Suit Up for Summer with Raspberry Creek

Summer is just around the corner, and with all of this indoor time we have had lately, I can definitely say I am ready to hit the pool!

I think Raspberry Creek Fabrics’ “Suit up for Summer” blog tour is coming at the perfect time! Many of us are dreaming of fun pool parties or days at the beach where we can enjoy warm weather and maybe even get to hang out with a few friends 😉

The Raspberry Creek Fabrics has an amazing swim suit fabric line-up this year! I had such a hard time deciding on the fabrics I wanted to use, since I loved them all, but I think I came up with some good ones 🙂

** for this week only, save 15% on Raspberry Creek Fabrics’ swim and boardshort this week using code SWIMTOUR

Let’s just talk about Raspberry Creek’s fabric for a moment! I do not have a ton of experience sewing swimwear. In fact, I added up that before sewing these suits for the blog tour, I have only successfully sewn 5 other swimsuits. Some of them went smoother than others. However, I feel like the world needs to know that sewing with high quality swimsuit fabric and lining can make such a difference when it comes to sewing your own suits. Raspberry Creek Swim fabric is AMAZING! It is smooth and soft without being slippery and slinky. The weight of the fabric is perfect and not sheer at all.

Now let’s talk about these suits!

Jalie Diane Tank Swimsuit

I made the Jalie Diane Tank Swimsuit (#3893) for my 7 year old. I used the Abstract Animal Print in the matte swim knit fabric.

I used a small bit of the solid black matte swim fabric for the back accent piece.

The back is my absolute favorite 🙂

This is the first time I have sewn the Diane Suit, and I think it went together so smoothly! I followed the pattern exactly, and it led to a very accurate fit. I do think next time I will grade out the hips to make it one size larger than her top, as she would like just a bit more room in her seat, but I think that is just an adjustment made on personal preference.

Mairin Swimsuit

Now on to my 5 year old. I made the Children’s Mairin Swimsuit by Sew a Little Seam. I used the Coral Palm Leaves Print in the matte swim knit fabric for the top and the Hand Drawn Dot Print in the matte swim knit for the bottoms.

The Mairin swim pattern is loaded with pattern options. I honestly changed my mind so many times because I loved all of the views. Ultimately I decided to do the “V-Back” bikini top with the peplum paired with the high-waisted bottoms. I knew I wanted to make a 2 piece for her, because of the ease it provides for the multiple potty breaks we need to take on beach days with this child 🙂 I did want to add a touch more modesty to the top, so I lengthened the bikini top an extra 1 inch and I am really happy with how it turned out.

And let’s just talk about the “V-Back” with a ruffle!!

Moments after taking these pictures, my kids all jumped in the pool. I was really happy with how the suit held up to swimming, especially those white bottoms… not see through at all!

Kayak Boardshorts

Last, but not least, my son. I seldom sew for my son, so he was thrilled when I told him I was going to make him a pair of Kayak boardshorts. He absolutely loves the Palm Tree Print. He is a pretty trendy dresser, so and he thinks this is the coolest fabric ever!

I made a very simple version of the shorts. I opted not to line them with the mesh lining and I did not add pockets. So this was a very straight forward project.

I did deviate away from the pattern when it came to the waistband. The Kayak boardshorts’ pattern is designed to have a knit waistband; however, I liked the look of having the same pattern for the waistband.

I just made the waistband the same width as the top of the shorts and attached it. I left a hole for the fabric to insert the elastic. Once the elastic was in place, I topstitched the waistband in 2 lines to help reduce the bulk.

Needless to say, he feels pretty confident in his new shorts.