Spring is here and it seems as if my wardrobe is severely lacking in items, specifically separates. I have plenty of dresses to frolick around in, but as I have been falling deeper and deeper into the separates game, my closet just seems a bit sparse on items that actually coordinate with one another.
So when Megan Nielsen reached out to me to review her two new patterns, The Cottesloe Swimsuit and the re-released Eucalypt Tank/ Dress, I was all about it! I knew that sewing up either item would drastically improve the options I had available to me in my wardrobe!
THE COTTESLOE
Since I haven't seen the beach in years, and I burn like a lobster every time I step out into the sun, I made the conscious decision before diving in to sewing the Cottesloe that it would be primarily worn as a bodysuit throughout the year. But I didn't want to take away the opportunity for it to double as swimwear, especially on the off chance that I do go to a beach sometime soon, so I opted for a fabric that could seamlessly cross between both worlds: Scuba.
I like the fact that most scuba fabrics aren't very high sheen. From far away, a lot of scuba simply looks very lush with color, but because of it's high polyester content, it won't soak up water as easily as say a cotton knit, so I can jump right on in that ocean and swim without fear of coming up with a soggy bottom.
Let me just say that I LOVED this swimsuit! I opted to sew the low back with the cute bow tie in this awesome yellow polka dot from Fabric.com (anyone else singing the itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie-yellow-polka-dot-bikini song in their head?) and it is all I could have hoped for in a one-piece!
I really dig it paired with my Peppermint Magazine Drawstring Shorts!
I really dig it paired with my Peppermint Magazine Drawstring Shorts!
I love the sporty vibe this bodysuit lends. It allows me to pair it with some of my more feminine items of clothing and it brings them back down to a more everyday sort of look instead of an overly dressy vibe. Especially with items like my 1950s redesigned skirt!
Plus, this was the first bathing suit I've made that had a built in bra piece which I found to be a happy addition! It lends extra support with the low, low back design as well as an additional layer of modesty.
THE EUCALYPT
I have been out in my garden A LOT this spring. Like a ton. And it wasn't until I was elbow deep in dirt and grime that I realized I only owned one- you read that right, only ONE- top that was comfortable enough for me to be in the sun & heat.
Basically I have been gardening in a dirty tank top ever since the start of the season. I can't even get started on how many pairs of appropriate shorts I have in my closet (the answer is zero. It's been a struggle between myself and the sun and I am losing).
Then the Eucalypt appeared in my inbox and I felt a wave of relief and that I had found my latest TNT (tried and true) pattern for the summer days! It was such a quick sew and it is literally perfect in every way.
When I bend forward, you can't see straight down my shirt as you can with some of the other tank patterns I have made. I also really dig the swoop back hem as it covers my bum whenever I wear tighter fitting pants. Plus, it's just so easy. Easy to sew. Easy to style. Easy to feel super put together in.
I have plans to make a ton of these for my gardening wardrobe as well as a few for my everyday wardrobe. Maybe some will jump between the two wardrobes because who ever said you can't look super stylish in the garden?
For this first tank, I wound up making it from a Rifle Paper Co. Rayon fabric, gifted to me at a fabric swap held at Topstitch this past year! Since its Fashion Revolution week, I figured it was the perfect fabric to have utilized and I even styled it with my Megan Nielsen Dawn Jeans, made from organic cotton denim!
