Mother of Dragons

We’ve really been feeling the Dragon theme around here, but last time I got left out of all the fun! I knew I could make it up to myself with the new round of fabrics up for pre-order from Pink Zeppelin that feature All. The. Scales. (Seriously, everything from lizard to alligator are represented, including a rainbow of traditional mermaid scales!)

I received these stunning rainbow dragon scales in the swim base to work with, and I was immediately entranced by their beauty. So entranced, in fact, that I spent a feverish 24 hours trying to figure out what pattern could possibly do them justice!

I settled on the KBSD wrap bikini top (at $4 its a steal!) and the panel undies from RAD Patterns. Both were companies and patterns I had never tried before- a slightly dangerous thing to do with an irreplaceable strike off, but the dragon scales had me thinking dangerously. I’ve seen quite a few wrap top bikinis on Pinterest, and I really wanted to create the look with these scales.

The pattern instructions for the top were brief, at best, and would not be suitable for your first foray into swim. There are a few things I would change next time, including turning them out through the straps or the bottom instead of a hemmed opening in the lining for a cleaner finish, but the drafting is solid and the option for multiple cup sizes is great!

It’s plenty supportive for me, without powermesh, but my A/B cups don’t need a lot of support, so you might want to add cups and mesh if you’re larger busted.

I love how easy it is to nurse in it (Princess confirmed this during its maiden voyage to the pool), the simplicity of the pattern, and how quickly it came together. I also added a swim hook at the neck rather than ties, so I wouldn’t have to worry about them coming undone by a grasping baby!

While this pattern doesn’t take a ton of fabric, each front and side is all one piece, which means you do need a full yard to sew it up, unless you want to piece together the sides, which is something to keep in mind when ordering. Overall, I’m quite enchanted by this top, and will definitely use this pattern again.

For the bikini bottoms, I used the panel undies pattern by RAD Patterns, so I could incorporate power mesh into the sides. This worked really well, except for the fact that these are designed for a narrower or a picot edge elastic- so my briefs are a tad cheekier than I would prefer. But I love this fabric so much, I’ll just shore up my confidence and parade around proudly in them…as I had to do in the middle of our public park, to take these pictures! People were…intruigued….to say the least!

If you’re new to swim, you’ll want to check out my blog post on supplies HERE- but don’t be intimidated. Custom swim is some of the best to learn on, and a little goes a long way!

Do you wish you could sew with swim but feel intimidated? Ask questions below- and I’ll answer and/or whip up a blog post to help!

Don’t forget to stay connected! Sign up for email updates HERE, and “like” my Facebook page HERE. You can also follow me on Instagram HERE.

You can check out all the other scales available for preorder HERE– open through 6/25. Or use their google doc order form: https://goo.gl/forms/7UlxgAfxRoZ6Kbfs1 Use code Layaway or  fat half for those options.

Note: There are no affiliate links in this post! Everything is for your convenience- I won’t make any $$ but I have an awesome suit!

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10 Comments

  1. Auschick on June 20, 2017 at 4:48 am

    This looks awesome! I’ve never heard of the designer for the bikini top before! Might have to grab a copy of it 😉

    • Sarah on June 20, 2017 at 5:16 pm

      It’s a great deal- only $4! Would love to see it made up more!

  2. Abbey on June 20, 2017 at 5:42 pm

    OOOOH this is MOMMA HOTTNESS! The dragon scales is perfect for a swimsuit and even more amazing for the KBSD top!

    • Sarah on June 20, 2017 at 6:10 pm

      Thank you! I knew I had to find the right pattern for these scales- the KBSD was a perfect match!

  3. April Simpson hunt on June 25, 2017 at 10:35 am

    Love this so much! This is definitely my favorite scale print from this round.also, I think I’m officially addicted to your blog. It’s so much fun to read and I love watching your little ones grow. Fun times. Thank you for sharing your experiences!

    • Sarah on June 26, 2017 at 8:34 am

      Thats one addiction I’m happy to enable! Thank you!

  4. Bye bye Bikini! – Sewing with Sarah on June 27, 2017 at 1:41 am

    […] get me wrong, I still have all the feels for the bikini’s I’ve sewn (see examples here, and here), but I’m also thinking ahead to our vacation next […]

  5. Always Be a Mermaid…. – Sewing with Sarah on June 29, 2017 at 8:31 am

    […] I’m no stranger to sewing swim (see examples here and here) but even I can appreciate the clear, easy to follow instructions on these patterns. As a bonus, […]

  6. Caleigh on August 5, 2017 at 10:05 am

    I’m struggling though making this top right now (and its even my third attempt at it!). Wish the instructions were better made and there were more resources online to help (aside from the sewalong on their site that apparently didn’t go past day two!?!) Love your top though, it looks really great…hopefully I’ll have one thats wearable eventually too!

    • Sarah on August 5, 2017 at 11:06 am

      I agree- the instructions are dismal and I don’t know what happened to their sewalong? But the group is helpful if you have questions, and you can ask me too! It’s easier for me to reply and converse on my sewing with sarah fB page if you need it!

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