I started sewing about 7 years ago and FINALLY learned how to sew a swimsuit, I’m so thankful for the class at @bolt_handmakers_society ( top is Tatum top by @edgewaterave and bottoms are the Sandpiper bottoms from @helens__closet )

Niamh’s dance top all ready and gems applied. Just need to finish the bottoms. I used the @helens__closet sandpiper swimsuit pattern, and reduced the length of the top, and also took about half and inch off the shoulder seams as the top was gaping a little on the arm holes. Now it’s a perfect fit! #sandpiper #helensclosetsandpiper #sandpiperswimsuit #dressmaking #dancewear

My first attempt at swim wear. In theory it was easy but this garment managed to break my machine! Rubber elastic isn't fun to sew with. But I want to try much more, and try making for others as it's quite easy to fit, and in future I could churn out a bikini in an afternoon.

I’m not into bump pics…in fact a couple of weeks ago a photographer friend offered to do a pregnancy shoot with me and I physically recoiled at the idea. As a chunky woman I’ve spent most of my life dressing to actively minimise my size and disguise my shape, why would I want evidence of rapid growth? No thanks. Worse than the notion of bump pics, maternity clothes…I had planned to make comfy and stylish, un-maternity-ish clothes for myself this time round…only to be exhausted all the time. However, I have been stoked to find that my existing #memadewardrobe has managed to do the job admirably into third trimester. Which has lessened significantly the pregnancy body dis morphia that plagued my last pregnancy. I find the way society speaks about pregnant bodies massively problematic. I have felt as if treated like public property in my pregnancies, with friends and strangers alike commenting on my body/growth/shape/size. These comments can have a genuinely debilitating effect on women who are already struggling with losing their sense of self during pregnancy . Living in me made clothing has made this pregnancy immensely more bearable than the first. Knowing that even if my body doesn’t feel my own at least my clothes are telling the story of my identity, gives me a lot of comfort. Today I am wearing my extremely comfortable #helensclosetsandpiper crop top and #sewhouse7 slacks. Note: I’m not after compliments on my pregnancy body, in fact, not commenting at all on my body is preferred, this is more about the value of me made garments for grounding my personality even amidst turmoil this #memademay2022 #perthsewing #memademay #memadematernity

Every year when we go on holiday James and I play a game we named ‘bit bat’. We essentially hit a ping pong ball to each other and try and beat our score from the previous holiday. Last time we were in Greece we got a score of 1226 without dropping the ball. Today we managed to smash our score and hit the ball continuously for 1553 hits without dropping it. It’s such a simple game but it brings us so much joy on holiday 😂 I wore my @helens__closet sandpiper swimsuit in the hope the athletic style would help us beat our score and I think it must have worked - along with perfect weather conditions and a quiet poolside We’ve tried to play this game at home in the garden and on holiday in the UK with zero success. For some reason we have to be abroad, in the shallow pool with the sun shining and playing early in the morning in order for us to play well! My sandpiper swimsuit is made using this amazing neon swimwear fabric from @sewmesunshine.uk and I think this photo is the perfect #MeMadeInAction photo too and as @gail.sew.glasgow has just altered me to it’s also perfect for the new challenge hosted by Gail I shared this image in my stories but I’ve decided it needs to be a grid post so I have a record of our score to refer back to next year 😂 Pattern: @helens__closet Sandpiper swimsuit Fabric: Neon print swimwear fabric from @sewmesunshine.uk [Image description: Liz, a white woman and James, a white man are stood next to each other in a swimming pool. They’re holding wooden bats and Liz is holding a neon orange ping pong ball and they’re both smiling. James is wearing purple swimming shorts and Liz is wearing a neon print bikini] #TheBakerThatSews #SandpiperSwimsuit #HelensClosetSandpiper #HelensClosetPatterns #MemadeInAction #SewingSunshine #MeMadeHolidayWardrobe #IMakeMyOwnClothes #ISew #IMadeMySwimsuit #IndiePatterns #SewingWithLycra

Niamh’s dance costume all gemmed up, ready for her first dance competition for this new “Enter the Circus” routine. I used the @helens__closet sandpiper swimwear pattern with a few alterations to the top, and added some frills to the bottoms! Fabric from @waltons_fabrics #sandpiperswimsuit #dancewear #helenscloset #helensclosetsandpiper #dressmakersofinstagram #enterthecircus

Last month I spent a few days in Budapest. Had to go to one of the spas (Széchenyi Thermal Bath) in a me made swimming costume, of course. This is one of my 5 (!) @helens__closet Sandpipers. #MeMadeHoliday #HelensClosetSandpiper #SandpiperSwimsuit #SandpiperBikini #ISewClothes #SandpiperSwimmingCostume #Budapest #SzéchenyiThermalBath

🌺 Sandpiper Swimsuit 🌺 Okay so last of the holiday pics I think! I took a few swimsuits with me on holiday but this one was definitely my most worn! This is a #SandpiperSwimsuit by @helens__closet . A few fellow sewists have made this pattern before and colourful versions by @thebakerthatsews and @sewwithzo gave me the push I needed to give it a go. I made different sized top and bottoms (I think 4 on top and 6 on bottoms) based on my measurements and per the size chart and decided on the longline top and regular bottoms. It fits perfectly! This was my first Helen’s Closet pattern and I am thoroughly impressed by the instructions. I designed this floral pattern and had it printed onto recycled nylon swimwear fabric by @fashionformulauk 😊 The quality is excellent! Pic 2 is of the swimsuit in action (🤣) at @xelhapark and I’ve also included a photo of my wearable toile which I made in a remnant of marble print swimwear Lycra that we sold at @heysewsister.co.uk a while back. I absolutely adore that version too and both are lined with power mesh.❔Have you given sewing swimwear a go yet? ❔If not I would highly recommend it. I put it off for so long - I’m not totally sure why, perhaps because of the use of different materials and notions - but I’m so glad I eventually got round to it because these are the best bikinis I’ve ever owned 😊 . . . . . #helensclosetpatterns #helensclosetsandpiper #mexico #holidaysewing #holidaystyle #discoverunder10k #méxico #caribbeancoast #playadelcarmen #edinburghblogger #dopaminedressing #edinburghbloggers #sewingswimwear #millenialsewing #millenialsewist #dressmaking #dressmaker #millenialdressmaking #millenialdressmaker #sewistsofinstagram #sewistofinstagram #sewist #imademyclothes #colourtherapy #dopaminedressing #sewing #DIYOOTD #madebyme #memadeootd #swimwear

After falling in love with the new swimsuit pattern from @helens__closet I knew instantly I had to buy it and quickly set about planning a couple of swimsuit sets for our holiday The lovely @sewmesunshine.uk have some amazing swimwear fabrics and I settled on this fabulously colourful and bright neon print for my first version Whilst making up my swim suit both Ruby and Lola requested their own versions so I set about tweaking the pattern pieces to fit their bodies. It’s was a really fun process working out what parts of the pattern I needed to adjust For Ruby I made up the smallest size and it’s fits her really well. She doesn’t like anything too fitted on her body due to sensory sensitivities and making up the smallest size means it’s fitted without being too tight if that makes sense? For Lola I started with the smallest size and basted the pieces together without joining the lining. I then removed a couple of inches from the shoulders which helped raise the arm holes. I also ended up taking a couple of inches off the bottom of the top piece and the bottom pattern piece too From experience I found the most comfortable swimwear elastic to use is a brand called Framilastic transparent tape from @sewmesunshine.uk I tried using the prym swimwear elastic and it felt too firm especially for Ruby and Lola’s swimwear Ruby and Lola really enjoyed fabric shopping for their swimwear (Yey) and chose these amazing prints from our local fabric shop @fabricland_kingston I felt so proud when we all wore matching swimwear and it brought me so much joy to see how much Ruby and Lola enjoyed wearing swimwear made by me Pattern: @helens__closet Sandpiper Fabric: Ruby and Lola @fabricland_kingston Fabric: Liz @sewmesunshine.uk [Image description: Liz, a white woman is stood in the middle with Ruby on her left and Lola on her right. They’re all wearing two piece swimwear and are stood in front of a swimming pool. Ruby is wearing a blue geometric, Liz is wearing a neon print and Lola is wearing a tiger print] #MeMadeOnHoliday #MadeByMummy #TheBakerThatSews #SewingForChildren #MatchingSwimwear #SandpiperSwimSuit #HelensClosetSandPiper #SewingSunshine #SwimWearFabric