Hi Everyone! In Part 4 we wrap up our sew-along with a closer look at sewing variation four. This on-trend style features a two-piece swimsuit top with a full off the shoulder ruffle. For this demonstration, we've paired it with the low-waist bottom to complete the look. Follow along to see how to sew this design and then grab your fabric and create one for your own collection.

Supplies and Resources:

• The orchid purple solid swimsuit fabric is from Fashion Fabrics Club (online).
•  If you're having a hard time finding swimsuit fabric, I encourage you to look at the clearance sections of stores like Target or Walmart, as the seasons change from summer to Back to School, many of the swimsuits will go on clearance. Look for the biggest sizes you can find! Another resource is those stretchy book covers that will be popping up in the back to school sections (or sometimes at the dollar store). These work great for doll-size swimsuits!
• Flat Elastic can be found locally at stores like Wal-Mart, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, etc. I'd recommend minimum lengths of 1 yard per swimsuit.
• The stretch mesh fabric can be found with the swim/dance fabrics. This can be hit or miss, look for one with 4-way stretch. 
• 1/8" width Double Sided Basting Tape (Amazon)

Ok, let's get started with the Variation One Sew-Along! 

In this tutorial, we are going to sew the two-piece design with the full off the shoulder ruffle. This design uses a full two-piece back (without the deev V). We will also make the low-waist bottom using the FOE elastic.

• You will need pattern pieces Two-Piece Front and Two-Piece Full Back
• For the Bottoms - Two-Piece Bottom Front and Two-Piece Bottom Back (cut at the low-waist cutting line)
• FOE elastic - 1 yard cut into the lengths listed on the measurement chart. 
• Thread that matches your elastic color.
• Double-sided quilters tape (1/8" recommended), optional but I love this!

Follow along in the video to make this swimsuit in the 18-inch doll size. This variation is similar to the Variation 1 and 2 tutorials, but for this one, we will demonstrate an alternate way to attach the ruffle. I encourage you to try this technique and compare the other method to see which construction assembly method you prefer. The two-piece bottom is sewn the same as the variation 3 demonstration but this one is sewn with the FOE instead of the flat elastic.

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Week Four Task:

• Watch the Variation Four Sew-Along video. Follow along and make your own two-piece swimsuit!
• Check out the Ultimate Resource Guide for fabric and supply sources. (Find this HERE )
• Follow along and make the Variation Four swimsuit and be sure to share it with the group!
• BONUS CHALLENGE! Mix it up and create a new variation. maybe it's a two-piece top with the smaller ruffles, or add a ruffle to the waistline of the two-piece bottom. Jump over the SWC Facebook Group for conversation and project sharing. We'd love to see what you make!

I'll be demonstrating these methods using several different variations from the Liberty Jane Swimsuit Variations pattern for 18-inch dolls. Follow along to see how easy it is to make these adorable swimsuits! The pattern is also available for 14.5" - 15" dolls!

Patterns Used For this Topic: 

• LJ Swimsuit Variations for 18" Dolls
• LJ Swimsuit Variations for 14.5-15" Dolls

Hi Everyone! In Part 3 we continue with our sew-along as we tackle sewing variation three. This darling style features a two-piece swimsuit top with tie back. We've paired it with the high-waist bottom to complete the look. Follow along to see how to sew this design and then grab your fabric and create one for your own collection!

We're excited to announce that the 14.5" -15" Swimsuit Variations pattern is now available too! This pattern has been sized to fit WellieWishers and Ruby Red Dolls.

Supplies and Resources:

• The blue floral print swimsuit fabric is a Liberty London fabric (no longer available, sorry!) If you're having a hard time finding swimsuit fabric, I encourage you to look at the clearance sections of stores like Target or Walmart, as the seasons change from summer to Back to School, many of the swimsuits will go on clearance. Look for the biggest sizes you can find! Another resource is those stretchy book covers that will be popping up in the back to school sections (or sometimes at the dollar store). These work great for doll-size swimsuits!
• Flat Elastic can be found locally at stores like Wal-Mart, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, etc. The pink elastic featured in this tutorial was something I picked up while browsing antique shops. So be on the lookout, you never know when you might come across some great finds st unexpected places! I'd recommend minimum lengths of 1 yard per swimsuit.
• 1/8" width Double Sided Basting Tape (Amazon)

Ok, let's get started with the Variation One Sew-Along! 

In this tutorial, we are going to sew the two-piece design with the deep "V" dip at center back that closes with a tie made from the elastic. We will also make the high-waist bottom using the flat elastic in place of Fold Over Elastic.

• You will need pattern pieces Two-Piece Front and Two-Piece Tie Back
• For the Bottoms - Two-Piece Bottom Front and Two-Piece Bottom Back
• Flat elastic - 1 yard cut into the lengths listed on the measurement chart. 
• Thread that matches your elastic color.
• Double-sided quilters tape (1/8" recommended), optional but I love this!

Follow along in the video to make this swimsuit in the 18-inch doll size. This variation follows the original swimsuit pattern which features regular shoulder straps. The swimsuit top has an angled back with the addition of the tie that wraps around the empire waistline. The two-piece bottom is also similar tot eh original swimsuit pattern but has the addition of the waistline elastic to finish it off.

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Week Three Task:

• Watch the Variation Three Sew-Along video. Follow along and make your own two-piece swimsuit!
• Check out the Ultimate Resource Guide for fabric and supply sources. (Find this HERE )
• Take some time to practice sewing on some small scrap pieces of swim knit fabrics. Try out different needles, stitch lengths, and stitch selections.
• Follow along and make the Variation One swimsuit and be sure to share it with the group!
• Jump over the SWC Facebook Group for conversation and project sharing.

I'll be demonstrating these methods using several different variations from the Liberty Jane Swimsuit Variations pattern for 18-inch dolls. Follow along to see how easy it is to make these adorable swimsuits! The pattern is also available for 14.5" - 15" dolls!

Patterns Used For this Topic: 

• LJ Swimsuit Variations for 18" Dolls
• LJ Swimsuit Variations for 14.5-15" Dolls

Hi Everyone! In Part 2 we continue with our sew-along as we tackle sewing variation 2. This darling style features a one-piece swimsuit with an off the shoulder strap with ruffles that spread just over the arms. It's similar to the first style we demonstrated, with the full ruffle, but the method of attaching the ruffle is a bit different. Follow along to see how to sew this design and then grab your fabric and create one for your own collection!

Supplies and Resources:

• The tiny stripe fabric used in this tutorial is from The Fabric Fairy. The blue print paired with the coral is a Liberty London fabric (no longer available, sorry!)
• Fold Over Elastic can be found locally at stores like Wal-Mart, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, etc. Look in the baby cloth diaper supplies, or even with the craft supplies, hair products, etc. You can also find a variety of colors and prints on Etsy, just search "Fold Over Elastic" and you'll see so many to choose from. I'd recommend minimum lengths of 1 yard per swimsuit.
• 1/8" width Double Sided Basting Tape (Amazon)

Ok, let's get started with the Variation One Sew-Along! 

In this tutorial, we are going to sew the one-piece design with the full off the shoulder ruffle that has a deep "V" dip at center back.

• You will need pattern pieces One-Piece Front and One-Piece Back
• Ruffle - two cut from the Ruffle pattern piece
• Fold Over elastic - 1 yard cut into the lengths listed on the measurement chart. 
• Thread that matches your elastic color.
• Double-sided quilters tape (1/8" recommended), optional but I love this!

Follow along in the video to make this swimsuit. The body construction is pretty much the same as Variation 1. So for this video, we've already sewn the side seams and the elastic on the arms and legs (same as variation 1) and we begin with the off the shoulder strap and ruffle. Be sure to watch this to make sure you space the elastic properly and place it on the swimsuit as instructed to get an optimal fit. Once you determine how your machine sews the elastic, you can adjust your elastic length to be exact (probably 16 inches), currently, it is designed to have a bit of excess at the ends because every machine is different.

Style tip! The off-the-shoulder straps can easily be pushed up over the shoulder too, creating a super cute new ruffled strap look! Yay!

Week Two task:

• Watch the Variation Two Sew-Along videos. Follow along and sew a swimsuit in this style!
• Check out the Ultimate Resource Guide for fabric and supply sources. (Find this in the SWC Bonuses section)
• If needed, Take some time to practice sewing on some small scrap pieces of swim knit fabrics. Try out different needles, stitch lengths, and stitch selections.
• Follow along and make the Variation One swimsuit and be sure to share it with the group!
• Jump over the SWC Facebook Group for conversation and project sharing.

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If you are new to SWC or simply need a refresher on sewing with swimsuit fabric, here are a few videos that go over everything in detail.

Here are a few more videos that are good to reference. The original Free Swimsuit pattern covers the basics as well as sewing in detail with thee fold over elastic.

This is an overview of sewing with fold-over elastic in more detail:

I'll be demonstrating these methods using several different variations from the Liberty Jane Swimsuit Variations pattern. Follow along to see how easy it is to make these adorable swimsuits!

It's going to be a fun course! Are you ready? Let's go...

Patterns Used For this Topic: 

• LJ Swimsuit Variations for 18" Dolls
• LJ Swimsuit Variations for 14-15" Dolls

Hi Everyone! Welcome to the Swimsuit Variations Sew-Along! Over this four-part topic, we will take a deep dive into the new pattern with sew alongs for many of the variations. Throughout the course of this topic, we will cover many issues that arise when sewing with swim fabrics, such as the stitch types that work best, the recommended needles and machine settings, and the use of fold-over elastic. As we sew up each variation you will be able to practice different techniques and gain confidence for sewing with this finicky fabric!

The topic will be divided into four sessions:

• Part 1: Topic Overview, Swimsuit Fabric Basics, and the Variation One Sew Along
• Part 2: Variation Two Sew-Along
• Part 3: Variation Three Sew Along
• Part 4: Variation Four and Five Tops Sew-Along

I'll be demonstrating these methods using several different variations from the Liberty Jane Swimsuit Variations pattern. Follow along to see how easy it is to make these adorable swimsuits!

It's going to be a fun course! Are you ready? Let's go...

Watch the overview video for this months topic:

Patterns Used For this Topic: 

• LJ Swimsuit Variations for 18" Dolls
• Watch for the 14-15" doll size to be released later this month!

Supplies and Resources:

• The print swimsuit fabric used in the sew-along was purchased at Liberty London (last summer). It's made from recycled materials, like plastic, it's pretty amazing, but unfortunately, they don't sell it anymore (insert sad face). The company that makes the fabric is Econyl, I think you can search around and find other suppliers of this same type of swimsuit fabric, but the colors and prints will vary. The blue floral on the cover and blue print used in  Variation 2 are also Liberty fabrics.
• The orchid purple solid ruffle is from Fashion Fabrics Club (online).
• We got a few recently from Fabric Fairy, they came pretty quickly too! Daisy Print Variation 6 is one example, but they have lots to choose from!
• Fold Over Elastic can be found locally at stores like Wal-Mart, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, etc. Look in the baby cloth diaper supplies, or even with the craft supplies, hair products, etc. You can also find a variety of colors and prints on Etsy, just search "Fold Over Elastic" and you'll see so many to choose from. I'drecommendd minimum lengths of 1 yard per swimsuit.

Ok, let's get started with the Variation One Sew-Along! 

In this tutorial, we are going to sew the one-piece design with the full off the shoulder ruffle that has a deep "V" dip at center back.

• You will need pattern pieces One-Piece Front and One-Piece Back
• Ruffle - 30" x 1-1/4"
• Fold Over elastic - 1 yard cut into the lengths listed on the measurement chart. 
• Thread that matches your elastic color.
• Double-sided quilters tape (1/8" recommended), optional but I love this!

Follow along in the video to make the swimsuit. The body construction is pretty much the same as the original Free Swimsuit pattern, with the exception of the partial arm elastic. The off the shoulder ruffle instructions begin at 4:00 minutes into the video. Be sure to watch this to make sure you space the elastic properly and place it on the swimsuit as instructed to get an optimal fit. Once you determine how your machine sews the elastic, you can adjust your elastic length to be exact, currently, it is designed to have a bit ox excess at the ends because every machine is different.

Here's a close-up shot of the finshed swimsuit. Notice how the thread color becomes part of the design and is hidden in the elastic. The biggest tip here is to be sure to keep the stitching inside the edge of the elasitc, don;t let it creep over onto the fabric!

If you are new to SWC or simply need a refresher on sewing with swimsuit fabric, here are a few videos that go over everything in detail.

Week One task:

• Watch the Topic Overview and the Variation One Sew-Along videos. Take some notes, get things prepped and organized.
• Check out the Ultimate Resource Guide for fabric and supply sources. (Find this in the SWC Bonuses section)
• Take some time to practice sewing on some small scrap pieces of swim knit fabrics. Try out different needles, stitch lengths, and stitch selections.
• Follow along and make the Variation One swimsuit and be sure to share it with the group!
• Jump over the SWC Facebook Group for conversation and project sharing.

Here are a few more videos that are good to reference. The original Free Swimsuit pattern covers the basics as well as sewing in detail witht he fold over elastic.

This is an overview of sewing with fold over elastic in more detail: