Another option for the Wet Bathing Suit Bag

Another Option!

Add a snap...instead of sewing both sides of the strap into the wet bathing suit bag just sew one side. Then add a snap to the bag and strap. You can easily attach the WBSB yo your diaper bag or stroller. I'm less likely to loose the swim suit bag this way:)

A Fun Filled Week!

We went on a couple field trips this week. On Wednesday we got to visit Busch Gardens and the new Sesame Street Safari of Fun and today we visited the Florida Aquarium.

If you are a Florida resident Busch Gardens has a great deal where you pay for a day and come back all year and kids 5 and under are free! We live so close that it's hard not to take advantage of this!

At Busch Gardens we usually find ourselves all over the park, but on Wednesday we mainly explored the new Sesame Street area! We did find some beautiful birds along the way. Carson had to take pictures with the flamingoes

and parrots.

The new area was full of rides, water fun and Sesame Street Characters. We took advantage of the rides and water fun, but not the characters. Carson does not fancy them at ALL.

She wasn't a happy camper here. They wouldn't let Clara and I on the rides because I didn't have any shoes or socks on her. Note to self...put shoes or socks on your 7 month old so they can partake in the fun. Who would have thought that no shoes = no service for a 7 month old??

My girls...I love them!

Fish, Crabs and Alligators...oh my!

These were just some of the things we saw at the aquarium.

Have you ever seen such a ginormous crab?

She wasn't too sure about this guy even though we have been brainwashing her since birth that Gators are the best!

Happy Friday everyone! Have a great weekend!

Wet Bathing Suit Bag with Download: A Tutorial

Warm weather is here and so is bathing suit season! So...these wet bathing suit bags are a must have to keep your dry duds from getting wet! Four years ago I gave my bridesmaids one similar to these as part of their gifts for being in our wedding. They recently popped back into my head after Carson started taking swim lessons a few weeks ago. It sure would be nice to have a little waterproof bag in which to contain a soaking wet suit. I made a few different ones. Ones for boys and ones for girls. You can make it and make it your own!

Materials: Nylon waterproof fabric, a fabric of your choice OR you can use Amy Butler's laminate fabric (it's machine washable!), 9 inch zipper, thread, sewing machine, rotary board, ruler and cutter

Optional: heat and bond adhesive, swim suit template, disappearing ink pen, iron, fabric paint, paint brush, freezer paper

- cut 4 pieces 10 x 8 inches (2 waterproof fabric, 2 fabric of choice)

-If you choose to put a swim suit on your bag you are going to do it now.

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-follow directions on the heat and bond to adhere it to your fabric of choice. I chose a yellow polka-dot fabric...yellow polka-dot bikini!

-trace the swim suit on the back of the heat and bond with the disappearing ink pen.

-cut it out, peel off the back and place it onto the fabric where you want it.

-iron

-If you want to do letter applique (good tutorial HERE) or freezer paper stenciling (good tutorial HERE) to personalize your bag you will do that now too. I waited until after to do the stenciling. It would be easier to do it at this point.

- If you chose to do applique stitch into place.

-You a can use fray check around the edges to minimize fraying.

-Next, you will take one piece of the water proof fabric and one piece of the fabric of your choice. Get your zipper ready. You may want to use a zipper foot at this time. You are going to sandwich the zipper between the two pieces of fabric. Place your fabric of choice right side up, then the zipper face down then the waterproof fabric and sew.

-You are going to do the same thing with the other two pieces on the other side of the zipper.

-Press the seams.

-Now for the wrist strap...Cut a strip of fabric 2 x 8 inches. Fold it in half and iron. Then open it up and fold each side into the middle and iron. Now fold in half again and iron.

-Sew down the side to close it up.

-Fold the wrist strap in half and place it inside the bag underneath the zipper, raw edges facing out.

-Serge or stitch around the outer edge of the bag to close it up. If you stitch it you can finish it with a zig zag stitch.

-Turn the bag inside right side out!

Finished! Use an object to poke the corners out. I used my scissors, but that's probably not the best thing to use:)

SIDE NOTE

On the laminate bag I still used the Heat and Bond on the polka dot fabric, but I did NOT iron it onto the laminate. I thought it would make it a bit heavier and easier to stitch onto the bag. I used a few pins to hold it in place and it was easy to sew onto the bag. I have never tried to iron it, but the ladies that work at the store where I get my fabric said you CANNOT iron it.

Another Option!

Add a snap...instead of sewing both sides of the strap into the bag just sew one side. Then add a snap to the bag and strap. I'm less likely to loose the swim suit bag this way:)

A Big Ruffly Surprise!

WOW! The Ruffle Your Stuff winners have been named! I will admit I have been stalking Disney's site since this morning:) I can't believe "tRuffles and tEa" came in 2nd out of 567 amazing entries. You can view them here. If you ever want to make ANYTHING with ruffles there is some serious ruffly inspiration as well as beautiful pictures. I am so excited I am not going to be able to sleep for a week! Thanks to Disney and all of the sponsors. I can't imagine organizing over 500 entries into slideshows not to mention choosing winners!

Easter Fun

We had a fabulous Easter day with family....

The girls wore their dresses...

Carson hunted eggs...

And is still NOT a fan of the Easter Bunny. She spotted him across the way.

She says, "No more bunny Easter, mommy."

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter too!