The Sew and Tell Project

Hello world! Can you believe that for those of us in the northern hemisphere, SUMMER is almost here! We’ve had a “kick your butt” winter here. I’ve lived in the Upper Midwest now for almost 13 years and this was by far the longest and most brutal winter I’ve experienced. We had record-setting snow days, record-setting subzero temperatures, and over six months of snow on the ground. It was nuts. I told my family on the west coast that it was actually as bad as everyone imagines what winter in the Midwest is like.

To top it off, I had a baby about six weeks before our first snowfall so I’ve been quiet over here on the blog. I’ve been enjoying the baby snuggles, lots of activities for my big kids, and occasionally the quiet moments of sewing while she naps. We’ve also been working on various projects around my home (including a lovely new sewing set-up for me) that were put off during my difficult pregnancy.

I discovered during my little break from the blog though how good a creative rest can be! Now that I’m working on summer wardrobes for the kids and cheery quilts for our homes, I’ve found that I have more energy and fresh ideas.

Today, I’m excited to share with you 3 new releases from my friends at Simple Life Pattern Company! SLPco is releasing FOUR new swim patterns today and I helped to test the Baby Elise, girls’ Elise, and the baby Cordelia! If Cordelia looks familiar to you it’s because Simple Life released a girls’ version in 2017 and it is one of our favorites here!

I tested the size 6-9 months using Growing Beautiful quilting cotton from Moda Fabrics designed by Crystal Manning. You’re going to get to see a lot more of this fabric on this blog in the coming weeks since I’m also using this collection to participate in the Quilty Love Expanding Stars Quiltalong! Check back on the blog next week to see my progress on my Growing Beautiful quilt and hear more about Crystal’s newest fabric collection. You can also follow along on my Instagram.

In my eagerness to bring on some warmer weather, I also helped test two of the new SLPco Swim Patterns! This is my 4.5 year old in the Elise’s One Shoulder Swimsuit. I chose the flounce option with the additional shoulder strap. I chose UV 50 fabric from my stash from Peek-a-Boo Fabric Shop. Swimsuits might be intimidating but they really are simple! The Elise is a very good sew for someone who wants to give swimsuit sewing a try. You can check out our post on swimsuit tricks and tips to guide you.  I’ve made several more suits since I wrote that post and hope to update it soon.

I chose the lined option due to the white stripes but with a darker swim knit, you don’t even necessarily need to line the suit. There are instructions included for a crotch gusset option so the seams are comfortable, too!

I’ve been into matching my two youngest little girls so of course baby had to get her own swimsuit! At this age, she doesn’t spend much time in the water, so I skipped the snap-crotch option but I’m looking forward to making that option when she is a bit older and we spend a whole day at the beach.

You can grab your own copy of Baby Elise right here!

Thanks for stopping by!