Swimming season is so close….and my kids couldn’t be more excited! In fact, we’ve been practicing at the indoor YMCA pool, to get ready for the outdoor pools to open up in a few weeks! In fact, the weather has been so nice here, I think the only reason the pools aren’t open, is because school is still in session. I guess open pools would be a little distracting for these little kiddos! ;)
I made Elli and Chloe each a Shirred Cover-Up with Braided Ties last year, but they have been worn a ton and are a bit too small now, so that gave me a great excuse to come up with something new for this year, a Pom-Pom Swim Cover-Up!
The construction is very simple….and similar to some other dresses I’ve made here on this blog, but that’s because it’s a quick sew, so I tend to go back to this style again and again! But those Pom-Poms along all the edges……oooooh, I LOVE THEM!
The neckline is extra large, so it slips over the head easily, and is nice and comfy!
But, like you can see, it’s not much more than a rectangle piece of fabric, cinched in a bit at the waist. Pretty comfy for little girls, grown girls……and girls of all shapes and sizes!
The fabric is light and breathable…..and is the same fabric as those little baby gauze swaddle blankets. It’s also perfect for hot weather, because it dries quickly if it gets wet!
And can I just say real quick that I can’t really believe how big Elli has gotten?! I mean, it actually kind of ticks me off…..because 9 years should have taken longer than this felt. But I have to admit, it’s also pretty fun watching her turn into the sweetest little lady!
Okay, enough chatting……off to the pool!!!
Would you like to whip up a quick cover up for your little girl? Or for you?
Great! Let’s do this… :)
SUPPLIES:
***Check out my Sewing Terms 101 post, for additional help.
First of all, this tutorial is very similar to the Butterfly Tunic Dress Tutorial from about a year ago. So be sure and review that first!
First of all, measure your subject from the middle of their shoulder, down to the length you’d like the cover-up to be. Then double that number and then add 2, and this is the length of fabric you need. For example, I decided to make Elli’s cover-up 28 inches long, so I doubled that number and added 2, which means I needed a piece of fabric that was 58 inches long. As for the width, and just like the Butterfly Tunic Dress Tutorial, have your subject stretch their arms out wide and measure how far out on their arms you want the cover-up to reach. And then add 2 inches to that measurement. So, again, I decided to make Elli’s about 28 inches wide, so I added 2 inches to that…..and knew I needed a total width of 30 inches.
Cut a piece of gauze fabric to those dimensions, with the slight stretch going from left to right, not up and down.
Okay, time to get started. Since gauze fabric is a little more flimsy, I decided to use some bias tape around the neckline to make it more sturdy. So, cut a circle at the very middle of your rectangle piece of fabric that’s large enough for the head to fit through and really, as big as you want. If you want your cover-up to be oversized and drape off the shoulder, make a larger circle.
I find it easier to find a bowl similar to the size I need, and trace around it, right onto the fabric. (And I also find it easier to fold the fabric in half to find the exact center and then trace half of a circle.)
Cut out the circle and then attach your bias tape to the inner edge. Then be sure to steam iron flat, for a nice finished look! (Not sure if you can attach bias tape…..YOU CAN!! Check out this Bias Tape tutorial HERE.)
Then, hem each of the outer edges by folding over 1/2 inch, another 1/2 inch, and then sew in place. Start by sewing each of the sides first, and then both shorter ends after that.
Next, attach your pom-pom trim. You can always hide the edging of the Pom-Pom trim by attaching that edge to the WRONG side of the hemmed edges, but I kinda liked the extra pop of color, so I attached the trim on the RIGHT side of the fabric. I attached the trim in 4 separate pieces rather then trying to turn the corners with one continuous piece. But if you sew 4 separate pieces like I did, make sure and use heat (like a lighter) to seal the ends before attaching, so they don’t fray.
Now, you can sew up the sides and either cinch in the waistline with elastic shirring like the Butterfly Tunic Dress Tutorial or you can add a simple piece of elastic like the Butterfly Sleeve Tunic Tutorial. Both work….it just depends on what you prefer. I decided to attach the simple piece of elastic for this one….and it worked great!
And that’s it! Pretty quick, right?
Time to head off to the pool/beach/lake! :)
Enjoy!
-Ashley