Raspberry Creek Fabrics Blog**

We all do it. We see a piece of clothing and the first thought is “I think I could make that.” This is exactly what happened with the inspiration for this dress. I saw a young mom at the pool last summer wearing a white eyelet, 3-tiered maxi dress. It had a small v-neck with binding drawstrings and it looked adorable over her swimsuit. The top half looked exactly like the Rhapsody Blouse by Love Notions. I had just tested the top a few months earlier and knew it would do the job. 

Obviously, Raspberry Creek’s Rayon Challis was the perfect match for this dress. The soft, flowy drape is perfect for ruffles. The light, airy weight will be perfect as it gets hot outside. And, the coral abstract print is so much fun for summer. I love that I didn’t have to focus on stripes or pattern-matching since the variance in shapes hide anything that don’t exactly line up. I intended for this to be a pool-side dress but I really think it will get more wear at BBQs and dinners out. 

I already had a couple Rhapsody tops in my closet, so it was easy for me to try one on and measure exactly where I wanted to cut the bodice off. I chose to cut it at my natural waistline to start, keeping in mind that I’d be able to trim it more before adding the skirt if needed. I eventually cut off another 1” once it was sewn up. I also omitted the back center pleat by placing my center back fold at the same width as the bottom of the yoke piece.

Calculating the tiered skirt:

This technique could be used to add a skirt to the bottom of any woven top. Just keep in mind that the weight of extra fabric could pull on your bodice a bit. Just in case, I reinforced the waist seam with binding around the seam allowance.

First, I tried on the finished bodice and measured from the bottom of it to my desired hem length. Mine came to roughly 38”. I divided this by three tiers and rounded to 12.75”. This is how tall each tier would be before adding seam allowances and the hem.

Then, I measured the circumference of the bottom of the bodice. This was 36” around, or 18” from side seam to side seam. I didn’t want to add too much weight, so I went with a width of 1.5 times the bodice width for a very slight gather. This made my pieces as follows: 

• Tier 1: (cut 2, one for front and one for back)
  • Height: 12.75” (see above) + 0.75” (top and bottom 3/8” seam allowances) = 13.25”
  • Width: 18” (Bodice width) x 1.5 = 27” + 0.75” (side seam allowances) = 27.75”

• Tier 2: (cut 2, one for front and one for back)
  • Height: 13.25” (same as Tier 1)
  • Width: 27” (Tier 1 width) x 1.5 = 40.5” + 0.75” (side seam allowances) = 41.25”

• Tier 3: (cut 2, one for front and one for back)
  • Height: 12.75” (see above) + 0.375” (top 3/8” seam allowance) + 1.375” (1” hem & turn raw edge under) = 14.5”
  • Width: 40.5” (Tier 2 width) x 1.5 = 60.75” + 0.75” (side seam allowances) = 61.5” *I just used the width of fabric, which is listed as 58-60”. If your measurements come out larger than this, you could cut with the length of your fabric or add an extra panel.

Finally, I constructed each tier and then the full skirt before attaching it to the bodice, but you really could choose your favorite method here. I also waited to hem until the very end to be sure the length was correct.

When I make another one (and I definitely plan to), I think I will size down on the bodice. The weight of the fabric pulls the armholes down a bit and the extra ease feels a little boxy . This would not bother me at all if I use it poolside over a swimsuit; but for other uses, I think I’d like it to be a little slimmer on top.

I love this dress and wearing it feels so dreamy. I couldn’t stop swishing and waving the skirt around while I moved. I won’t pretend that cutting rayon challis is quick and easy, but rest assured, you will not regret sticking with it. Raspberry Creek’s Rayon Challis just cannot be beat! It is soft as can be, and so much fun to wear.

I am so happy to join Raspberry Creek Fabrics’ Suit up for Summer Blog Tour this year! Raspberry Creek carries the most amazing swim and board short fabrics. Each year they refresh the shop with an entire new line of prints and this year there are over 50 different prints to choose from! When they begin the design process, RCF coordinates all their available solids to match the color schemes their designers use in the prints. This ensures that you can be confident your coordinates and solids will always match to your primary print. Such a simple but genius idea! They also carry all the linings you need to sew up suits for the whole family including swim lining, power mesh and net and a super soft sports mesh. And the best part? In celebration of the Suit Up for Summer Blog Tour, Raspberry Creek is offering all their new swim prints for 15% off with code SWIMTOUR.

I started with my oldest son’s Ombre Tie Dye Stripe board shorts. I used my tried-and-true Linden Shorts pattern (with the free add-on pack) by Sew a Little Seam. This pattern was the very first board shorts I made my kids and it will always be my favorite. I love the classic look, the slimmer fit and all the available options. This pattern is a work-horse in my collection as it has so many variations and the directions are amazing. It really is a “choose your own adventure” in shorts form.

As a mother of 3 boys, I rarely get the chance to sew up anything pink so I was secretly cheering inside when he chose this gorgeous print. I paired it with a solid black waistband for contrast and I love how it makes the bright colors pop. As always, I used RCF’s sports mesh for the attached interior briefs. Early on, he dubbed it his favorite swimsuit lining, so I always keep it on hand for their suits. I finished off his look with a Jalie Nico Raglan in mostly solid black. I didn’t want to press my luck, but just had to repeat that beautiful bright pink in the neckband.

My youngest son is really into sharks right now and I knew he would love the Shark Fin Stripe print. I also liked that it reflected a similar style stripe to my suit, like a loose version of Mommy & Me swimsuits. For his swimsuit, I used the Lowland Kids Swim Boardies and a sized-down Titchy Threads Rowan Tee in solid royal blue. I used the solid charcoal grey board short fabric for the binding and waistband of his shorts in hopes of calling more attention to the grey shark fins in the print. As with my older son’s rash guard, I couldn’t help but add a splash of brightness with the yellow drawstring and neckband.

For my swimsuit (swim capsule really) I used the Navy Blue and White Tie Dye Stripes and I couldn’t be more excited! After going last summer without sewing any swim attire, I just couldn’t stop myself from adding more pieces as I went along. I love how nautical this print is paired with the solid navy blue. It adds just enough pop for a statement, but not so much that I’m worried about it being too busy when all the pieces are mixed & matched.

I used the Greenstyle Creations Waimea Rash Guard and Swim Bottoms as my starting point. Although the rash guard pattern has a fantastic color blocking option, I opted for the basic version so the stripes could take the spotlight. I paired that with the high-waisted & fold-over waistband options of the swim bottoms pattern. I love the coverage of these and um, can we say POCKETS!? I love this top too. It feels cool to the touch and I think I’ll wear it much more than just for swimming. Since Raspberry Creeks’ swim fabrics have UPF 50+, this rashguard will be a great layering piece with athletic wear as well.

With extra time and little bit of extra fabric on my hands, I decided to add some Venice Beach Shorts also by Greenstyle Creations. I love that I can wear these to and from the beach or pool, but wade right in without worrying if they should be wet or not. These give me the option of a full outfit for kayaking with my kids or just using them as a cover-up to and from the pool. I used the mid-rise option with the contoured waistband and cut them in between the 2.5 & 3.5 inch inseam lines. I did use a double fold binding rather than the single-fold application that the pattern calls for. I also added a narrow elastic to the top seam of the contoured waistband to add extra stability.

Obviously I needed a swim top to go underneath the rash guard. I wanted something on the sporty side, but still with a touch of character. I’ve had a particular suit in my inspiration folder for a couple years now and decided it was just what this suit needed. It would take a little hacking though, so I started with the high neckline, wide-strap bikini top option from the Mairin by Sew a Little Seam. Like the Kid’s Linden shorts, this pattern comes with a ton of different options and combinations. I’ve used it many times as a base for hacking. It’s just so good! I also added a power mesh and swim cups in between the fabric and the lining for a little extra support.

In order to achieve the look of my inspiration, I mashed the Mairin with the beautiful back of the St. Tropez Pattern by Little Lizard King. Every single photo I’ve seen of this back looks fantastic, I just had to give it a try! Instead of attaching the straps behind the main back band, I brought them to the front to amplify the direction of the stripes in my fabric. I’m really happy with how this turned out and it is very comfortable. (Continue below for a rough tutorial of how I constructed it.)

My boys are now ready when it finally warms up and I’m excited to mix and match my pieces all summer long. Depending on the occasion, I’ll have exactly the ones I need. Thank you to Raspberry Creek for gifting me the beautiful fabrics to create all 3 of these swimsuits. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out all the amazingly talented sewists participating in the blog tour this week and all the generous sponsors (linked at the bottom of this post). You’re sure to find the perfect inspiration for sewing with RCF’s fabulous swim fabrics. In addition to the discount on their swim fabrics, Raspberry Creek is also hosting daily giveaways from all the sponsors on their Instagram page.

Mairin/St. Tropez Mash-up Tutorial:

Here, I’ll walk you through the steps I took to mash the front and back together. I totally apologize for the low quality photos, but thought I’d throw them in for the visual learners like myself. I’m realizing that I’m not great at tutorials, but here goes.

You will need to cut: Front of the wide-strap, high neck Mairin bikini top cut 1 of main fabric and 1 of lining. You can also add 1 layer of power mesh if you would like more support. Back band (1 of main fabric and one of lining) and 2 straps from the St. Tropez pattern out of your main fabric. Prepare straps as instructed in the St. Tropez instructions.

To my luck, the side seams of both these suits were very close. I think I may have added a quarter inch or so to the bottom of the front piece. Sew side seams of the lining. Do the same for your main, but sandwich the straps into the side seams, placing them about 1/2″-3/4″ down from the top, leaving room for the side (3/8″) and top (1/4″) seam allowances. You can put them in front or behind the back band depending on your preference. NOTE: I did notice (on this and my muslin) that the bottom of the strap is a little loose. I think next time, I would change the angle a little bit by pulling that extra fabric into the seam allowance more.

I always like to add swim cups to my suits for extra coverage. You can get these from many online sources, but I usually just have a stack of them left behind from various ready-to-wear suits and sports bras. I do the following to place them into the lining.

• 

Flip your lining inside out and try it on. Place your cups on top of the lining where you would like them to be on your finished suit. Trace the outsides with a marking pen onto the wrong side of the lining. Remove the suit and while sitting down, place the lining over your knee, centering the marking you just made. This will replicate the way your chest stretches the lining and help you place the edges of the cup in the right place. Working one cup at a time, pin your cup to the wrong side of your lining and then use a zig-zag stitch to attach the cup. You may have to adjust and stretch the lining a bit while you sew, but that marking gives you the perfect guide as you go.

Place your lining inside the main with right sides together. Baste them together by starting at the outside top of one strap and sew down the armscye, around the top of the back band and then up the other armscye to the top of the other strap. Place a 1/4″ swim elastic to the wrong side of your main fabric and serge or zig-zag stitch (without stretching) it to the same seam. Remove your basting stitch. Open up the seam and understitch the elastic and seam allowance to the lining side.

Repeat the same steps to the neckline, but this time, you may not be able to under stitch all the way to the top of the strap. That’s ok, just start 2″ or so down from the top of the strap and go as far as your machine will allow to the next strap.

Try on the suit and check to see if the straps need any length taken off. Mark where you would like them to meet the top of the front straps. You may need some help here, this part is a little awkward with only 2 hands. I was using both hands, clips and my teeth. Lol! After marking, slip the top of the back strap inside the top of the front strap and flip the main part of the suit inside out so that you can make a clean shoulder seam. Use a chopstick or tool to make sure everything is flat, flush to the edges and your elastic is folded around correctly so that when you flip it out, everything lays nice and clean. Sew across the ends once or even twice for reinforcement and then trim the seam allowance. Repeat with other side.

Finally, cut a piece of 1/2″ or 3/4″ (what I used) elastic 1/2″ longer than the circumference of the bottom of your suit. Overlap the ends by 1/2″ and secure. Quarter and pin the elastic to the bottom of your top. Serge or Zig-zag stitch the elastic to the inside of your suit. Flip once to the inside, encasing the elastic, and topstitch close to the top of your elastic to secure. Now you’re finished!

Made by Kates  Violet and Jewels  Sweet Mama Life  All Things Katy!

Intensely Distracted  Pins & Pinot  My Heart Will Sew On  The Petite Sewist

All My Spare Time  Kara Metta  Handcrafted by RED  Sincerely, Shantelle

Replicate Then Deviate  That’s Sew Kari  Desert Blooms  Boo + Lu

A huge thank you to our sponsors and don’t forget to check out today’s giveaway!!
Again, you can find the tour on Instagram with the hashtag: #suitupforsummer2021

https://allmysparetimeblog.com/2021/03/raspberry-creek-fabrics-swimsuit-blog-tour/feed/ 12 https://allmysparetimeblog.com/2021/03/chambray-kelly-anorak-jacket-with-raspberry-creek-fabrics/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chambray-kelly-anorak-jacket-with-raspberry-creek-fabrics Thu, 04 Mar 2021 08:01:00 +0000 https://allmysparetimeblog.com/?p=977 ***This post also appears on the Raspberry Creek Fabrics Blog***

I’m excited to share my new jacket using Raspberry Creek’s Charcoal Grey Chambray. I have a genuine obsession with this fabric. So much so that I always keep it on-hand because every woven pattern I come across, I contemplate what it would look like in chambray first. This jacket almost didn’t happen though, due to my fear of biting off more than I could chew. I was very intimidated but I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to give it a try.

When it came time for me to choose the fabric for this post, I had a long list of all the gorgeous new spring prints. But, as always, my eyes kept wandering back to the chambrays and I just couldn’t resist. This fabric is 100% cotton, making it perfectly breathable and comfortable to wear. Raspberry Creek’s chambray, in particular, feels fairly lightweight until you sew it up and then it takes on this great structure. It is sturdy enough for a bottom weight yet lightweight enough to wear on top. Sewing with it is fantastic! Even over bulky seams, my needles run right through it. It even holds a press well enough to skip pins for hemming. The raw edges stay crisp and hardly frayed at all throughout the entire process, even with all my shifting and moving it around. It also comes in a beautiful rainbow of colors. Have I convinced you yet?

When this arrived, I started questioning my original plan of making a woven jumpsuit because I really wanted something that packed a punch. I had just come off sewing a bunch of knits and wanted to dive into a more challenging project. I took to Pinterest for some inspiration. Of course I loved everything under my “women’s chambray” search, but a couple lightweight jackets really sealed the deal.

Enter the Kelly Anorak by Closet Core Patterns. This had been on my wishlist for a very long time but I’ve always been intimidated by how extensive the whole thing seemed. On the other hand, I really needed this jacket in chambray and what better time than when I have a quick deadline and only 2 yards on hand? Why am I like this?!

I knew that trying this pattern out for the first time (without a muslin) would be a risk, but if it worked out, it would be well-worth it. I didn’t want to line it and I wasn’t necessarily interested in making it for warmth or weather protection, so I was able to jump right in. I found some heavy duty snaps and the very last zipper left at my local big-box store. It had to be kismet. The pattern has tons of pieces and with every cut, I felt the doubt creeping up. But once I started to sew and take it one step at a time, I settled in and thoroughly enjoyed the process.

Since I didn’t have any room for mistakes, I made sure to label all my pieces well, I double-checked all the steps and even followed the detailed tutorials on the Closet Core Blog. This actually turned out to be the easiest zipper I’ve ever sewn, even with all the layers. My only mistake was that I made 2 left pockets. It happened to be an easy fix, though, since there wasn’t really a wrong or right side to my fabric.

It seems odd to call this a jacket since it’s so lightweight. It almost feels more like a cardigan of sorts, or an extra layer to top-off an outfit or throw over a t-shirt on the way out the door. I love the giant gusseted pockets, the dropped curve hem, and the tall front collar. I used some Riley Blake scraps to finish all my inside seams making it pretty, even when left unzipped.

Yes, this took some extra focus, a couple late nights and more than a few curse words but I am in love! I challenge you to jump into an intimidating project this year. Try something you’ve been putting off because of the work it may take. Bring along your favorite fabric to hold your hand and take it one step at a time together. Who knows, you may come out of it with a new favorite garment.

My name is Emily. I’ve been an active member in the Raspberry Creek Facebook group and the online sewing community for quite some time, but this is my first sewing blog post! Today I’m sharing my most recent RCF project using the Indigo & Navy Striped Cotton/Rayon/Linen. I thought this simple dress would be the perfect project to walk through the process I take when creating.

I originally found the Wiksten Shift Dress while deep down an indie-pattern rabbit hole on Instagram and filed it away for when I could find the perfect striped fabric. (Stripes are one of my great loves.)

My heart always skips a beat when I see Diana post in the group about a new batch of woven fabrics in the shop. Raspberry Creek’s woven fabrics always take me back to my roots, when I first started learning to sew with my beginner Singer (which I still sew on). I love how every detail matters when sewing with woven fabrics; from carefully backstitching at the end of each seam to clipping notches into every curve and making sure each piece is aligned perfectly because there isn’t any spandex that will help hide the imperfections. Well, one day she announced a new shipment and this striped cotton/rayon/linen blend stopped me in my tracks. It needed to be that Wiksten Shift Dress I had imagined months before!

My first step when starting a new project, especially a new-to-me pattern, is to plan everything to the “T”. I often imagine a style and research the heck out of it until I know I can pull it off. My favorite ways to do this are by going to the designer’s Facebook group and searching the pattern name to read other sewists’ feedback then searching Instagram hashtags to get a visual of what I might be imagining. I get really nervous to make that first cut into fabric, especially something as fabulous as this striped linen, so planning helps alleviate that worry. This can all be done before the fabric even arrives at my door.

So, when the time came to begin this project, I sifted through hundreds of posts under the “WikstenShift” hashtag to decide on my favorite fit. I prefer a slimmer dress for my body and found many people were sizing as much as two and three sizes down to get that fit. My muslin was one size down and I ended up going one more for a total of two sizes smaller than my measured size. I also knew I would have to take lots of length out of the original pattern as is typical for me with dresses. It ended up being a full 5” but was very simple since the pattern just has straight side seams. I took half of that length (2.5”) out from above the slit marking and the other half from the hem to make sure the slit didn’t end up too high or disproportionate to the final length.

My next hurdle was that the direction of the stripes were very important to me. I NEEDED them to go vertical and the back yoke, pockets and tie going horizontal. I wasn’t really willing to veer from this, but with a 2 yard cut, I had to get creative. It took me almost an hour of laying the fabric on the floor and rearranging the paper pattern pieces on top before I finally puzzled together how to make it work. I do this often so I don’t get to the end of my cutting and realize I don’t have enough fabric. Then, I take a picture with my phone so I can reference back once I get the fabric onto my cutting table.

The threads in the lighter stripes are a very loose weave, so I began by finishing all the edges of my cut pieces with my serger and running a stay-stitch around the neckline so they wouldn’t warp or unravel while I was putting it together. I’m very glad I did this, because the neck facing inserted like a dream. I used a scrap of navy blue quilting cotton for the facing as I didn’t want the textured stripes to get bulky around the neckline.

I saved the pocket placement for the end because I wanted to see where I liked them once I could try the dress on. Though it was a little tricky getting all the fabric under my needle, the stripes helped me keep everything straight. I’m glad I waited because I found that I like the tie quite high on my waist and wanted the pockets to fall right below the tie.

This fabric has a little more structure to it than a lightweight linen and the stripes add a bit of thickness to it making it perfect for fall. The dress, when paired with some flat shoes, is a perfect comfortable option for running errands during the afternoon with the kids. But, by adding the waist tie and some boots, it is dressy enough for an evening out. I love the diversity of this dress and I’ve found myself looking forward to each time I get to wear it next.

The dress just wouldn’t be everything I dreamed it would be without this fantastic linen though. I keep wondering how many garments I could get away with using this fabric. It would be perfect for a pair of shorts in the spring, a button up top, or a summery dress. I could go on and on, I absolutely love it!

Thank you for following along with me. You can find me and more of my makes on Instagram as @AllMySpareTime.