Hey Everyone!

It’s finally swim season again! Well… close enough to start making swimsuits again! I love this time of year so much because it’s when I start thinking about summer fun and frolicking in mountain streams in the sun! My little miss Nala loves to be in water! She takes her swim wardrobe very seriously.

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I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve created a bit of a monster!

But with the fun prints I’ve gotten from Raspberry Creek Fabrics, I don’t know how I could ever pass up making a cute new suit for lil miss drama!

I love to see the fun colors and prints Raspberry Creek launches for both their swim and performance fabrics! I have been known to make matching swimsuits for all the members of my family. It’s helpful and convenient to get a fun print in stretch swim knit AND sueded microfiber woven at the same time! It’s not common to find fabric companies who offer that kind of customization! I find myself scooping up a couple prints in both fabric types each summer!

This year, I was kindly gifted a few of the new prints for this year’s Swim Tour! I can’t even deal with how cute this year’s selection is! There’s dinos, popsicles, beach balls, leaves, geo prints, stripes and tons of other fun prints that are available! I had such a hard time choosing what fabrics I should have picked. There was a fair amount of prints for children but many that I would say are very cute for adults, as well! Check out all the fun Swim and Performance fabrics from Raspberry Creek Fabrics here!

Nala’s Laguna Bikini Set

I chose this suit for several reasons! I been absolutely giggling at the idea of those cute little hip ruffles since I purchased Laguna pattern from Little Lizard King! That one detail sold me but I could not get over all the options available in this pattern! I have a strong feeling that I will come back to this pattern again.

I used the Pool Party print by Brittney Laidlaw on Stretch Matte Swim fabric to make this little tankini set. It’s so fun and I knew my daughter would love these playful floaties! She squealed with JOY when she saw the pizza float! Then she spent several minutes naming all the other fun floats on her swimsuit as well. This print is perfect for summer fun and pool parties that we will most certainly be taking part in!

The straps and ruffles are where I decided to have a little fun by combining this fun Fuchsia Pink and White Polka Dots swim fabric! I love mixing prints! Because these two fabrics have pretty drastic differences in the scale of the print, it doesn’t feel too busy for a fun summer garment! The fuchsia picks up from the floaties as a way to tie these two designs together easily.

I made Nala’s Laguna in the size 4 with no adjustments. It isn’t too tight but I suspect that she will be able to wear it all summer long! I like that there is an option to make this top as a bikini length or tankini length, plus the ruffle can be either short or long to adjust your coverage.

The vintage style bikini bottoms were the selling point for me. I know I’ve said that but I think they’re just adorable! I chose these because of the coverage but also because of those hip ruffles! These fit higher on her body and fit securely! There’s nothing worse that loose bikini bottoms! These are quite snug but are not uncomfortable! Once wet they don’t fall right off, so she is free to play and run around as she pleases.

At Nala’s preschool, they have water play days once the weather is accommodating. Nala told me that she couldn’t wait to share her new suit with her teachers and friends! It’s still a couple months before that will happen but I know I’ll be bringing her back to our athletic club so she can splash around in her suit again since it’s still freezing in Colorado!

The options that I chose for Nala’s version:

• Two piece Tankini with exposed ruffle skirt
• Vintage Bottoms with hip ruffles
• Halter tie straps

Made for Mermaids Jade Hack Bikini Top

I chose Mod Dreams by Janelle Coury from Raspberry Creek Fabrics as my main print for this suit! The color combinations in this design made me smile, and I’m sure you can guess why! But I’ll tell you why anyhow! I love anything MUSTARD but adding teal and grey to the mix made me swoon! It feels very mature, in my opinion, when compared to the print I chose for Nala’s suit. It would still be great for a young girl’s swim suit in any case!

I used their Solid Light Pink Swim for the reverse and as accents. I debated on whether I would use any other color from Mod Dreams, such as the mustard or teal or grey, but something about the pink called to me. I’ve never had a (mostly) solid pink bikini before, so it was settled!

I’ve made this pattern as a dress and love the way that Jade fits! That little peekaboo cutout is too cute! I swoon over it all the time! I love that this hack is so easy to do, as well. It makes me want to take a second look at other patterns in my stash to make into swim tops!

I used Made For Mermaid’s swim hack blog post to make this suit. I used binding to finish the bottom of this bikini top so that it could be fully reversible! Though biking and swim knit seems like it would be rather difficult, I found it easier than binding with slippery rayon challis or crepe! This fabric presses pretty well on very low heat! I prepared my binding, in the Mod Dreams print, as usual and applied it with my server. After, I used my sewing machine and a stretchy zigzag stitch to top stitch into place.

I cut 1.5″ off the bottom of the bikini before I applied binding for a shorter bikini overall. I also took a half inch from the center back to give myself a little less wearing ease. This was such an amazing change for wearing Jade as a bikini top. There’s more security and support now, which I appreciate!

I love that this top is fully reversible and still has great support and coverage! I can’t pick a favorite side but I know I’ll have to make at least on more of Jade to add to my swim wardrobe!

Edgewater Avenue Whitney Bottoms

Last year, I made my first reversible swim bottoms from Edgewater Avenue. I made Whitney but many of her swim suits can be made reversible, if not most! I have never had any reversible bikini bottoms before but it’s the only way I want to make swim bottoms from now on! They come together in a snap and I never have to worry about switching my Coverlock over to the coverstitch function to finish them! Katie designs these patterns to be made mostly with a stretch stitch and minimal topstitching. She’s a designer after my own heart! I love how these bottoms are fully reversible and extra comfortable for actual water fun—not just pictures!

For my second Whitney, I chose another print and solid mashup! I like having a solid color because it fits into my swim wardrobe perfectly to mix and match! This light pink side will pair well with other bikini tops I’ve made in the past. I like that the geographic print will pair so well with other solid bikini tops I’ve made. It’s the easiest way to maximize your swim wardrobe! I find myself making most of my swim attire reversible now, even if I’m using the same color for both sides.

I like these because the coverage is absolutely perfect for me! There are two different options for when I am feeling like something with a little less coverage. I would say these are cheeky but the other option is definitely thong coverage (AKA no coverage)! I have been feeling more and more adventurous with my bottoms so I won’t say never to the thong option. I might even say you will see my cheeks in due time! Either way! I love that the update has these options.

In addition to adding the thong option, there’s has been some changes to the design in general. I find this new update is very flattering and more comfortable as well. The high leg openings and straight waistline make these my favorite bottoms to date! I recommended Whitney bottoms to all my sewfriends last year. After this update, I’m still going to recommend it to you all!

Swim Wardrobe Additions

Overall, I think we have a pretty great start to our swim wardrobes this year! If you’ve been following my makes for a while, you know I make several swimsuits for myself, my husband and Nala each year. I still have a couple suits to go and I’m so excited about it!

Are you thinking about sewing your own swimwear? If so which swimsuit is calling your name? I’ve got more bikinis and some trunks in mind!

RCF Swim Tour Sewists

I am one of many other awesome sewist who participated in the Raspberry Creek Fabric’s Swim tour this year! Please check these other sewist below!