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Showing posts with label Swim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swim. Show all posts

{Project Run & Play} Project Jet Set: Hello, Palm Beach!



“Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you.

On behalf of Project Run & Play Air, we'd like to welcome you to sunny Palm Beach.  The current temperature is a balmy 80°, enjoy your stay."


Hello, and welcome to my stop on the Project Run & Play Project Jet Set Collection Blog Tour!  I have been working behind the scenes for a while now and I'm so excited to share it all with you!  I think this is my favorite collection yet (and I have sewn quite a few).  Our stop is inspired by Palm Beach, Florida.  

Confession: I've never actually been to Palm Beach (we usually visit Orlando or Siesta Key when we vacation in Florida), but my fabric choices were leaning to a preppy tropical and I'm imagining Palm Beach to fit the description.




I am a visual planner so before I order any fabrics, I grab the swatches and see how they all look together.  To shop for my fabrics, I headed to Raspberry Creek Fabrics.  I'm a huge fan of theirs.  Not only do they have a huge selection of various bases, I also love their fabric designs and knew something would catch my eye to give my collection direction.  All of their CLUB designs include the main colors in the title so you can easily search for matching fabrics, taking out any guesswork as to whether it'll match.  Raspberry Creek Fabrics was completely generous and sponsored my looks --- a huge thank you to RCF!!  


Today's stop will focus on our "sightseeing" outfits -- inevitably we venture into the town we are visiting to walk around and visit the various shops.  We pick up souvenirs to remember our trip and splurge on treats.  The patterns featured are Cruise Culottes, Rimini Romper (as a top), Too Wild Dress, and the Passport to Paradise Mini Backpacks.


Teen Look

cruise culottes: This fun pattern gives you the feel of shorts/pants with the look of a skirt.  The drape of your fabric can completely change the look of your culottes.  I chose a nice, flowy stretch crepe in this gorgeous tropical floral print that inspired the rest of my purchases.  I lobbied hard for the full length tiered pant, but was obviously denied.  During photos, she did admit that maybe pants length would have also been fun. The shorts length, however, is definitely more fitting with our vacation destination.  


I added the inseam pockets, but left off the decorative flaps.   It's always nice to have pockets, right?! To finish off the waistband for a polished look, I ran parallel rows of stitching through the elastic.  This also prevents the elastic from shifting or rolling.

rimini romper (modified):  I'm in love with this top!  When selecting fabrics and patterns, I debated between pairing the culottes with the top of the Rimini Romper or the Overlook Raglan.  In the end, I thought the Rimini Romper suited her style better and I'm so glad we went in this direction.  In the RCF shop, we found a solid Dusty Pink cotton lycra that looked to be a perfect match to the hibiscus flowers in the crepe.

I made the top of the romper, following the tutorial - mostly.  I actually left the back center seam for last which means you can avoid the burrito roll method for the armscyes. After the top was completed, I finished the bottom with a folded band that was slightly smaller than the opening of the bottom.  It's the perfect crop length.  She has worn it nearly everyday at some point in her day which means it's a clear win.  

I can't wait to try out the romper version for her too!!


passport to paradise mini backpack:  To finish off her look, I sewed up a Passport to Paradise Mini Back in a buttery soft light yellow twill.  Light yellow is her absolute favorite color so she's very excited with how this turned out.  I carefully selected all the little details -- the handmade logo and the hibiscus and flip flop zipper pulls that I'm sure were designed with this project in mind.

For this version, I used a midweight interfacing on the main pieces and left off the interfacing on the lining.  It's slightly less structured than her sister's bag so I think I could have interfaced the lining too.  The twill was fantastic to sew through, even with all the layers in some spots!


My girls are still in awe that I've designed this.  And to be honest, I am a little too!  I really don't consider myself a designer so when I received an email to participate in the collection, I assumed it was to sew up some of the pieces.  Imagine my surprise after a few weeks when they asked what pattern I was thinking of contributing.  HA!!  I was in the middle of recovering from covid when the original email came so apparently my brain was clouded.  After prototyping a few different ideas, I decided this idea was my favorite.  And now, I'm fairly certain every new outfit will need to come with a matching backpack.  Time to stock up on interfacing!

A huge thank you to Susana of Suco by Susana for working with me turning my hand-drawn pattern pieces into a printable PDF file!


Tween Look




too wild dress:  My tween still loves to wear dresses so I knew this would be the perfect choice for her.  I found a lightweight salmon pink chambray in the RCF shop that would compliment her sister's look, but wouldn't be too matchy-matchy.  She was a little skeptical about the softness of her dress when we unboxed our goodies, but I assured her that washing it first would soften it right up. 

This pattern comes with about a million options for straps and can really change the whole vibe of the dress.  The lace-up back was my favorite option!  I always sew each item custom to my daughter's measurements.  I blended 3 separate sizes (chest, waist, and height) and then held my breath that my blending method worked because I had no time to sew up muslins first.  When she tried it on for the elastic fitting, it was perfect!!  Whew!




passport to paradise mini backpack:  For this version of the Passport to Paradise Mini Backpack, I chose the Tropical Floral print that I used for the Cruise Culottes, but selected the Sueded Boardshort as the base.  I love how it pops against the chambray and the sueded boardshort has such a nice feel to it.   I used a firm interfacing for the outer pieces and a midweight interfacing for the lining pieces.  It has a nice firm structure to it.  My machine, however, had a bit of a time trying to pierce through all the layers where the tabs were added.  Boardshort has such a tight weave so I'm sure this played a big role in it.  I ended up swapping the strap tabs for stretch crepe tabs and completely eliminated the hidden tab to secure the wallet.  

I used the same hibiscus flip flop zipper pulls and placed her handmade logo in the lower right hand corner, exactly to her specifications.  All of my hardware for these bags came from Idleblooms -- full warning: that site is addicting and you'll want to buy it all. Leave some for me... haha!



. . . and that's a wrap!  We hope you enjoyed hanging out with us today.  We're off to explore Palm Beach now.   Join us on Monday - poolside - for two more fabulous teen/tween vacation looks!  See you there!

If you were inspired by today's looks,
head over to the shop to pick up your patterns!

{Raspberry Creek Fabrics} Suit Up for Summer 2022

 

Hooray!  It's SEW ALL THE SWIM season! In 2018, I took the plunge (HA!) into sewing swimwear and I've not looked back.  It's my favorite thing to sew and probably my 'most worn' makes.   I'm happy to be back on tour with Raspberry Creek Fabrics for their swim tour -- I love sewing their swim!

raspberry creek fabrics always has an amazing selection of swim prints but I think they outdid themselves this year.  As I looked through the album, my list of favorites began to grow.  How could I even begin to choose?!  I enlisted my girls to make the selection -- at 11 and 13, they need to love it to wear it.


As my teen looked through the album, she fell in love with the tonal sage green tropical leaf print.  I tried to show her a few I had on my favorites list I thought she'd like, but she was insistent.  Then she saw it had a coordinating print for her little sister.  I love that they still love to coordinate, even out in public!  My youngest agreed that the gray and sage dinosaur leaf print was needed in her life.  I added the sage and white grunge stripe print to tie both suits together. Of course, don't forget the lining -- I am grateful RCF makes it a one-stop shop for all my swim needs.


As soon as these prints arrived, I knew my daughter was spot on for the selection.  They are gorgeous and the sage green color is such a pretty shade.  Despite making her loads of suits over the past few years, I went on the hunt for a new pattern that would work with her petite frame yet be cool for her new teenage status (well, in 2 weeks...).  Enter gigi by jalie patternsNot only does it come with 2 top front options, 2 top back options and 2 bottom options, it covers sizes from a 21" chest through 50" chest - that's 27 sizes!  She got to completely customize her suit which she loves to have control over the decisions.

The color-blocking aspect of the pattern made it super easy to incorporate both prints.



She loved the double closure back option and I think it offers great support and will stay in place during all her swimming and flipping.



My favorite reason for sewing swim is being able to achieve the perfect fit -- something that's impossible from the store. 


To say she's in love is an understatement.  She's smitten with every single detail and cannot wait to try this at the pool.



... and then there's my youngest.  She couldn't be more different from her older sister.  Her latest favorite swim pattern is zoe by jalie patternsI found this pattern a couple years ago and nearly quit while cutting out the pattern pieces.  It seemed so complicated and I really doubted my ability.  My daughter just knew I could do it so she cheered me on.  Once I was finished I couldn't believe I made it!  It's such a statement suit.  It also has the same amazing size range as the Gigi.


For this version, I added a folded zipper cover at the top which mimics a RTW suit we saw when we were out shopping.  It provides just that extra bit of comfort at the top of the zipper.


The pattern looks complicated with the inset sides, but it all comes together so easily.  


I love that she loves what she loves and wears it with pride.  I've made her several dino items over the years, but I think this is her favorite by a mile.

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Raspberry Creek Fabrics Swim Fabric details:

58” 225 GSM 82/18 poly spandex, at least 60% 4 way stretch.

50+ UPF protection. Perfect for swimsuits, rash guards, tennis skirts and more. The 18% spandex in this fabric means you will not end up with a sagging swimsuit at the end of the day.

Shopping RCF swim is easy and fun!  The listings contain the main colors in the title so you can easily find coordinates with the same color so you know they match!  The also have several coordinates such as stripes, dots, ginghams and more.  You can also find solids and matching boardshort material.  They seriously make it so easy to get all you need in one order.  click here to head to the shop.
While swim can seem intimidating, I find it's similar to sewing knits without the annoying curling of the fabric.  Here's a few tips/tricks I've used over the past 4 swim seasons:
Figuring out your preferred stitches will help you be successful.  I like to use a long zig-zag on my regular sewing machine for finishing my elastic topstitching, despite owning a coverstitch machine.  ☑ If your stitches are skipping, you need a different needle!  I can tell when I forget to put my ball point needle in because be zigzag will have random straight stitches peppered throughout.☑ I tack all my seams together with tiny dabs of tacky glue before heading over to my machine.  It's easy to apply a small amount with the tiny nozzle and it dries quickly so it won't gum up your needle.☑ In lieu of expensive clips and pins that will poke holes in your fabric, use bobby pins from the dollar store!  They slip on without having to move the fabric and the have the perfect amount of grip to keep your layers in place. They are also way cheaper than clips.   (Of course, don't sew over the bobby pins...)☑ Don't tell anyone, but I use regular braided elastic from the store... shhh!☑ When topstitching your elastic with a zig-zag stitch, make sure you aren't sewing too close to the edge of the opening.  This will cause your elastic to flip out.  Remember that one side of the zig-zag stitch should "fall off" the elastic edge on the inside edge.  I use a 2.5L 4.0W zig-zag and line my edge of my suit with the edge of the foot.☑ For visual tips and tricks, visit my youtube channel or the LLK/Styla Sew Along group where I've hosted swim sew alongs for the past couple of years.

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For more inspiration and swim-sewing tips,

be sure to check all the other stops in the tour!



Thank you to all of our amazing sewists who are joining us this week!

Hosted by SewSophieLynn and Paisley Roots

Sew Hard of Hearing, I Em Sew Happy, Zaji-Kali Makes, Sewing with CWay

Sew Mary Mac, Lorelei Caroline, Sew With Summer, All My Spare Time

Made By Kates, The Imperfect Sewist, Intensely Distracted, Lovely for Life

Sew Whit Designs, Sew What with Afton, It's Liesel, Clothed in Vermillion

Kainara Stitches, Stacey Durant, Desert Blooms, That's Sew Kari

{Raspberry Creek Fabrics} Swimsuit Tour 2021

 


Beep, beep! It's my stop on the Raspberry Creek Fabrics "Suit Up For Summer" Blog Tour!  This is always such a fun and inspiring tour -- I've seen so many awesome suits this week!  


Raspberry Creek Fabrics has an amazing lineup of swim prints this year with 50 new prints!  There is literally something for everyone!  If you've not sewn RCF swim before, it's a nice weight (250 gsm), 50+ UPF protection, and is 58/60" wide with at least 60% 4-way stretch.  (I tend to order 1/2 yd cuts for my girls unless they request a 1-piece suit -- that way I can try more prints... HA!!)  Oh, and there are board short options too!!


You can save 15% on the Swim Fabrics with code SWIMTOUR (ends today!).  In the "swim shop", you can also find coordinating solids, stripes, dots and gingham.  Don't forget to add swim lining or power mesh to your cart too!  



This year, my girls picked out their prints and then I picked a coordinating board short fabric for a cute coverup.   My youngest picked the Red Light Blue and Green Striped Cherries!  I had a feeling she'd pick one of the fruits.  (This print is also available on cotton spandex, double brushed poly and French Terry too!)  I love the combo of the turquoise stripe mixed with the bright cherries.  The Solid Red Board Short is the perfect shade of red too!



I used the Bodhi Boardskirt from Bubby and Me Creations and then added the waist details again with the add-on from the Linden Shorts by Sew A Little Seam.  The tie is decorative because I cannot get enough of my new grommet toy .. er, tool. 



I love the little side pocket too.  Now she can walk to the neighborhood pool and not be walking in just a swimsuit.   This board short sewed up really easily too!  I used a microtex needle.  I used a pressing cloth on top of my seams to avoid putting a hot iron directly on the fabric.  I'm pretty sure she's going to request a matching board skirt to every suit I sew her this year!



For her suit, I knew I wanted something different than what I've sewn her, but I couldn't find a pattern for what I wanted!  I decided I'd use one of her favorite patterns as a "block" and then transform it (that's the beauty of sewing, right?!)  I started with the Antibes Rashguard top by Little Lizard King and chopped off the top of the bodice and then did the same to the sleeve heads as well.  To finish it off, I added elastic to the top, straps and finally a waistband with 3/4" elastic to keep the suit in place when she jumps in the water.


The bottoms are the High Waisted Vintage Bottoms from the Laguna Pattern by Little Lizard King.



I love the full coverage this suit offers but still looks so super cute!!  It's perfect for her fair skin and modest style.



... and then there's my tween whose style is not modest like her little sister.  Hehe.  She picked this fun Fuchsia and Black Painted Hearts (she said it reminded her of the watermelon suit I sewed for the RCF Swim Tour 2 years ago).  I paired it with Matte Black Swim and Solid Black Board Short.



She requested a pair of shorts for her coverup so I modified the Beaufort Shorts by Little Lizard King and added fun ruched side seams.  She always loves the little extra details.  To modify the pattern, I straightened out the hem so there would be fabric to ruche.  The construction steps were switched around too so I could hem the legs with the bias tape before sewing the outer side seams.  Then I pressed the outer seams open so I could stitch the tie channels. 

 


For her suit, I tried out a new-to-me pattern -- Panama by Striped Swallow Designs (this pattern was generously donated to me for this tour!).  I learned a few new techniques too!  I love when I can learn new tricks and tips.  On this suit. the waist elastic is enclosed between the main and lining fabrics of the swim bottoms and it gave a really nice finish inside.  I used the cutout detail, but I think I need a little work on the band because I lost most of the cutout when I attached it -- whoops!  My daughter still loves it though!



The braiding detail on the back is what sold me on the suit!  I'm really in love with this and it looks SO GOOD!!  The suit comes in both the two-piece and a one-piece option.   I omitted the pieced front, but will be trying it in stripes next time!!


WEEKEND BONUS:  Save 15% in the entire SHOP!!

Use code: SUITUP2021


Find more inspiration here:


 

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


A huge thank you to our sponsors and don't forget to check out today's giveaway!!
Again, you can find the tour on Instagram with the hashtag: #suitupforsummer2021


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


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