FullOfStitches.com blog.A good laugh leaves me in stitches!

Last fall, I came across another modest swimwear design: Fresh Modesty. This is a design your own pattern ebook. She begins by explaining how to design a pattern and walks the sew-ist through making a pants sloper and a bodice sloper (basic pattern from your measurements so it will fit you – there is a bodice and sleeve pattern included, but they are one size), then walking through some alterations and ideas to make 3 or 4 swimsuits, and showing how easy it is to alter patterns to one’s own taste.

For this swimdress, I used the sleeves and sash from the Fresh Modesty pattern. Or rather, I altered the sleeves in my existing pattern by looking how hers were formed, and following the simple directions of how to add the sash.

I hope my neighbor girl likes it! (she’s always liked my girls’ swim wear)

I had fun with MissC’s swimdress. I raised the waist to empire level and added in a ruffle. The sleeves I widened and added a band to give them a pouf. I accidentally made the skirt shorter than I care for, so I may add a ruffle.

Here’s the changes for the sleeve. I lengthened by about 6″, tapered the side seams out, and curved the hem. For the band, I measured her arm (8″ with pajamas on) and added an inch. To gather, it’s easier than wovens – no basting! Just mark the hem and band in quarters and pin the marks together. Since I stretch to sew knitwear, it was easy to gather just by stretching.

Today I finished the top for MissB’s swimdress. Her favorite colors are purple and green, and I could only find one (1!) purple swim fabric – and it’s not even the good stuff! But it works for swimming, and she likes the pattern on the fabric.

A while ago, I purchased the “Fashionably Modest Patterns – Modest Swimming Suit” pattern. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to be available any more. I sewed some swimdresses for the girls a few years ago – before MissC was big enough to need one! Then they used swim shirts and board shorts the last couple years. Yet, we like the girliness of the skirted things, and the coverage! Redheads plus sun equals sunburn. I don’t want to have to invest in a sunscreen company to cover all that flesh in sun block, we’ll stick to just the normal parts! Anywho…

I took a shirt that fits her (this is actually C’s shirt, the other was put away), and drew a new higher neckline for the suit. Then folded up an equal amount on the front and back pieces (about where the grainline arrow is). I sewed the top together as usual (I think I added 7-8″ to the sleeves for elbow length). This pattern has you sew the skirt to the shorts, but I prefer to connect it to the top – have you seen the floors at public beach/pool restrooms? I simply measured the bottom of the bodice/shirt piece and cut the 2″ wide contrast fabric so it fit around the bodice plus 1/2″ seam allowance, and sewed the short edge, then folded the piece and placed it between bodice and skirt.

I actually ended up making the dress too long at first and had to cut off the waistband, so I think the contrast piece ended up 1- 1 1/2″ wide instead. It looks better this way.

The neckband was done like the waist. Just measure the neck, cut a piece of 2″ wide fabric the neck measurement plus 1/2″ seam. Sew little seam to form circle, fold band in half, then pin to neckband and sew in place.

Then I took the rest of the contrast fabric (I’d purchased about 1/8 yd, I think, it was more like 6″, and had used a 2″ strip so far), straightened the edge (ended with about 3 1/2″) and cut in half (1 3/4″ish), sewed the ends to make a really big circle, and pinned and sewed that to the hem of the skirt. I’ll see how it looks after a swim, I think she’ll like the ruffle.

I’ll get pictures of the girls soon!

It feels like summer is finally sneaking up on us by the bay. It’s been such a cool summer here that it was beginning to feel like it might just fade into autumn.

School has begun for most of the districts here. Ours has been building up as well, slowly getting a little more done each day and soon we may be doing most subjects any given day. I mainly have two classes, TJ & the girls. TJ’s got 5 years on them, so his math & grammar are more advanced. Science & history are simple enough to do together & have his reports be more in depth.
Hitting 102 set us back, though. It’s too hot to think! School uniforms are currently swim wear & the classroom is the pool.