Custom Swimwear, Aqua and Brown

I’ve been spending a lot of time at the pool this summer, something that is pretty new to me.  This probably sounds pretty silly but I don’t have a thing to wear!  It’s really tricky to find bathing attire that is fashionable (i.e., not frumpy) but provides the coverage I want these days.  I particularly like to wear a camisole-style top and boy-leg shorts.  It’s often difficult to find what I’m looking for (and without spending a lot) so I’ve decided to try making some things for myself.

I’ve got several pieces of 4-way stretch knits in my stash just for this purpose.  I have a large amount of this aqua/chocolate brown print so I decided I would start with it since I would have the chance for a do-over if my first attempt didn’t work out.  I used the Shelf Bra Camisole by Jan Bones as my first pattern.  I took a class with Jan at the Sewing Expo a few years ago and was very impressed with her knowledge of sewing with knits.  This pattern has a built-in shelf bra and separate pattern pieces for different cup sizes.  All of the edges are finished with ¼” elastic which ensures a nice fit.

I feel much more comfortable at my sewing machine than my serger, so I chose to construct this piece using my conventional machine and a zigzag stitch.  Some day I'm going to learn to use my coverstitch machine (a friend recently suggested I bring it to a sewing retreat and make it my goal to learn to use it, an fantastic idea!) but the old Stretch and Sew methods still work great.

For a first try this top is great.  I wore it to the pool over the weekend and thought it was very comfortable.  When I make another I am going to try one size larger as this one is pretty snug and I would like to see the difference.

Working with this pattern gave me the confidence to try some other tops with patterns not necessarily designed as swim wear.  I feel that I could easily add a shelf bra to other tops, and want to try one of the camisole-style tops I particularly like.  Pamela Leggett’s Perfect Tank Top (more like a cami, really) is another one I think I’ll try.  After I’ve got the tops down I’ll move on to the shorts.  Stay tuned.

Pool Cover-ups for My Kids

We’ve been going to the pool quite a bit this year.  My kids are finally water-savvy enough for me to take them both by myself.  The biggest challenge is what to do when it is time to come home:  take the time to change them into dry clothes or let them sit in their car seats in their wet suits?  I’ve tried the “burrito method” (wrapping them in a towel) but the littlest one is always tripping on the hem and it is impossible to buckle them into their car seats with the towels in place (I can hear other parents nodding their heads at this dilemma).  First I thought about buying some robes to wear home from the pool until I priced them.  Next, I searched for instructions for making my own and came across exactly what I was looking for on Sew, Mama, Sew.  These instructions use a towel for the fabric (I bought mine at Kohl’s on sale) and are very easy to follows.

I added appliqué sea friends (a whale and octopus) along with some button embellishment.  I started with a couple of clip art drawings for patterns and satin stitched the quilting cotton to the towels.  I decided to use wide quilt binding instead of narrower double-fold bias tape to finish the cut edges as I thought it would be easier to apply given the thickness of the towels.  While I like this at the center front, I don’t like it around the neckline very much.  In fact, the only thing I don’t like about these cover-ups is that the necklines are too wide and don’t sit nicely on my boys.

The day I completed the first of these garments I came across a new pattern by Dana over at Made for a beach robe also made from towels.  I think I may put this on my list to make next year – we’ll see how the current versions hold up to washing and wearing.

I’m still hoping to get some pictures of these robes on the actual subjects but so far I haven’t had any luck with that.  For now you’ll have to be satisfied with shots taken on hangers.  Hopefully I can update with some “action shots” soon.

Update on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 9:27PM by Julie Bowersett

Here are a few shots of my kids wearing their cover ups.  You can see how wide the necks are.  I've decided to make a center back pleat and take up some of the extra width with hopes these will fit a little better.  I don't know if the neckline stretched (I would advise stay-stitching it immediately after cutting) or if a smaller arc would be better.  The instructions call for a 9" wide opening.  Next time I would try something smaller.

A Tomato Update: EarthTainers Rock!

For those of you out there who are curious whether the elaborate tomato planting system I wrote about a month ago was worth all of the effort, check out these tomato plants.

If you need a reminder of how far these have come, here is what the plants looked like four weeks ago:

I think they like their new home.  This system is very easy to keep properly watered and is weed free.  I really recommend you give it a try if you have wanted to grow tomatoes but weren't sure you had the right location to plant them in the ground.

I finished up a couple of projects tonight for my children, and tomorrow should be picture day (if they are feeling cooperative).  Check back this weekend for details.  Hope everyone is enjoying summertime!

Rose Skirt and T-shirt Fabric Roses

Last week I wrote about the lecture I attended at the Textile Museum by Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin.  I made an outfit to wear to the event, a pull on skirt and tee shirt with a fabric flower embellishment.  The skirt pattern is Natalie’s and comes from her Alabama Stitch book.  The pink fabric I used for the top layer is the organic cotton sold in the Alabama Chanin online store.  The green underlayer is a recycled t-shirt and was cut about an inch longer than the pink so it would peek out.  My artist friend Cyane drew the rose design for me which I enlarged and hand cut a stencil from.  The leaves are reverse appliqué and the flower is appliqué with a parallel whip stitch.

This skirt is cut from four gores, and the only thing I did not like about it was the way the center front seam laid along my tummy;  I felt it was not very flattering.  I had an “aha moment” the next day when I was hanging the skirt up.  I rotated the skirt so that one panel was centered at the front and one at the back, leaving the other two as side panels.  I’m much happier with how this skirt hangs now.

The foldover elastic waistband was stitched on by hand (the entire skirt was also constructed with hand stitching).  This zigzag chain stitch is taught in the Alabama Stitch book.  It makes for a very nice, stretchy stitch, with a lovely appearance.

The t-shirt was my second one using Pamela Leggett’s Perfect T-shirt pattern (you can see my first one here).  I used two recycled t-shirts for this project, cutting the sleeves and body from the fabric in a way that utilized the existing hems which saved a lot of time in finishing.  This time I used the square neckline which is available as a template from Pamela in her New Necklines and Sleeves pattern.   I felt the top needed something to pull it together with the skirt so I used some of the leftover pink scraps to make a fabric rose to wear.  The leaf is some of the leftover green fabric and is embroidered using a free-standing leaf design by A Bit of Stitch.

I’ve written a tutorial on making these fabric roses which you can find in my tutorial section.  I like the idea of using a removable embellishment to help tie two pieces together.  It makes the outfit looked coordinated while still allowing the top to be worn with something else if desired.  I’d love to see what you create with these instructions.  Perhaps an entire bed of roses.

Alabama Chanin, Part II

On Thursday night I took the Metro into DC to hear Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin speak at the Textile Museum.  I got so much more from the evening than I bargained for.

Natalie is a warm and engaging speaker.  She began by telling the audience that she likes to “speak from her heart” and encouraging everyone to ask questions along the way.  Her story-telling was accompanied by a slide show of pictures from her various collections as well as her books.  I found it particularly exciting to see pictures from her third book, due out in 2012.  That book will include a number of new techniques for embellishing garments, things like couching and ribbon embroidery with a decidedly Chanin style.  I can’t wait.

all photos by Alabama Chanin

Natalie covered her very interesting background and how she came to be where she is now in her business as well as why she has chosen to share her techniques and supplies through her books and online store.  As I said in my previous post about this designer and her company, I am inspired by her story as much as I am by her work, and I was so pleased to hear her talk about it in her soft Southern voice.  Her desire to remove the “elitist” label that her clothes sometimes wear by sharing how home sewers can make their own, and even providing kits to do just that, really illustrates what a down-to-earth big heart she has.

So, that’s a synopsis of what I expected to get out of the evening, and Natalie didn’t disappoint (she made me want to come home and start a new project immediately).  But I received an even bigger gift that night.  When I sat down next to two women (a mother-daughter pair, as it turns out) the daughter, Linda, commented on the skirt I was wearing and a lively discussion ensued.  It turns out that Linda, an artist and knitter, loves Natalie Chanin, too.  She very much wants to learn how to make some of Natalie’s clothes, especially the little skirt I was wearing.  Her mother, Barbara, is the sewer of the pair, and Linda is hoping that between the two of them they can pull off her desire.   Barbara and I seemed to know all of the same people and visit the same websites (we’ve probably even sat through some of the same classes at the Sewing Expo).  I told Linda I am planning to go to Alabama for one of Natalie’s workshops in November and encouraged her to do the same, to learn from the experts and have her hand held along the way.  We continued our lovely new friendships after the lecture and the entire way home on the Metro, and I feel like I met two kindred spirits that night.  Those of you out there in various sewing circles will know what I mean when I say that there is an immediate familiarity and kinship when you meet others who speak your language and who “get you”.  I came home from that lovely evening with a warm feeling, grateful for new friends and inspiration.  Grateful also for this God-given talent that has brought me so much joy, allowed me to give back (or pay forward) and has brought so many wonderful people into my life.

And, to all of you creative friends out there, thanks for sticking with me as I settle into my new summer schedule of boy watching (my little boys, that is).  I am still committed to posting twice per week though the days may not be as regular as I would like (nor will my creative time be as regular as I like, either).  On Tuesday I will be posting details about and pictures of the skirt I made from Alabama Stitch along with a little tutorial on making fabric roses from t-shirt fabric.