Baby Swim Suit

Recently we needed a swim suit for baby Ellie.  Rather than go to the store, I decided I could just hurry and make one.

 I had some left over swim spandex from my halter takini I made a few years ago, and some pink to add some contrasting trim.

I made the bottoms a pink panty with a circle skirt on top.  I thought a skirt would be girly and cute, but also have a little extra sun coverage.

I just hacked it out, which required taking in the legs and butt a second time.  But I remembered Dana has a great tutorial on how to cut a circle skirt, and a diaper cover.  You could  use her tutorials to make each piece, then join them with a waistband.  **I would recommend NOT adding the 2 inches to the waist measurement, as this skirt will stretch.

 The top is all about sun coverage and making it easier for me, as I have less skin to slab with sun screen.

To make the top I just used a tee shirt and cut it without seam allowances so it would fit a little snug.  You can see there are cap sleeves, but they're just cut in one piece without a shoulder seam.

To make it even easier, the hem on the skirt, sleeves, and shirt bottom aren't folded and sewn.  I just loaded lime thread on the serger and serged the edges.  

 Makes for a cute little pink bum poking out of the little skirt.

For the leg elastic, I sew the ends together to make a circle of the elastic.  I serge the elastic to the fabric edge, cutting off the excess of the pink, but making sure not to cut the elastic with the serger.  *Make sure you're stretching the elastic as you sew it evenly around the leg opening.  Then it makes it easy to roll over.  To top-stitch the leg, you can zig-zag like I've done, or if you have a double needle you can make a nice finish that way too.

Overall an easy, quick, high sun-protection swim suit.

 We first needed a swim suit a two weeks ago.  We went to Lava Hot Springs for the weekend and were able to swim outdoors in February.

Below you can better see all the steam coming off the pool, which is fed by a natural hot spring.  Some were really hot, but one was big enough it was just like a warm bath for the kids.

We got to use it again a week later when my husband had to work out of state and we were able to visit him in the hotel.   I thought her little belly hanging out was cute.