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Lorelei Sew Along Day 1

Last year Simple Life Pattern Company released their first swimsuit pattern, and it’s PERFECTION! If you haven’t met yet, let me introduce you to Lorelei, a sweet little one piece – a collision of classic and unexpected flair – a standard that we have come to expect from all of the SLPCo patterns. It’s love…

The ladies at SLPCo planned a lovely gift for us just in time for spring and summer sewing: Lorelei Flutter Cut-Out Swimsuit is the Pattern of the Month, so it’s ON SALE the entire month of March, 2018! No coupon needed!

To add a little icing to that cake, SLPCo is hosting a Lorelei Sew Along! We are changing things up a bit, so get ready for a WEEKEND of sewing fun!

The “Ladies Weekend In” sew along promises to be FUN, full of encouragement and support, accountability, and PRIZES…

• Fabric Fairy Giveaway (est. $30 value) (thank you Fabric Fairy)!
• $50 SLPCo Store credit!
• Discounts!
  • 10% off at Fabric Fairy. Coupon code: ‘simplelife’. Valid March 16 – March 23, 2018.
  • 20% off Lorelei pattern. No coupon needed; discount effective on the website through March, 2018.

We are excited you are here to join the fun and get ready for SPRING BREAK (and summer)! Because, really, who doesn’t love to see their little one running around the beach, poolside, or even running through the sprinklers in an adorable mama-made suit!

So, let’s get this Ladies-Weekend-In started!

Goals for Day One:

 

1.  Gather Supplies. You only need a few supplies for this project:

• printed pattern (as always, make sure your scale is set correctly),
• fabric (main and lining – did you know you can use regular swim fabric as lining?),
• thread,
• elastic (for reference, I used nearly the entire 2 yard package for a size 7 suit),
• and, of course, a little optional embellishment if you choose (I added a little bling on the strap, super cute).

 

2.  Measure. Measure. Measure. Measure.

• Measure the 1″ square on your pattern.
• Measure the person who will be wearing the swimsuit (especially the finished length to make sure the suit won’t be too short).
• Remember to periodically measure your sewing tape to make sure it hasn’t been stretched to ensure all your projects will be the perfect size.

3.  Assemble Pattern.

Not sure if your pages are lining up right? Check that your overlapping circles are measuring 1″ in diameter. Gotta love the built-in tools SLPCo includes in their patterns to ensure our success!

4.  Choose Options.

This suit has some adorable options – flutter and cut-out combinations or a simple full suit. Choose your options, so you know which lines to cut on your pattern.

Be sure to check out the tester round up blog post for some extra inspiration to see all the options and combinations! One of the testers got really creative and added a fun flutter around the entire neckline; it turned out super cute (image below)! Here’s the tutorial for the flutter hack.

5.  Cut Pattern

Cut out your pattern pieces, grading between sizes as necessary to ensure the perfect fit.

6.  Cut Fabric

Lastly, cut your fabric pieces. Refer to the cutting chart for elastic and strap lengths.

***IMPORTANT: Be sure to cut your lining pieces as mirror images of your main fabric.*** If you are using swim lining this isn’t a big deal, but if you are using regular swim fabric as your lining (which is what I do), you will want a mirror image so your fabric is facing the correct way. 🙂

 

And that’s a wrap for Day One!

Be sure to post your progress pics in the FB Photo Album: Day 1!

 

Except your homework (don’t worry; it’s a fun assignment)!  Go check out the swim fabric at Fabric Fairy! Such a great selection! I LOVE her product, especially the solid swim fabric. It is such a lovely weight that is incredibly easy to sew with. Oh, and board short fabric, swim lining (multiple color ways), elastic (including swim elastic), bra cups … yeah, she has it ALL! And if you find something you MUST have, don’t forget to use your discount code: ‘simplelife’ for 10% off!

A few extra SAL details:

• There will be a daily post on the SLPCo FB Fan page with a link to the blog post which will have the goals for the day and any helpful tips, etc. We would love to see your progress images, so be sure to post YOUR progress pics in the daily photo ALBUM (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3)! Also feel free to leave a little love, ask any questions, or encourage someone who is sewing along!
• The SAL posts will be three days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), but there will be two days for catch-up and final submission photo.  🙂
• Final submission images (flat lays are fine) are due end of day Tuesday, March 20, 2018, in the Day 3 sew along photo album. Want an extra opportunity to enter? Post to Instagram with a fun hashtag (#SLPcoLorlei, #LoreleiSAL, etc.), take a screen shot, then add to the Day 3 sew along photo album for one extra entry.
• Two winners will be randomly chosen. Prizes include: Fabric bundle or $30 Fabric Fairy store credit and $50 SLPCo store credit.
• Have fun! We can’t wait to see all your cute suits!