vintage patterns - modern swimsuits

I have always had a hard time finding swim suits for Abi.  Even when she was little, we had a hard time finding ones that fit her long skinny torso.  And, frankly, I don't like little bikinis on children.   I know many people disagree with me and I am not judging those that buy them for their kids.  It is just my style of parenting.

After some trial and error, I learned that a tanki style is great for her.  It complies with my modesty requirements but allows for her long torso to stretch out and not be constrained.  And, when I make her suits, they fit like a glove, unlike the RTW suits.

This year I wanted to use the vintage patterns I received from my grandmother.  She passed way this winter, so these patterns are even more dear to me these days.

In order to test the fit, I used some left over scrap knit I had from previous projects and then talked to Abi about what modifications she wanted.

Then, I used some left-over swim fabric from her suit two years ago and some costume fabric to make a practice version.  The way I figured it, if it fit, she has a spare suit.  If it did not fit, I did not waste my new fabric and I did not need to go shopping again.

I combined two patterns to get the basic frame of the suit.  I used Stretch and Sew Children's one and two Piece Swim Suit Pattern no. 1275 for the bottoms.  And then I cut off the bottom from the Girls 1 Piece swim suit.

She wanted little boy shorts, but I did not have that pattern.  Or so I thought.  After I finished the practice and the final, I found Boy's Swim Trunks Pattern No. 1225 when looking for a different pattern entirely!

source

Of course I then ended up going to JoAnns to pick up some more swim fabric.  Their selection was actually pretty good and I had to keep my self from getting distracted by the pretty fabrics.  I bought enough for coordinating shorts for Abi and some blue for my son.

The shorts for Abi turned out a little bigger than planned but the ones I sewed for Eli fit her perfect.  Luckily a 1/2 yard has enough for two shorts so I will just make her another pair in the Eli size.

NOTE:  I have a serger and normally would use it.  But it was acting up so I exclusively used the 3-step zig-zag stitch.  It worked fabulous!  So, please don't think you need a fancy machine to sew swimsuit.  Also, I was able to use fold-over elastic as the binding.  Wow, that stuff is wonderful and I highly recommend it.

Have you started on your kid's suits yet?  Believe me, this could be your easiest project this year.

Splashing around with Peek a Boo Patterns

Today we have a special treat.  We are interviewing none other but Amy from the Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop! (affiliate link)  As I was putting together this series, I noticed that she had the most and the most fashionable designs out there for children's swim wear.  I particularly appreciated the boy options and how so many of them had sleeves in order to protect the kids from the sun.  (I read once that most skin cancer is caused by burns and sun exposure which occurred before the age of 12.)

affiliate link

Amy, thank you for being a part of this series.  Could you tell us how long have you been designing patterns?

I started sewing 4 years ago shortly after the birth of my first child; nothing like a baby girl to provide some motivation :) I started with a blog and eventually opened up the pattern shop in the fall of 2011.

Hang ten rash guard

A lot of us sew but what made you decide to take the giant step of becoming a pattern designer? 

I am a completely self-taught seamstress and learned most of what I know from bloggers. The more blogs I looked at the more I got the itch to give it a try on my own. One thing led to another and I realized I could make my children almost anything I wanted if I learned how to draft patterns. I definitely get a lot of satisfaction from dressing my children in clothes made with love that they love to wear.

When did you start designing swimwear?

  coney island tankini

I came up with my first swimsuit patterns in the spring of 2012 and I fell in love immediately.

Many of your patterns work well for boys and girls; are having unisex options important to you?

With 2 little boys of my own I definitely keep the boys in mind when I design. I like to do some looks that are just for the girls or just for the boys but I always include some unisex patterns in each of my pattern line-ups for the season. Many people have both boys and girls to sew for and it's always nice to be able to make something special for each child all from the same pattern. 

coco cay colorblock tankini

You have so many varieties of suits, what inspires you so that you can be so creative?

I love designing swimwear! My daughter gets so excited anytime I'm working on a new suit and I have a great time coming up with suits that are fun and also modest. Swimsuits are surprisingly quick to sew and I love that I can make something that will fit her like a glove and that is also unique. Anytime we are at the pool or splash pad I'm definitely on the lookout for new design elements to mix-up and add to future designs. Mostly though I just do a lot of sketching :)

So many designers shy away from the larger children’s sizes; what motivated you to size up to 12yr?

surf's up board shorts 

When I started designing patterns it seemed the industry standard was to go to an 8 so I did that as well. After many requests for larger sizes I now offer almost all of my new patterns up to a 12. So many children need a size 12 at a younger age and I'm glad I can help fill the need for looks that are still appropriate and fun for a child. 


Well,  I am sure grateful that you do provide such a robust selection for both for boys and girls in the bigger sizes.  Thank you Amy for sharing your thought on designing swimwear with us. 

And if any of you are looking for beach wear patterns, peek-a-boo pattern shop has hats and cover-ups in addition to even more suits.

(Update: Sew Cool now has a few affiliate links and Peek-a-boo Patterns is one of them.  We think Amy carries great patterns for tweens so we think the affiliate program is a good fit.)

 

Modest does NOT = Ugly

Have you ever walked into a store to buy clothes for your little girl and thought "Huh?  am I in the Junior's department?"

I am not ultra conservative but I think that my young pre and early-pubescent girls should not dress in a manner that would be "sexy" if they were older.  And yet, all over stores are shorts that barely cover their bum, off the shoulder shirts, and belly shirts.

And I don't get the argument that the girls are little, so it is OK, or cute.  If our girls get used to showing this much skin now, then they will continue to wear clothes so small.

Remember the controversy over the bikini top that was padded sold by Abercrombie & Fitch?  The only reason that such horrible outfits exist is that people buy it.  The only explanation I can think of why some mom would think 'enhancing' her little girl was appropriate is that she has been convinced that modest equals ugly.

I beg to differ.  When making clothes or buying for my girls (or boy for that matter), I do have rules about modesty.  The shorts have to be a few inches below their bum.  And skirts should be within two inches of the knee.  And absolutely no bellies showing.  But beyond that, I encourage creativity and self expression.  I try to follow current fashion trends and incorporate them in my children's wardrobes.  Clothes do not have to be miniscule to be cute.  In fact, with more fabric, you have more room for creative embellishments.

One of the things Sally and I want to do is highlight different ways you can embellish basic pieces in order to make an outfit fashionable.

If you have been taught that modesty means ugly, I hope we are able to change your mind and that you can also jump on the bandwagon of providing cute, and age appropriate clothing for your kids.

~ Major Moma

Lolly Pop Swirl--A Review of McCall's M6787

 Lolly Pop Swirl=Candy fit for a Tween and designed by a Tween

She asked for an outfit made from fabric with swirls in it which would remind her of lolly pops and I think I delivered.

Why candy do you ask? Because it's Candy Inspired week over at Project Run and Play

The requirement I gave Sophia was that her design needed to use this pattern, because I wanted to give a trial run in order to write a review. It's McCall's M6787.

Sophia came up with this outfit (which she sketched out with her fashion design thing), which she said reminded her of the swirls on the really big lolly pops with lots of different colors.

I think I was able to capture her vision. I just wasn't able to find a good contrasting patterned knit for the leggings so I went with a solid purple.  And since the fabric for the top was a little see through I made a little shirt for her to wear under it out of the same fabric. I found both at JoAnn's. 

Pattern--McCall's M6787 (as of the time I wrote this, the pattern was on sale for $3 at McCall's site, which is a pretty good price.)

It comes in sizes 7-14 and there is a plus size version as well.

Materials--No special materials needed beyond fabric and elastic

Skill Level--The pattern itself is very easy to sew together and only requires basic skills, but it is all done with knit fabrics which can be tricky at times (especially if you are like me and pick a knit for the top that is kind of lacy like and is a pain to sew). When it comes to knits I highly recommend using your serger or at the very least investing in a double needle.

I picked this pattern up because it goes with my daughter's style of clothes and it seemed like it would be pretty versatile. There are 4 different versions of the top. What I learned was that it was a really easy sew. The pants came together in less then an hour (thanks to using the serger) and the top wasn't that difficult either. 

The only thing I did different was that I did not make the casing for the elastic at the waist of the shirt or even use the elastic. My daughter is more of a belt person and does not like the riding up effect that comes with shirts that have elastic at the waist. The belt is some stretchy ribbon stuff I found at Hobby Lobby sewn on to a set of 'D' rings.

The Good--This was a great pattern to make, simple and straight forward. It would be a great learning to sew with knits pattern. It also came together super fast. I will definitely be doing this one again and try out some of the different variations for the top. The top is the highlight of the pattern. The leggings are really just your typical 2 pattern piece pants with an elastic waist.

The Bad--Really there isn't much bad to say. The only thing wrong with it was probably my fault. I sewed a size 10 and it gapes a little at the neck line and I probably should have gone with an 8. She kind of fell in between the sizes for most of the measurements so I went with the bigger size, giving her room to grow.

What do I think of this pattern?  Definitely lightening bolts     !

Because the top gapes, I gave sewing a undershirt a try. I just used some of the left over fabric from the pants. I wish I had just a little bit more to make it a little longer, but you make do sometimes.

I just used a shirt of hers as a guide and cut out the neck, the side and the arms. I left the fold at the top (the fabric you see here is folded into fourths) for what would have been the shoulder seams and I didn't cut out sleeves. Use the whole shirt to cut out one big piece for the front and back each. Then you sew up the side seams and finish the edges as desired.