Roar!

I had to take the girls with me to FabricLand one day.  We past by the bin of swimsuit fabric remnants (not really remnants as they are on small bolts, but they don't stock particular prints; these are mill ends).  Lucy found a nice leopard print but I said no way, she's too young.

When I was on line shopping to order some swimsuit fabric to get delivered to my SIL's in Indiana when we went in July,  I found a colourful "leopard" print.  Lucy liked it and I thought it was much more age appropriate.  Lucy wanted a one shouldered suit--Meg has one so I thought I'd copy that.  Then sewingpatterns.com had the Kwik Sew sale and I bought the basic kid's suit pattern.  I really wanted to make it as is (one piece) before altering, but no, it had to be a bikini.  I followed advice from the Creative Chicks.  Lucy also wanted ruffles, but although I had her ruffled suit to reference, I just could figure how to do them like she wanted (along the shoulder and part of the top).  Then when cutting the fabric, I found it rolls in, and it's a print so the backside is sort of white.  So, no ruffles.

 I had issues with the elastic around the top's top and bottom edges. I don't know if it's because it's the crosswise grain, or if it's cause it's a more cottony fabric, but it was wavy. I redid parts of it a couple times.

She tested it at a splash park, and deemed it a success, although a little loose on top.  I took it in a bit, and then we went to a pool.  Well, it didn't work so well there.  She was trying to do handstands, and it kept falling down.  LOL.  I cinched it in with my hair elastic, but it still wasn't enough and it was a miserable public swim....esp. after she cut her toe, the bandaid wouldn't stay on, the power went out and we had to get out for 15 minutes...

I had a great idea to use some clear elastic I had just bought to make a safety strap.  Along with re-doing the upper elastic, the strap really did the job.  However, it's ripped off twice while she's taking the top off.  I tell her to slip it over her head, not wrestle her way out!  However, I've been told there are clear bra straps that might be a better option.

We had promised to take them back to the beach one evening, but it was pretty rough!  The loved it anyway!

I love the fact I have made three swimsuits!  It totally stuns me!  Six years ago, it took me nearly a week to make a fleece pouch and I didn't believe that would work!  I've stocked up on swimsuit fabric and patterns, and am looking forward to the next one!