Raspberry Creek Fabrics Suit Up For Summer ~ Swim Tour 2022

Hi Friends!! I am so excited to be back again for the Raspberry Creek Fabrics Suit Up For Summer Swim Tour of 2022! This is my third year participating in this tour and the fabrics just keep getting better and better. How is that possible!?!?! Make sure to read to the end of the post for GIVEAWAY details!!

DISCLAIMER: If you’re looking to see cute swimsuits sewn up in beautiful RCF swim fabrics- you won’t find them here. BUT– you will see some other ways you can use this awesome swim fabric from RCF! Hopefully my blog post today will inspire you to grab some of these awesome swim fabrics and make something other than a swimsuit! Because we all know swim fabric isn’t just for bathing suits anymore!!!

As soon as I found out I would be on the tour again this year, I knew exactly what the first thing I would make would be! I LOVE the UPF50+ pullovers sold by Lilly Pulitzer. So, my first mission was to recreate my own version with RCF swim fabric. I selected this awesome Paint Swirl Print from the Trends Collection. Let me tell you~ this was a favorite among the promo team! In fact the Trends Collection is so awesome I wish I could have every single design! I grabbed my beloved Love Notions Constellation Pullover pattern to create my dream pullover! I honestly wore this 2 days in a row after taking photos and I’ve gotten so many compliments on it! I never knew I needed a pullover in swim fabric~ now I need to make another one asap!

A Few Tips About This Project

• Before attaching the zipper to the upper front, place a strip of tricot interfacing along the front edges to stabilize the edge. This will help prevent the fabric from stretching out while basting on the zipper.
• When using swim fabric, it would be best to interface both the main collar and the collar lining with tricot interfacing. This will help the collar lay a bit nicer, yet it won’t be too stiff.
• Tighten the cuff just a tad, so if worn for any water activities, it will prevent water from running down your arm. I plan on wearing this over a kayak dress(keep reading) and if the cuffs are too loose, the water will run down the paddle and down my arm.

My husband and I spend a lot of time in New England, mostly in quaint seaside villages. These are my favorite places to window shop for inspiration. What I love the most are all the adorable UPF50+ shift dresses that I see. What I don’t love is the $165 price tags and the fact that they never fit anyone with curves! If they fit my hips, then the necklines and shoulders are always too big! (Isn’t this one of the reasons we all love to sew?) But these dresses do inspire me to create my own.

This classic navy dress was inspired by the Marina dress from Sailor Sailor. This company always has so many cute dresses that inspire me! You can see their dresses here. You can see another dress I was inspired to make for last year’s swim tour HERE.

I chose the Diagonal Windowpane Plaid from the Geometric Collection for this dress. I thought it was perfect and I just love the colors. There are so many prints in the 2022 Swim Collection that can coordinate with this print.

I used the Made For Mermaids Jordan Dress pattern to create my version of the dress. I only made a few small changes to get the look I wanted. To make the Jordan dress a tad dressier, I used a binding at the neckline instead of a band. This also helped to lower the neckline just a tad, which is a bit more flattering on me. I find if a neckline is too high- it draws attention to my fuller bust.

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Other Great Options for Sewing Up RCF Swim Fabrics

A great pattern to use for RCF swim fabric is the Love Notions Laundry Day Tee dress. I have a whole closet full of these dresses and I’ve have made about a dozen or so as gifts! You can read about these dresses HERE and HERE. I’ve already grabbed some of the Desert Floral for a new one this season!

My all time favorite thing to make with RCF swim fabric are my kayak dresses. You can read about them HERE and HERE if interested in all the details. I use these dresses for kayaking, but they are also perfect for play dates at the water park! Here are ones that I made in 2020 and 2021. Will I have a new kayak dress for 2022? Of course, I grabbed the Abstract Multi ColorSquare Stones print from the On The Lawn Collection for my next version.

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Raspberry Creek Fabrics Swim is high quality and UPF 50+. It’s the perfect weight for tops and dresses and isn’t too clingy. And of course- it’s perfect for swimsuits! The best thing about RCF Swim is that it is available in the cutest prints with coordinating checks, stripes, polka dots and solids!

I often get asked if clothing made from swim fabrics is hot to wear. First, off, I live on the coast and I spend a lot of time in and on the water. Early mornings and evenings almost always require a jacket or sweatshirt~ hence my new pullover will be perfect!

When out on the water it’s important to wear UPF50+ clothing, and for me 3/4 length or long sleeves are a must. Would I wear longer sleeves during the day? Probably not.

However, during the day I LIVE in my sleeveless LDT dresses. I actually find them cool to the touch. I wear them for walks on the beach, out to lunch and taking care of my flowers and gardens. I kinda even wear them as loungewear/house dresses. After a day on the beach or on the water, I love coming home and putting one on.

Thanks for visiting my blog! I hope I’ve inspired you to sew up some swim fabrics for yourself! Be sure to follow me over on Instagram @sewmarymac to keep up with my retirement wardrobe!

Thanks to Raspberry Creek Fabrics for inviting me to be part of this tour again and for all these yummy Swim fabrics! Thank you to @paisleyroots and @sewsophielynn for hosting this tour!

As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mary Anne 🙂

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Pattern Links

Love Notions Constellation

Love Notions Laundry Day Tee Dress– free pattern when joining their Facebook group

Made For Mermaids Jordan Dress

If purchasing any Love Notions Pattern, make sure to use my coupon code MACSEWS10 for 10% off. This coupon can be used even on sale prices! My code does change quarterly, so please always check the newest blog post for an update if you find a code isn’t working.

GIVEAWAY

On Friday, 3 lucky winners will be selected to win an awesome prize package including a $100 Raspberry Creek Fabrics gift card, swim elastic bundles and patterns from our tour sponsors. You may enter each day on the Raspberry Creek Fabrics Facebook. Simply look for the GIVEAWAY post each day and comment accordingly. You may also enter on their Instagram page each day as well!!! Three winners will be selected on Friday!

A huge thank you to all our awesome pattern sponsors. Be sure to use the links below to visit all the other amazing bloggers on the tour this week.