PRP Week 3: Ocean Sparkles

Project Run & Play, Season 11, Week 3 | The Inspired Wren

PRP Week 3: Glitter! What? Project Run & Play is over, you say? Yeah. Well maybe next week I'll even start prepping for Kids Clothes Week, February 2016.


Glitter is not exactly our style around these parts. I bounced around a few ideas before realizing my favorite glittery fabrics were among the sport performance knits. After that it was easy to decide on swimwear.

Love this Oliver + S Roller Skate Dress & Bucket Hat as Swim Cover | The Inspired Wren
The overall "glitter" is subtle: silver thread woven into the white; silver on the bathing suit; sequins at the hemline.

I have a little experience sewing swimsuits for The Peanut; once before I owned a serger and again with a serger. What I like about sewing swimwear is customizing the fit -- one size wide and two sizes taller -- so that she's not swimming* in fabric while swimming. (*See what I did there?)

I didn't want to over-do the sparkle and couldn't match the plum/burgundy of Weeks 1 & 2. I landed on a preppy, poolside look in navy & white splashed* with silver, anchored* with clean lines and attention to details, natch. (*You see it, right? I'll stop now.)

Perfect in navy & silver! My Childhood Treasures Swim/Leotard 2 with added color-blocking & lining. | The Inspired Wren
It may not be obvious here, but that belt only has one seam at the front (under the bow); from the sides it reads as a true belt.

The suit began as My Childhood Treasures Leotard/Swimsuit 2, size 3 wide by 4 long. I removed the skirt, and color-blocked it to include a center stripe and a drop-waist "belt." So that the color-block seaming didn't irritated my little mermaid in or out of the water, I inserted a solid, full lining on both the front and back. The white bow reflects the white cover-up and pairs with the navy bow on the hat.

Love this Oliver + S Roller Skate Dress & Bucket Hat as Swim Cover | The Inspired Wren


The hat is a straight Bucket Hat (free tutorial) from Oliver+ S, sewn without alteration. It's lined with a navy & white floral quilting cotton, and topped with a navy bow calling back to the belt's bow on the suit.

Gorgeous swim set sewn for Project Run & Play, Season 11, Week 3 | The Inspired Wren


The cover up began as an Oliver + S Roller Skate Dress, with a few alterations. I cut the back as one solid piece (removing the seam allowance), and cut the front as three pieces: two for the bodice above the elastic casing, plus one for the skirt including the elastic casing). The sequined fabric trim on the bottoms edge reminds me of bubbles! It is a sheer topped with navy bias tape encasing the raw edge. The bottom hem on the main fabric was created by sewing the silver splashed main fabric and the sequined fabric together with a quarter-inch seam allowance using the burrito method. [Aside: is there a more technical name for that? Anyone know?] After I was sure the trim would work, then I pieced the dress together. I created the front neckline and dress panel using the directions intended for the back, substituting the ties for the button loop, followed by attaching the front skirt. I used a French seam finish down the side seams and added contrast top-stitching in navy around the neckline and armholes -- another clean-line touch that adds to the over-all preppy.

Love this Oliver + S Roller Skate Dress as Swim Cover | The Inspired Wren


Now my little Pisces is ready to hit the waves! Or pool deck! Or backyard sprinkler! Honestly, as I sewed this it was in the low 20s and snow still covered the ground. I'm more than ready to see the glitter off any warm water surface instead of snow. Remind me of that when I'm melting in August. 



Ren Murphy writes for The Inspired Wren.



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