full breast, and I can run about and not feel like I may expose myself. 

I changed up the halter by making my halter straps about 30 inches longer than the pattern piece so that I created super long ties rather than one short one that ties at the back of my neck. I wanted a channel for the ties to go through so instead of adding a hook to my back piece, I folded the ends under to create a casing for my extra long ties.

I played around with how to wrap and tie them and settled on in the front. I actually thought tied in the back looked cuter in the mirror, but I had the hardest time getting it even so I just tied it in front. I still did not quite get it as even as I wished for photos, but it is functional and comfortable so I am happy!

For my bottoms, I did the high rise bottoms included in the North Shore swimsuit pattern. I ran out of fabric to do my waistband so I created a casing and attached my elastic inside. It worked! It is not as high as it would have been if I had done it correctly but it is still high enough to hold in my squishiest parts.

I have a sew along for this swimsuit pattern if you want to make one with me. You can find it here. 

Isn’t this floral fabric so pretty!!! We will talk about the fabric some more, but first… let’s get into my girls suits!

My Oldest Daughter’s Swimsuit – The Pattern and Details

For my oldest daughter, I used the Honeydew Kisses Patterns Hibiscus Swimsuit in Style B. I used this adorable lemon swimsuit fabric. The lemons have yellow, orange, and mint and unlike the other swim fabrics I used in this post, this particular print is available on swim, jersey, french terry, and double brushed poly. 

I paired the lemons with the grey and white gingham swim at Raspberry Creek Fabrics, and I love this combo!

I have made several of this suit pattern for my girls, and it is one they each have loved so much. My daughter is growing out of kids sizes and wanted one last suit out of this pattern before I can’t make it for her anymore. Based on measurements, she perfectly fit the size 14, but her trunk length was over the biggest size in the pattern. So, I added length and thankfully got a perfect fit for her!

If you want to sew this pattern with me, I have a sew along for it here. This pattern is just so cute for mixing and matching swim fabrics. My daughter picked the leg flounce for this suit. You can also choose from a waist ruffle, side ruffle, and neckline flounce. 

My favorite part of this suit (besides all the fun flounces and ruffles!) is the back. It is so pretty!

My Middle Daughter’s Swimsuit – The Pattern and Details

My middle daughter knew exactly what she wanted when I told her I was making her a swimsuit to get ready for summer. She ran and grabbed this Striped Swallow Designs Into the Blue suit I made her on the blog tour last year and said she wanted this same pattern again. She picked this Navy Pin Stripe Tropical Floral for her fabric. I love the colors in this and the stripe and floral combo. 

The first few times I made this pattern for her, I made the option for a peekaboo opening between the top and bottom on the back, but this time she asked for a solid back so that she did not have any extra tan lines or places to remember sun screen. 

I love how modest this suit is and still so cute on her! The front bodice has different tie options. I chose the rounded tie.

My Youngest Daughter’s Swimsuit – The Pattern and Details 

For my youngest daughter, I used bits and pieces from other swimsuits – the lemons from my oldest daughter and the tropical floral from mine. I think these two fabrics are so pretty together. She kept calling them oranges and wanted her entire suit to be oranges!

The pattern I used for her swimsuit is the Made for Mermaids Calypso. This suit has high waisted bikini bottoms and a halter top. The halter has the option for one or two flounces. These flounces took up much more fabric than I expected, but they were worth every bit of it. They are so cute!

Her little belly likes to push the bottoms down, but if I pull them up over her belly, it looks like she is wearing a one piece.

The only thing she did not like about this suit is the elastic in the top. I made sure that it was not too tight, but I think the next time I will leave the elastic out since the top is tight enough without it and the halter keeps it up. I hope I don’t regret that! She didn’t seem to be bothered by the elastic in the bottoms at all thankfully!

I am so glad I got the chance to take part in the Raspberry Creeks 2021 Swim Tour. If you want to get ready for summer, take 15% off Raspberry Creek’s swim fabric this week using the discount code “SWIMTOUR.”

Resources

• Tropical Swim Fabric, Pattern, and Sew Along for my swimsuit
• Lemon Swim Fabric, Gingham Swim Fabric, Pattern, and Sew Along for my oldest daughter’s swimsuit
• Navy Stripe Tropical Floral and Pattern for my middle daughter’s swimsuit
• Lemon Swim Fabric, Tropical Swim Fabric, and Pattern for my youngest daughter’s swimsuit
• Swim lining used in all the suits

I hope I have inspired you in today’s post!  I would love to stay connected with you. You can find me on Instagram. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE. If you want to take a look into the things that inspire me, you can follow me on Pinterest. You may also follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Disclosures

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation when you purchase via my link. This does not cost you anything, and I genuinely appreciate the support. Any and all opinions expressed are still my own.

Visit all the other wonderful bloggers on the tour:

Sew Mary Mac  Merritts Makes  Wild + Wanderful  Call Ajaire

Made by Kates  Violet and Jewels  Sweet Mama Life  All Things Katy!

Intensely Distracted  Pins & Pinot  My Heart Will Sew On  The Petite Sewist

All My Spare Time  Kara Metta  Handcrafted by RED  Sincerely, Shantelle

Replicate Then Deviate  That’s Sew Kari  Desert Blooms  Boo + Lu

Titchy Threads  Sew A Little Seam  Simple Life Pattern Co.  Pattern for Pirates  Ellie and Mac

Lowland Kids  Gingham Hive  Striped Swallow Designs  Honeydew Kisses  Little Lizard King

Jennuine Designs  Greenstyle Creations  Made for Mermaids  Call Ajaire  Hey June  Boo Designs!

  Sofiona Designs  Love Notions  Lil Luxe Collection  Jalie  Sweet Red Poppy

If you haven’t picked up your pattern yet, get your pattern HERE.

For Day 1, our task is to pick the size you are making, cut out your pattern pieces, and cut out your fabric.

For Day 2, we will be sewing our bodice and attaching our bottoms. This is the most time intensive day, so if you want to skip ahead and get started on it, go for it!

Video Support

I have uploaded all the videos for the sew along onto my YouTube channel. Days 1 and 2 are combined into the first videos so you can watch the beginning only today or just jump in, watch it all, and be ready for tomorrow.

Here is the list with links of all the VIDEOS for the sew along:

• Day 1 and 2 – Sewing View A 
• Day 1 and 2 – Sewing View B
• Day 3 – Sewing the Binding and Straps
• Day 4 – Finishing the Leg Openings

Decisions, Decisions

To get started, you must decide on the size and options you want to make. The pattern comes with sizes NB to 14. When selecting your size, you will want to grade if you or your model fall into various measurements on the size chart. To select the length for the pieces, use trunk measurement. Also, make sure to grade your width if the chest or hips fall into a different size. I made a size 18 months for my youngest daughters width and used a 3T for her height!

Another important decision to make before we get started is whether you would like to make View A or View B. I discuss each option in today’s video and here are some photos of the suits I have made to give you a visual idea of their differences.

View A

View B

Tips for Sewing Swimwear

I remember when I first started sewing that I was so intimidated by the thought of sewing a swimsuit! I would look at the construction of swimsuits and always felt like it was more advanced than a home sewist should attempt.

I am so glad I pushed past my fears!!! I now have so many well fitting suits – seriously two baskets full! I never have been able to purchase suits that fit me as well as the ones I have made and that have the quality from season to season. I also have been able to make suits that fit my daughters well and that they have felt confident wearing in the pool. It seriously is such a joy that I never knew until I just went for it!

So, are you ready to jump into sewing swim with me? Let me share some of what I have learned.

(1) Always baste your lining to your main fabric before applying elastic or binding or any finishing, even if it is not stated in the pattern. It allows you to treat it as one piece and you don’t have the two layers shifting. You can concentrate on applying your finish evenly and not have shifting fabric.

(2) You do not need anything fancier than a regular sewing machine with a stretch stitch. I have a sewing machine, serger, and a coverstitch, but to be honest, I mainly use my zig sag on my sewing machine for a lot my finishing!! I will show using all my machines in my videos, but don’t worry if you only have a regular machine! Test your stitch on scraps before you get started and make sure your machine will allow you to sew a seam that stretches with your fabric.

(3) Use a stretch needle. Even though you don’t need a fancy machine to make a suit you love, you do need a stretch needle. A stretch needle will prevent holes or tears in your fabric and skipped stitches!

(4) Use clips, not pins. Pins can leave little holes in swim fabric. Clips can hold together pieces you are going to sew and make life so much easier. Maybe I am just biased towards clips because I have poked myself so many times with pins. 🙂

(5) Thread – I use Guterman Mara thread in my sewing machine and Maxilock for my serger. I have found that Maxilock stretch thread is really nice in my loopers and gives a stretchier seam when sewing swim or athletic, but it is not a requirement.

(6) It is slippery. The fabric will move. Slipperiness is going to happen so knowing it is half the battle. Listen to some good music or an audiobook and take your time. If the slipperiness is hard, disengage the knife on your serger, especially when sewing elastic. Once you have practiced and are more confident, you can sew with the knife shaving the edge for you (but never on the elastic, if the elastic gets nicked it will make it unravel over time).

I hope these tips have encouraged you that YOU GOT THIS! Let me know if you have any questions or need more help getting started.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I would love to stay connected with you. You can find me on Instagram. If you want to take a look into the things that inspire me, you can follow me on Pinterest. You may also follow my blog with Bloglovin.

*Disclosures

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation when you purchase via my link. This does not cost you anything, and I genuinely appreciate the support. Any and all opinions expressed are still my own.

After taking a much needed break for most of June, I am excited to get back into the sewing room and work on swimsuits! I have two swimwear sew alongs coming your way, and the first one is for the kids!

Details

We will be sewing the Honeydew Kisses Hibiscus Swimsuit from Friday, July 24th to Tuesday, July 28th. The Sew Along will be an event in The Styled Magnolia Facebook group, and I will have blogposts as well as YouTube videos to walk you through each day!

Prizes

We have two wonderful prizes donated by our sponsors The Styled Magnolia and Honeydew Kisses Patterns. One winner will win a $25 gift card to Honeydew Kisses and another winner will win $50 from The Styled Magnolia!

Supplies and Discounts

• Get your pattern HERE using code “HibiscusSAL” for 20% your pattern. 
• To order swim fabric from The Styled Magnolia, use code “HIBISCUS10” for 10% off your order of swim and energia fabric. This code will be valid tomorrow and Sunday only (18th & 19th). You can use swim fabric from any other fabric shop and still participate and post in the sew along, so don’t be worried if buying new is not in the budget at the moment!
• You will also need 3/8 inch or 1/4 inch swim elastic. If you are doing the ruffle front, you need the 3/8 inch for the ruffle part, but if you do not use this option, you can use only 1/4 inch.
• Swim lining. I have bought really nice lining from Made Whimsy, Raspberry Creek Fabric, and The Fabric Fairy.
• A stretch needle for your machine.
• Clips or pins and a tool to mark your fabric

Read my initial blogpost on the pattern HERE to get more details on options, size chart, etc.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I would love to stay connected with you. You can find me on Instagram. If you want to take a look into the things that inspire me, you can follow me on Pinterest. You may also follow my blog with Bloglovin.

*Disclosures

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation when you purchase via my link. This does not cost you anything, and I genuinely appreciate the support. Any and all opinions expressed are still my own.

The Pattern

The Hibiscus is a one piece swimsuit pattern for girls that features side cut outs and a beautiful tied back that makes it really easy to adjust (such a win for one pieces and growing kids!). The sizing goes from Newborn to size 14!

The Hibiscus pattern is full of options and frills! You can choose from side ruffles, waist ruffle, top flounce, or leg flounces. If gathering swim is a pain to you, the top bodice and leg flounces do not require gathering so are a lot quicker than the ruffles. The swimsuit has the option for a full front or a pieced front so that you can use whatever size scrap you are working with!

I messed up several times while sewing for one main reason: I got way too excited and jumped ahead in the instructions. So, don’t be like me when you sew this suit. Take it one step at a time! Where I had to seam rip: (1) On the back top of the bodice binding, I didn’t read the actual instructions so I didn’t have a 3/8 inch overhang to enclose the strap loops in. Thankfully, it was an easy fix, but it did take quite the time to undo! (2) On the front ruffle, I ruffled all the way to the edge where it ends at the front of the swimsuit. I had to go back and make sure my ruffle ended 3/8 inch before the edge so that my ruffle didn’t get turned under when I put elastic in the bottom.

Sizing

What did go right? The swimsuits fit beautifully, and my daughters are both super happy with them! I used a straight size 8 for my middle daughter. Thankfully, all of her measurements fit squarely into the size. For my 2 year old daughter, she was a size 3 for trunk length and a size 18 month for chest, waist, and hips. So, when cutting out my pieces, I used size 3 for the length and size 18 month for the width. I was kind of holding my breath that everything would work, and it did!! I was so excited when she tried it on and that she had a suit so custom designed for her. Definitely trust the measurements and grade! It is worth it!

The Fabric

I LOVED sorting through scraps of swimsuits that I had made for myself and combining them into new suits for my daughters! The floral and gingham fabric came from Raspberry Creek fabric. The pink solid came from Made Whimsy! All of them are scraps from sewing North Shore Swimsuits!

Do you want to sew one? Join me for a sew along starting July 24th! The Sew Along will be in The Styled Magnolia Facebook group! One participant will be getting a $50 gift card to The Styled Magnolia and another will get a $25 gift card to Honeydew Kisses Patterns!! I will have videos on my YouTube channel each day showing how to sew the pattern so you won’t get stuck along the way!

I think you will have fun and that this may just be your face when you finish the suit!

You can grab the pattern here. The new release sale ends today!

Thanks for stopping by today!  I would love to stay connected with you. You can find me on Instagram. If you want to take a look into the things that inspire me, you can follow me on Pinterest. You may also follow my blog with Bloglovin.

*Disclosures

I received this pattern for free as part of the testing process to give the designer feedback about the instructions and fit. Also, this post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation when you purchase via my link. This does not cost you anything, and I genuinely appreciate the support. Any and all opinions expressed are still my own.