The Coastline Blog Tour has been well underway and I’m so happy to be a part of it! Coastline by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics is just stunning. The cooler color way, Northshore, reminds me of my times down in Jersey. I spent a lot of time as a child and even more in my 20’s. When I was just out of college, I rented beach houses with friends and live there on the weekends…Oh the memories! The warmer color way, Southshore, sends me to the other side of the country. It reminds me of SoCal…along Huntington and Newport Beaches. The fabrics are warm and very soothing…They are laid-back and relaxed. Whichever fabrics you select, Coastline is certainly going to transport you somewhere special.
When I found out I was going to sew for this tour, I was immediately drawn to the Tropical Breeze voile. The palms with the layers of teal and navy are so chic and beautiful. I have used Art Gallery’s voiles before and I just love the feel and drape of the fabric. It’s light, airy and dries quickly…making it the perfect choice for a Swim Cover-up.
To make the Cover-up, I used fellow Art Gallery designer, Sew Caroline‘s FREE Kimono pattern found here. It’s a very simple garment to make given that its a one-size fits most pattern. To make it appropriate to for the beachside and to add some sass, I made a few alterations 🙂
The most noticeable is the dropped hem-line and fringe. Five inches was added to the front and back pattern pieces to hide my bum and upper thighs. (Age and babies have caught up to me so I wanted to keep those areas under wraps!) I’m only 5’3″, so if you are taller or shorter, you may want to adjust length accordingly. The hem was then gradually cut up to the front opening to provide a smooth slope upward.
Along the hem, I added fringe…because who doesn’t love fringe?!? It adds fun and playful movement to the Cover-up and the weight helps it stay in place when those ocean breezes come along. I found this 4.5″ fringe at my local JoAnn’s and still can’t believe there was a perfect color match there! I battled between encasing the fringe in the hem or showing off the top. As you can see, I decided to sew the fringe right on top of the finished hem. It adds some nice texture and dimension.
To keep some modesty, I also added a tie right at the bust line. I used my 1/4″ Bias tape maker to create two 16″ long ties. Now “things” can stay put 😉
Since this Cover-up would be thrown over beach chairs and worn open often, I wanted the seams to have a nice clean look and did not care to see serger stitches. I opted for french seams and added an additional 1/8″ all around each pattern piece to accommodate the change. If you are unfamiliar with french seams, Grainline Studios has a great tutorial found here.
The sleeves were kept simple to balance out the fringe. No trim was used and I just folded the hem under by 1/4″. If you have issues folding the voile, you can sew a 1/4″ seam to help the fabric fold itself over.
This stylish Swim Cover-up is exactly what I need for the warmer months ahead. I can already here the beach calling for me!
Now onto some more fun stuff….
:: Want to WIN the Full Fat-Quarter Bundle of Coastline? Find out all the details on Sharon’s Blog here
:: Looking for more Coastline projects? Head over to the Look Book here and/or the full line-up of the Blog Tour here.
:: Don’t forget to visit to visit Color Girl Quilts on Monday for another gorgeous Coastline project and if you missed yesterday’s post by the Simple Life Pattern Company, you can find it here.
I hope you are having fun on the Coastline Blog Tour and have found some inspiration!
Hugs and Stitches,
Cristy