Summer sewing has gone really well this year! It just might be because the weather has not been optimal. Many rainy days, cloudy skies and predictions of storms have made it hard to really enjoy these warmer months. It definitely has made it tough to plan a beach day. So when the chance of rain dropped this past weekend, I took advantage of it. Even though it wasn’t perfect beach weather with overcast skies all day and temperatures in the 70s, it was still nice to sit and listen to the waves and dip in the ocean.

I just finished two beachwear projects so I decided to show them off. The first was a pair of pink pants, made with what I think is cotton gauze fabric. The crinkly texture made me immediately think of beach pants, and the flowy drape fit my vision perfectly. I used a different view of a pattern I had made before, Simplicity 2414. This time I went for the long pants with the casing and ties at the bottom. I really like the result, although I think next time I would make the holes a bit closer together in the casing at the bottom of the legs. I think I had trouble marking the spots correctly.

In staying with the pink theme, I also managed to sew up a Megan Nielsen Eucalypt dress in this turtle print rayon I already had. I was going through (and attempting to clean out) my fabric stash and found that I had a lot leftover from when I made my other bathing suit cover up. I figured this would be a perfect pattern to try out, especially since its such a fast sew. I used french seams, which was recommended by the pattern, and I liked how it included a pattern for the strips to make the bias tape for the neck and armhole facings. Even though I usually make my bias tape by a different method, this worked well since I didn’t need a lot for this dress. The fit isn’t perfect, so I think I would adjust the top the next time, maybe making a smaller size and then grading it at the bottom. It works well for a cover up though and I’m a really big fan of this turtle print. Being able to get rid of some of my fabric stash with a project that only took a few days was a real plus.

Rainy weekends can be very productive, as I also had a chance to cut out some other projects. I’m in the process of making a summer tank top – I’m trying it out on some Paris-themed cotton I found (yay more stash busting!) so I can size it for this other really cute semi-stretch fabric I also bought on a whim. This other fabric also seems to be French themed – maybe my subconscious is telling me I need a trip. Speaking of bias tape, I ended up making enough to bind my whole apartment I think. Well, it’s always a good thing to have on hand anyways. This will be for the Riley Tank by Seamwork. I’m hoping my one-way stretch fabric will work for this pattern even though it’s for woven fabric. I think it could be a top that I wear quite often – I may need to lengthen it for my next attempt, but I haven’t quite finished the first version to see.

I also started work on a sleeveless button down shirt – another trial before I cut into the fabric I really want the shirt from. This may just be the summer of muslins. And I also started cutting out a summer dress, which I am excited to get started on. This will be a wearable muslin (I hope) as I’m trying to find something suitable to make with the only Liberty cotton fabric in my stash.

So a lot is going on right now and I’m getting things done! Hopefully the clouds will lift soon, but in the meantime I can sew for the summer I want, even if it’s not the summer I got.