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An amazing Love Notions sale at the same time as a new Raspberry Creek fabric line is cause for a little celebrating! All patterns (except the newly revamped Rhapsody) are on sale for 40% off through tomorrow, Sunday May 10th. 40% off!!! That’s impossible to pass up. I decided to use a variety of kids patterns for some super fun outfits for my kiddos.
First, I sewed up the Girl’s Tidal Top and Tank. I sewed up a batch of these in testing but always forget about this fun pattern. It’s so fun to mix prints and has lots of options- Tunic, top, and dress length as well as tank, sleeveless, and short sleeves. Like most Love Notions kids patterns, it comes in sizes 2t-16, one of my favorite things since my girls are creeping near the top end of most children’s size charts. There’s a ladies version that I love as well!
I used this pretty Vintage Tropical Floral print (there are SOOOOO many gorgeous florals in this line it was nearly impossible to pick!) paired with Salmon Painted Check Gingham and solid salmon jersey for the bands. I love pairing florals with other fun prints and this gingham is so cute! It coordinated so good with both the cupcakes and sprinkle prints too.
My little guy got a comfy new outfit too! He’s been wearing things for multiple days during this strange stay at home time. It’s been amazing on laundry. He only wants to wear the most comfortable clothes though. This outfit made the cut!
I used the Tie Dye Sports Balls in french terry for his shorts and heathered grey and teal solid jerseys for his tee.
I sewed up the Sprint Muscle Shirt for the first time and we both absolutely love it! I can’t wait to make some for my girls too. The front color blocking detail is sporty and so fun. You can do it with or without the hood and front color blocking. I think my girls need a cute graphic muscle tee- think rocker-style!
For the shorts I used the Thomas Track Pants basic short variation. I love that this pattern works for both knit and woven. It’s fantastic for jammies and it worked great for these easy to wear lounge shorts. I used 1.5″ elastic in the waistband just per personal preference and cut the legs 2″ above his knee. We rolled them quickly for these pics and I’ll make sure to tack the hems up on the side seams. He tried these on and has refused to take them off. Good sign but leaves little details like hems for later, lol!
The girls fell in love with the whole Sweet Treats line by Brittney Laidlaw. They both needed new summer pj’s and this line was just perfect for them.
Payton got a new Luna Loungewear set. This pattern has extended plus sizing which is so hard to find for kids. It has a cami, nighty, capri, short and bralette all included. I used the cami and capri’s for this set. Big sis got a set in testing that she is still wearing all these years later. They’ve been such a favorite! There’s also a ladies version if you want to treat yourself too!
This little miss was smitten with the Cupcake print. It’s such an adorable print! The colors are absolutely amazing. I struggled when picking coordinates because it goes with ALL the pinks! It’s adorable with lighter hues but this girl needed a little something bright and cheery so I went with fuchsia jersey for the main cami and light pink for the straps.
Big sis got a new set of Namaste pj’s. She rotates between her Luna capris (that are now bermuda shorts) and her Namaste set each night so I knew she needed another set to throw in there. (There’s a ladies version of this pattern as well and I LOVE my set!).
The Namaste pattern features a faux crossover top and matching detail on the pant. There are short and long sleeves as well as shorts and full length pants. There is also a night shirt view. I added a couple of inches to the length of these shorts (I sewed up a size 10 width but she’s in a 16 for height!).
This cute sprinkle fabric is like a party in a print! It coordinates with everything! I paired it with solid mint jersey but you could use so many of the other summer prints with it or any of the CLUB basics too. It’s just so cheerful!
It was so nice to get back to my machines and to sew up some old favorites as well as a new favorite too. Love Notions patterns remind me how much I love sewing. They come together easily and always fit me and my kids so well. They’re easy to alter to our liking and are usually no-fuss and so comfortable to wear, especially in RCF CLUB knits. Sewing with CLUB knits is my happy place. They are just the right weight and so easy to sew (no curling or stretching out). A couple of days with Love Notions and RCF was just what this mama needed.
Make sure to grab your Love Notions patterns on sale through tomorrow. You can search my blog for Love Notions pattern to read all about my favorites. These Raspberry Creek prints are also on sale through Wednesday the 13th. What a perfect combination!
This girl is just starting to develop breast buds and we wanted to add a little bit of coverage to her suits. She doesn’t need support yet but really just wanted to add some chest coverage. I’ve been adding bra cups to all my suits for years and I knew some light foam cups would be just what she needed. Here’s how I did it:
First, I had her hold up the lining front piece. We positioned the cups accordingly. I used light foam cups, similar to what you find in sports or lounge bras. In fact, I save all of the cups from old lounge bras to re-purpose for my swim suits. I also like to stock up when I hit the LA fabric district (they’re a screaming deal at like 4 for $1). Wawak is another option for cups and 
Next, sew your cups on with a zig zag stitch. I like to sew over the cup edge to really smooth the edge and make it not as noticeable from the outside of the suit. Depending on the thickness of your main swim fabric, you can sew your cups on either the right or wrong side of your lining. With thick quality fabric like Raspberry Creek, I usually put the cups on the wrong side of the lining between the lining and main fabric. I find it more comfortable to not have the actual cup against my skin but it really works either way. For my rash guard, I did the cups against my skin so you can see them more clearly in the tutorial.
I love the results of adding this little bit of coverage. I also hand sewed cups to the lining of an already finished suit and she feels so much more comfortable with the extra support. This would work well for ready to wear suits too since most children’s suits don’t adapt for this in the larger sizes. This is new territory for me and I’m glad I could give my girl a little more confidence when she hits the pool this summer.
If you or your girl need just a little more support, you can add an elastic band for a shelf bra to your suit too. I don’t need much support, just a little lift and this method is perfect for me.
For this rash guard I used the Patterns for Pirates 
For my suit, I used the same technique as my daughter to sew on the cups but this time I sewed my lining to the front and back bodice pieces at the shoulders first so I could ensure a good fit when placing them. I don’t like to fully line my rash guards because the extra layer is a little too hot for me. In the past I have fully lined the front but this time I chose to just line the top half. To add the elastic, determine how tight you want it to be. I cut mine two inches shorter than the width of the lining where I was placing it. You will then sew your elastic to your lining, stretching it as you sew. I like to sew my elastic just outside of the side seam allowance. This prevents pulling at the side seam. I use a zig zag stitch but you can use any stretch stitch. I had cut my lining piece longer than I needed so I had some wiggle room to work with. Once I had my elastic sewn on, I trimmed off the extra lining on the bottom.
SewSophieLynn 