End of Summer Swimwear

I’ve been meaning to share these looks for a few weeks now but never managed to get any good pictures taken.  I love sewing swimwear but taking the photos is another story.  The beach has been so crowded lately and it makes me a little more self-conscious  posing.  Usually I set up my shots in relatively empty areas so I don’t feel silly moving around as my timer goes off .  Also the light can get too bright rather quickly so I need to be beachside early.  On the plus side my beach photos always turn out so well-lit and peaceful- a great backdrop!

I love this coordinating set!  I made the bikini, rashguard and dress out of the same fabulous UPF 50 material.  It’s just divine to work with.  Easy to sew and so super soft.  I’m thinking some yoga pants in the turquoise and in the grey version need to be made!  My oldest loves that I match him(he has a rashy in the blue) when we go to the beach. :)

Patterns Used:

Bikini- Deer and Doe Centauree Bodice + Ohhh Lulu  Ava High Waist Panties (altered to a lower rise plus added contrast sides)

Click to view my earlier makes, a Deer & Doe Centauree Ava one piece Swimsuit and Dress.

Rashguard- Lekala 4199 Shortened (Dress Pattern)

Dress- Lady Skater Swim Dress (blogged about here)

Fabrics:

SunGuard UPF 50 Fabric in Heather Royal and Turquoise from Rockywoods, plus a UPF 50 fabric in White.

The bikini has an interior built in bra sandwiched in between the two layers.  I cut the pattern out twice and then assembled the suit.  I’m still working on getting the perfect fit and construction on my swimsuits but this one is pretty good.  The elastic on the bottom band needs to be redone but I ran out at the end.  Easy fix- I’m going to encase it in fabric before attaching to form more of a band- which should cure the slight bagging there.  The bottoms look fine but I’d feel more confident with a little more coverage in back.  The suit is quite supportive and holds up really well in the ocean, even with kids climbing all over me!

The rashguard is my fav so far.  I love the paneling!  This was a more difficult sew to get the angle at the bust perfect especially since the white material was a bit trickier to work with.  I had to carefully sew my pieces before serging them together.  I made a few changes to the original pattern.   I shortened it to a shirt and lengthened the sleeves as well as adding cuffs and a bottom band.

I took these photos on Wednesday after putting up my last post and walking Nigel to school.  Ami and I spent a beautiful morning on Lowdermilk Beach, swimming, building sand castles and looking for cool seashells.  The water was perfect, cool and clear,  plus the tide was out so Ami could walk out quite far and play safely.  It’s a wonderful life here in Florida.

I’m so glad we had this wonderful and very happy morning as  later in the afternoon I heard the news that my grandmother (my mother’s mom) had passed away in the morning.  She was 90 years old, an amazing woman, who I really looked to as a role model.  She was both practical and creative, and her needlework was just fabulous!  A wonderful  mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  I lived around the corner from her for a few years in Marshfield, WI in my twenties and am so glad I had that time to get to know her as an adult. I’m also so happy she was able to meet my little family and I know she was proud of my new-found love of sewing.

On a happier note, I felt really inspired that same afternoon to cut out a new dress pattern from my Marcy Tilton blue and white floral stretch fabric that I had been so nervous to cut into, fearing I would waste this lovely fabric.  She would have thought that was just silly and told me to just get on with it.  I thought my grandmother would really appreciate the look I have in mind too.  It’s a 1948 Vintage reproduction.  I’m combining the bodice from V8687 and the skirt from V1137.  I’ll be wearing it to her remembrance ceremony next month in Minnesota.  Happy Sewing!