Azur Reversible Swimsuits by Petit a Petit and Family and Titchy Threads

Towards the beginning of our #sewswimsocial on instagram, Celina of Petit a Petit and Family was offering a pattern sale, which you can find out about by following her and/or subscribing to her newsletter. The Azur Reversible swimsuit (a collab between Celina and Laura of Titchy Threads) had been out in the wild for a few years but caught my eye since I was in swimwear mode and I had been saving some custom swim knit from Sweet N Charmed fabrics, just waiting for the right pattern.



The Azur Swimsuit is fully reversible or you can use a lining fabric. Rachel of Stitched Together commented that when she uses lining fabric her girls get sand stuck in their suits so she prefers to use regular swim fabric as the lining. It was again fortunate timing for me to use regular swim for these suits. (I did sew a practice one for Ansley with swim lining to check her size). The Azur Swimsuit has several colorblocking and strap options and optional bows. In the previous post I used the solid/non colored block version for Ansley with the yummy polka dot fabric (she is extremely lucky I didn't hoard it all for myself) and the reverse is white swim knit with blue straps, both fabrics from Joann. The Joann's stuff is definitely thinner and more slippery but it is lovely for a lining.



I found the construction very interesting and fun. I felt like a magician when I bagged the lining and sewed in the optional elastic! I LOVE the style and the coverage in the seat and the many color block opportunities. The pattern pieces went together beautifully. I did end up sewing some of the straighter seams with my serger because the thin swim liked to slide/bunch even with a stretch needle and walking foot. Or without a walking foot. Or with pins. Or with lots of wonder clips. This isn't a fault of the instructions, I just found it worked better for me, especially the straps. The instructions and illustrations were clear and helpful.



Lisbon's suit is a size 6, according to her measurements. I was overly eager and used the wrong width of elastic so it doesn't lay quite as flat for now but when it's stretched slightly (like how it will fit when she grows) it's perfect. I sewed a size 9 for Ansley and the fit is perfect. The main fabrics are from Sweet n Charmed Fabrics and the accent/contrast is from Joanns. The girls had a fun time picking the fabrics and coordinates for each part and we did use the little accent rectangle on the reverse even though I didn't get any pictures of them.



































I will definitely sew this pattern again since it's unique and fun and great for scraps and personalization.



Thanks for stopping by!

Super Late Sew Swim Social Wrap Up

Hi! Summer is in full swing and we have more or less recovered from the last month of school craziness. It seems like this May was crazier than ever before with dance and piano recitals and school field trips and parties and birthdays and mother's day. Anyway, it's finally swimsuit season so I suppose this isn't too unreasonably late for the Northern Hemisphere. Or too early for the Southern Hemisphere.

I had so much fun hosting the #sewswimsocial with Stephanie, Crystal, and Meghan and seeing all of the gorgeous swimwear! Thank you for supporting us by sewing along, liking pictures on instagram, and commenting! Thank you to our fabric and pattern sponsors!!!!

For the first set of swimsuits I sewed the Poolside Swimsuit by Chelise of Thread Sewing School. She has generously offered this pattern for free to newsletter subscribers and teaches girls how to sew their own. I sewed a size 6 for Lisbon and a size 9 for Ansley, according to their measurements. Lisbon's turned out a little big and Ansley's turned out a little small, which could be due ununiformly stretching the elastic while sewing. It's one of those skills that I find gets better with practice and frequency. Ansley also could've grown since I measured her; my girls have been growing like crazy lately, which typically manifests itself with being constantly hungry and grumpy. I printed out the size 10 for Ansley (she can still wear the 9 though she said it was snug in the shoulders when she went to acro) but got distracted by another pattern to try (which will come in the next post). This fabric is from Joann and it sewed up fine (meaning I thought it was pretty good until I tried some custom swim wear that was fantastic so it slightly lowered my opinion of the first, if that makes any sense). I think the colors and the shine is so fun! My favorite thing about the Poolide Swimsuit is the excellent coverage in the seat and that it's only two pieces!

















I sewed up the perfect set for me for my glamorous lifestyle of taking my girls to the splash pad or beach or canoeing (if anyone has tips for not getting sick, I'd love to hear them! The last time I sent canoeing (and boating) I took dramamine and was still very nauseous). I was graciously gifted this gorgeous fabric from Zenith and Quasar (and just linking to their site right now I'm drooling all over again) and it is 100% me!

I used the Hey June Patterns Lane Raglan and Sloan Leggings for my suit. aff link if you'd like- no additional cost to you. Thanks!)



It was my intention to sew a rashguard that was looser through the middle. I'm more comfortable when things are looser around my larger parts.
If I were sewing one intending to swim I would have used the same size through the top and shoulders and bust and sized down through the waist so it wouldn't float up or balloon out when swimming; but this is perfect for supervising my non swimmer and hanging out. This is the size medium with the (included!!!)fba pattern piece. I've sewn this pattern many times but hadn't used the fba before.



I included power mesh in my sloan leggings and the pocket. I tried a pair with a four inch inseam but ended up trimming to closer to three inches. I used the gusset pattern and instructions from Michelle with swim lining so I could wear these as is and also layer them over a swim suit. I didn't line this particular pair because of the opaqueness of the fabric and because I have really soft thread in my serger but it is definitely an option. Another option is sewing a pair of swim bottoms but I didn't get to it before the deadline. I am also wearing a george and ginger lovesick bralette that I sewed in swim with swim cups. This pattern is free in their facebook group! And it's super comfy and gets a lot of wear on the daily.








The fabric sewed up beautifully and was lovely and thick and stretches and recovers well but doesn't stretch out while sewing. It is AWESOME!! I also sewed Ansley an Azur swimsuit with the same fabric. More details about the Azur swimsuit in the next post. ;) These pictures were taken after one of her dance recitals. We are not usually fancy for swimming. (or life lol).















Thanks for stopping by!!

#sewswimsocial discount codes

Hi!



So excited to be teamed up with Stephanie, Meghan, and Crystal for the #sewswimsocial that kicked off yesterday (and is mainly taking place) on instagram!

We are so thankful for the generosity of our sponsors! We would love to see you sewalong and we have some discount codes for you!

(in no particular order)

Save 15% off at Sly Fox Fabrics using the code "petitesew15" until midnight EDT April 22, 2018. Sly Fox has some pretty floral fabrics and bohemian look swim.

Save 15% off the swimwear category at Imagine Gnats with the code "swim15". I had been saving some swim from Imagine Gnats in The Stash and finally cut into it after seeing Ansley enjoy her swimsuit. She frequently wears it to acro instead of a leotard.

Save 20% off the entire shop at Simply by Ti with code "SWIM20". Ti notes that you might want to sew a cover up or something else with your swimsuits, which is an excellent idea. A swim capsule sounds like the perfect way to enjoy the summer!

Amalfi Dress by Hey June Patterns

Hi! I am excited to share my Amalfi Dress today by Adrianna of Hey June Patterns.



As the longest winter is hopefully wrapping up, I have been seeing patterns pop up with a blousey top and straight bottom. I have unsuccessfully tried to achieve this tucked in blousey look but the last time I think I was moderately successful was like thirty years ago. I'm still rectangular in shape but also softer. Anyone else crave comfort foods and being cozy/lazy when winter is freezing and dark and forever?



So what makes the Amalfi Dress different and how did I find myself pleasantly surprised that I can wear this silhouette? The first thing I noticed is the v neckline, which is my favorite neckline because I don't feel choked and it is flattering on my shape. The Amalfi dress is designed for lightweight drapey woven fabrics like rayon, poly, or silk. A drapier fabric leads to a sleeker vertical shape. I also love that even though the top is blousey there are darts for shaping through the bust. The dress has a magic french seamed elastic casing and a measurement table for the elastic. I measured the elastic around my waist and picked a comfortable measurement (larger than the guidelines) so that it would give shaping to my waist but not be so tight that it is unflattering to my belly. (important side note- this is the coolest casing I have ever sewn. I will definitely be using it as much as possible. I didn't know it was missing in my sewing repertoire and I am thrilled with how it looks!). The Amalfi Dress also has two lengths and the above the knee length is my favorite on me. I love how the tea length looks on the fabulous testers though! And the Amalfi Dress has POCKETS! (or pocketses, since we are currently listening to "The Hobbit").




This pattern has excellent instructions and illustrations to accompany each step. It can be printed in layers and there is a guideline to print only the pages you need. I love that it includes an alterations section for a full bust adjustment, lengthening and shortening, and raising or lowering the v neckline. It also includes instructions for staystitching and understitching, which are especially important with slippery fabrics. There are also plenty of notches to make sure everything lines up properly.



I sewed a size 12 based on my high bust measurement. I followed the instructions to do a one inch full bust adjustment (don't forget to adjust the skirt piece too, which is covered in the instructions) and to raise the neckline one inch. On my practice dress I felt like the v neckline as is was nice looking but when I bent over it opened a little more than I was comfortable with so I decided to raise the v a little and it's perfect for me. I used a very lightweight likely chambray from The Stash. I think it originated from Hancock Fabrics but I'm not sure. I did not shorten the skirt on my dress but I believe the final test version has the skirt shortened by an inch. I am 5'4" on a good day.



My new usual spot was taken by some guy in his truck talking on his phone so we had to come up with a plan b. This park worked well for Ansley to be able to take pictures from the heated car and I only spotted one or two awkward looks from park goers. Haha.







The Amalfi Dress is on sale (no code needed) to celebrate its release. (cue jazz hands) (aff link if you'd like- no additional cost to you). Thanks for stopping by!