Mix & Match Bathing Suits and a Beach Coverup

So I should have included this tidbit at the end of yesterday's post, but it was beginning to feel a bit long ;) so I decided to hang on and save this part for today. That means that I was inspired to add a little something extra to beef up today's post...more on that later!

Now that I have completed the 'fixes' on my two bathing suits, why not take a look at how I can wear them? As matching sets...

Matchy-matchy: love all three!

or mixing sets! I think my favorite of the mixing sets is this one in the middle...the strapless top actually covers the top of the high-waisted bottoms and looks like a one-piece :o) Love the different looks I can achieve with what started as two separate suits!

Mixy-mixy: love 2 & 3 best :)

And how shall I complete my beachy/poolside look, you ask? Well, whether you do or not, I'll show ya! Here's what I started out with:

• a thin gauzy scarf...depending on the width you could use two, but mine was super wide so I only needed the one (thrifted, of course)
• elastic (I chose matching)
• matching thread
• scissors

Because I had an extra wide scarf, I laid it out folded end to end. The fringy ends become the bottom of my coverup. I folded this in half sideways and cut along the fold down about 10-12 inches. This becomes the neck hole. If you have two thinner scarves, you'd simply sew them together front and back leaving a large enough opening for your head at the top where I've cut mine. Example here. Her's is finished differently than mine (and I'm kind of wishing I'd done what she did...). Oh well! Great excuse for trying out her version ;).

I next determined where the elastic needed to be placed by putting it on, measuring how far down from the v I wanted my waistline, then added that to the length of the cut to get my total distance from the top edge. I marked my line with chalk on both sides, then used embroidery floss to gather the front and back. Next, I sewed the elastic in place with a zigzag stitch and pulled the floss out.

Here's how it came out. The sleeves ended up being very long, so I've simply folded up the ends onto my shoulders for the pics and may tack them in place later...still deciding. It can also be worn as a 'skirt' coverup by taking off the top half and tying the sleeves together in the front as a bow.

This is my favorite look with the new coverup and a peek at my 'one-piece' option with the coverup I made in January.

Mixing it up with my animal print and palm/leaf print coverup, what! 

Coverups can be a great intro to refashioning as there are some that are no-sew, and some that require minimal sewing/cutting/sizing. I, personally, love a quick project now and then and this one fit the bill today :) Here's the final before and after shot!

Happy Refashioning...
Peace,
Andrea