I know summer is unofficially over, but let’s pretend it isn’t. I mean, summer ends in North America Sept 21 so we have a couple weeks, right?! :)⠀
I made rash guard swimwear for my daughter, for her school’s sprinkler days. Having her wear the traditional strappy swimsuits was in the air conditioning was not something I was looking forward to, since she gets sick a lot. ⠀
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I looked for rash guard patterns but most of them were raglan style and I didn’t really want that look. Instead, I took a shirt pattern that I already had, Bimaa Sweater by LouBeeClothing, and altered the neckline (the pattern is for cowl, shawl collar, or hoodie). I also modified the side seams to a slight A-line. I used a different swim shorts pattern for the shorts by EBeth Designs (unfortunately, she closed up her shop earlier this summer).
The first one I made, I modified even more to give it a color block to match the shorts I was making. The purple swim fabric was a bit thin so I lined the top with swim lining, which in hindsight made it too thick. Oh well. It was only for three months. The shorts and the black color block were made from an old swimsuit I had but didn’t wear anymore. Total cost for this one was $4! Woot!
For my second version, I decided to forgo the color blocking in the same way as the first one. Instead I used the same fabric for the shorts and sleeves. These shorts are lined with swim lining but the shirt is not.⠀
The main dark blue looked a bit plain once it was finished. I wanted to add something more, but I didn’t want to do applique or anything that required too much extra effort. Fabric glue to the rescue! Added some stars and dots and they aren’t plain anymore.
Pattern Info:
Pattern Name: Shirt – Bimaa Sweater by LouBeeClothing;
Shorts – Beachy Keen Bikini/Tankini by EBeth Designs
Size: 2T for shirt and 6M for shorts
Modifications: Shirt neckline and hemline
Would I recommend it? If you don’t want to buy more patterns, yes. Otherwise, it might be easier to find one that fits the style.