Just Keep Swimming

Just Keep Swimming, and just keep growing is what my kids have been doing all summer. The offer to try a new swimsuit pattern, Just Keep Swimming by The Wolf and The Tree, and freshen up the well worn (and getting snug) suits seemed like a great idea.

Wanting something a little different than what she had been sporting the first half of the summer. I sewed up the bikini length top, no colorblocking, with the high waisted briefs.

The pattern offers a variety of sleeve lengths, top lengths, briefs, shorts and rise options. It’s a real mix and match choose your own adventure.

Typically I chose longer tops for the sake of sun coverage, but the tester pictures looked really cute. I finished the top first and she couldn’t wait for the bottoms to put it on. She whisked it away and came back with a pair of bottoms from her drawer on and I got a little panicky. With the lower cut bottoms it was just a whole lot of child left to burn in the summer sun.

Much to my relief once we paired the high waisted bottoms with it I loved the look and felt much better about the cut of the top.

I tried the yoga waistband on the swim bottoms, and then I set her loose to see what would happen. I will say the bottoms of this suit fit fantastic. The swimsuit fabric I used at the waistband, the green, is slightly lighter than the stripe. I think because of this both the top band and the waistband tend to roll under. Even with some rolling these bottoms are going nowhere.

If you’re nervous there is an elastic waistband option also.

She loves the suit and wore it for nearly 3 days straight. I found it a fast sew and if you’ve never sewn a suit the pieces are pretty similar to many garments so it may be a good way to give suit sewing a try.

As a word of advice, the Liner piece is actually the crotch/gusset of the briefs at least one of the two need to be in your main fabric. I didn’t look closely enough at the construction first and cut two lining pieces my first go. After I sewed it on I realized this resulted in a contrast fabric through the crotch piece- whoops! Some ripping and a quick recut and we no longer have a colorblocked underside!

This suit will surely get a lot of use while we try and take in as many pools and lakes as possible in our last month of summer!

Happy Sewing,

Rachel

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