If you think sewing a swimsuit is scary, please raise your hand! I would have put two hands up originally myself. I never liked the idea of sewing with slippery fabric. I just figured it would be too hard and I would end up super frustrated. Well when a testing opportunity arrived I was rather curious to try one. So I signed up for Sew Pony’s Cosi Swimsuit tester group. Luckily I was picked! I was so excited and nervous to start my very first swimsuit. Kind of like jumping feet first into the deep end. I was certainly in for a surprise at just how easy it was!

Now it certainly helped that this is a super great pattern too. I just love the vintage feel! I also love how it is cute but modest all at the same time. I will definitely be able to use this pattern for awhile for my girl too as it ranges in sizes 6mo-10yrs and is just full of options. Honestly you could make a different swimsuit just about every time you make this. Two piece, one piece, peplum, leg frills, halter, cross ties, ruched center or plain center…I think you get the picture. She also shows you how to line it if you want to go that route!

Yes I may dress her very girly but this girl still knows how to get dirty and still look so stinkin cute!

This really is an easy pattern to follow because of the clear step by step instructions. I think my first swimsuit was a great success. The only thing I would do differently next time is to use a double needle on the hems like suggested in the tutorial. I only did one line of sewing and that just made it roll a bit.

Ready to try your hand at it? I promise it really isn’t that scary!! You can purchase a copy here for 15% off using the code COSITOUR15 for the length of the tour. So that means you have till July 18th to take advantage of this sale.

And a big THANK YOU to Suzanne for giving me the opportunity to conquer my fear of sewing a swimsuit!

Don’t forget to check out all the other amazing swimsuits on the tour!

I’m so excited to be a part of Little Kiwi’s first blog tour. I just love Little Kiwi’s patterns and have tested so many. They are always fashion forward, unique, and fun. I think my little girl has grown up wearing several Little Kiwi outfits. I have even won a contest with the Estrella’s Apron Top and the Sweet n’ Sassy Bubble Shorts patterns! You can see the post here. So when Lydia announced she was doing a tour of her new pattern the Scalloped Princess Dress I almost didn’t participate. Not because I didn’t have the time or the desire but because this dress only comes in sizes 12mo-9yrs. This isn’t because infants can’t wear this dress, but because this dress is more for the older girls to fulfill their princess dreams.

Yes, this dress is just perfect for making any little girl her favorite princess. Don’t let this limit you to only making princess dresses though. This dress pattern is perfect for making a formal gown for special occasions, a cute summer dress, or really anything your little girl can dream up! You may be asking at this point, “How can one pattern do so much?” This pattern is full of options!!! You ready for them all???

Here they are:
4 Necklines
2 Bodice Styles
3 skirt styles (below knee, high-low and long)
3 Hem styles

Yup, you read that right!! Like I said, this pattern is only limited by your imagination. Because there is a bodice lining, button hole, and a scalloped edge option; this dress is classified as an advanced beginner pattern. Don’t worry though, as Lydia does a great job with taking you step by step through each option in order to make your princess the dress of her dreams!

Did you see the back? Just as dreamy as the front in my opinion. It closes with one or more buttons depending on size. I love the scoop in the back as it adds a little dreaminess. There is also a gusset on either side which adds that last special touch!

It’s time to tell you all about my dress! Now even though my little princess is 10 mo old, she is still in RTW (ready-to-wear) 3-6mo or 6-9mo. She is a petite little girl. So in order to create this dress for her I had to down-size the pattern. This actually isn’t hard to do. You measure the average distance between each size and use that measurement to draw a smaller size from the smallest size in the pattern. Clear as mud?? So my dress is about a 6-9 mo size.

I like to add a little something of my own just because it’s fun to see what else you can do with a pattern beyond the instructions. At 10 mo old my baby girl is all over the place getting into everything! Not walking yet, but she crawls lightning fast! I love dresses on her but it is harder for her to crawl in them because they get caught under her and she gets sooo frustrated. I love dresses on her because she is my only girl and I love dressing her like one. So I wanted to pull the front up a bit and give her some ease to crawl in. I accomplished this by sewing two pieces of elastic into the skirt to give it that ruching effect. It also gave it a more hi-lo effect as well. Double win! For the elastic, I made the elastic length half the length of the skirt in order for it to be pulled up enough. This worked well and she was able to crawl around just fine!

Has your little girl been begging you for a princess dress? Maybe just a dress up dress? Or perhaps you just want to sew her up a summer dress? Here is your pattern to make one of these options or all of them!  Pattern is $2 off during the tour too! Make sure you check out all the stops on the blog tour for more inspiration! Also don’t forget to enter the giveaway too! You never know, your wish for this pattern may come true!