Sew, Sometimes I Craft Without (#17) . . .

. . . paper, using fabric instead.  So today I'm featuring some awesome dance/swim fabrics that I whipped up into the most adorable 'retro' swimsuits using Lee & Pearl's fabulous pattern sold here for instant download @ only $3.99!  Lee & Pearl have several great patterns and if you sign up for their free newsletter, you'll receive a free pattern.  Every so often in subsequent newsletters you'll get a free 'tweak' to one of their patterns that adds more unique ways to utilize a  purchased pattern -- really creative and FUN!
EDITED to add: Just read on Lee & Pearl's FB post that they'll be giving a different FREE pattern for newsletter sign-up beginning in Jan., 2015, which means: IF you sign up before then you'll receive Pattern #1051: Ballet Basics for 18" Dolls FREE before it makes way for the new pattern, and becomes part of their store inventory, BUT if you sign up before Jan., 2015, you'll receive the Ballet Basics pattern immediately PLUS their new free pattern in January -- how sweet is that?!  Hurry & sign up!

I just LOVE these suits and a retro high-waisted bikini is included in this same pattern which I still need to make. Either can be sewn with or without the ruffled back, of course, giving you lots of fun options for a small price! Know what I want to do with the bikini, but just been having TOO much pattern fun to get to it -- yet!

After I'd completed the yellow suit I actually found a wonderful fold-over elastic @ Hobby Lobby which is 5/8" on spools in their "Trims" aisle and is often half-price, a great deal @ $1.50 for 4 yards! In fact, I see it is 1/2 price today online, so may be also in store as it was when I purchased mine.

I found white with smaller dots (in both black & grey), which I think will look more in-scale for these 18" dolls.  They even have a chevron FOE and LOTS of solid colors. That's where I found the silver FOE on the blue suit and LOVE that it coordinates so well with the palm trees in the fabric and compliments that bright silver ruffle!

On a shopping trip to our SAS Tempe fabric outlet I found not only the blue fabric, but the black/white/grey plaid used as a ruffle on the yellow suit as well.  I've since come up with several ideas for utilizing it, including as a main swimsuit fabric and as a fold-over top on my yoga pants seen in this post!  Since I had to buy quite a large piece, but only for $5.99/yd., I'm thrilled I've found several ways to use it.  Also have quite a lot of the blue palm tree fabric, but it'll be more of a challenge to use up, I'm sure -- just couldn't resist it for our blue-eyed Kirsten doll!

Now I'm thinking I'll cut the front just a bit lower and then make Polynesian pareu's, large t'shirts, swim cover-ups, skirts for my non-ruffled suits!