I have been anxiously awaiting our family vacation this year. Both my husband and I have been working hard, too hard almost. Life seems to get busier everyday. We were able to drive down to New Smyrna Beach, Florida for a week of sun and sand. Packing is always a little more fun when you are driving instead of flying…more clothing options!!! I mean who doesn’t over pack when they travel???  Well, this was my first trip where about 75% of what I packed was garments that I had made.  I thought for fun I would have my husband take pictures, sometimes in cheesy vacation style, of my me made vacation wardrobe to share with my readers!  (P4P and M4M links are affiliate links to help me keep sewing up projects for the blog.)

I wore a ribbed knit Mama Ava while traveling all day Saturday but did not take a picture.  Fail on outfit number one.  The rib knit from Pretty Posh Prints was so comfortable to travel in.

We made a quick trip down to the beach on Sunday before we headed over to my husband’s cousin’s house (lol).  I did not have a lot of time to get ready so I twisted my wet hair back and picked out a lightweight rayon spandex Laundry Day Tee (with added length to make dress length).  I used the first option in Tami from Love Notions blog post about altering the LDT into a dress.  Using the LDT as a base for a dress is quick and easy and creates an easy on the go look. The fabric was from an auction box from Knitpop last summer.

Monday brought our first real day on the beach, so of course I had to wear the first Siren Swim Top and Hello Sailor Swim Bottoms that I made last year from Patterns for Pirates during testing.  The no frills version with the cross back stays put very nicely and allowed me to play with my boys without worrying about any wardrobe malfunctions.   Both the solid and the coordinate were nylon spandex from JoAnn.

Our condo also had a nice pool and seating area.  I wore this down to the pool as well and was stopped by three women telling me they loved my suit.  I took the opportunity to spread my love for the sewing world, and like usual they were shocked that I had made a swimsuit.

For a cover up this day, I wore a Patterns for Pirates Free Spirit Tank in dress length. I made this last year out of a crochet knit from Hobby Lobby. The open weave made for a nice weight for the cover up. I used fold over elastic instead of bindings due to the weave of the fabric. Also I trimmed the bottom along the scallop pattern and left it raw.

Here is a close up of the fabric.

My in-laws happily watched the boys Monday night so my husband and I could have a date night.  My first chance at wearing a nicer dress!!  I ended up going with a double brushed poly (Knitpop) in the George & Ginger Drama Dress.  I even rocked out some red lipstick and my vintage sewing machine necklace from Thread & Grain.   I posted a family picture on my personal Facebook page, and even my sister commented on how strange it was to see me in red lipstick.  Fortunately, she followed up that comment about loving it.

Even my pajama options for the trip were partially me made.  I love the loose fit of the Made for Mermaids Mama Ava and the longer hemline.  It makes for a perfect top to sleep in.  The fabric is from my local Walmart.  I added this self designed HTV when my mom and I were fooling around trying to perfect our heat press skills. For those of you not in Tennessee, Sundrop is a local drink that finally went nationwide a couple of years ago.  I am trying to quit…lol…but usually I drink a Sundrop in the morning since I don’t like coffee.  I did not make the pants in the photo below, but these I purchased while traveling in Bali but could easily be replicated with a joggers pattern.

Beach day number 2 consisted of my new Patterns for Pirates Siren Swim Top and Hello Sailor Swim Bottoms that I made specifically for this trip. Both the stripe and the solid are from Purple Seamstress. The cover up, on the other hand, is one of the first things I ever made for myself. I used a H&M tank top and cut it shorter and then attached this sheer striped fabric (from the fabric district in Nippori/Tokyo from our time we spent living in Japan) using elastic thread in my bobbin. I had no idea what I was doing, but I used a Pinterest tutorial to help out. But this look can be replicated with the P4P Boundless.

We headed out on the intercoastal that evening for dinner. I have been dying to wear my Made for Mermaids Mama Lea Romper since last summer. I received this liverpool floral in an auction box from Knitpop last summer. I never would have picked it for myself, but I love it! For the Mama Lea Romper, I did grade out for my hips. I also used a Full Booty Adjustment to give myself some more room back there. Rompers in RTW don’t happen for me since I have a very long torso, and it makes all of the shorts ride up.

I also used the Mama Lea during testing to make a mini dress. My plan was to wear it with leggings. However, it turned out perfect here as a cover up. The beautiful floral was a custom run by Sincerely Rylee. I rarely do custom fabric, but when I saw the strike off for Eden, I knew I had to have some of her!

A close up of Eden to show off this vibrant fabric.

In addition to the new bathing suit, the only other clothing item I made specifically for this trip was this inspired custom print. The plan was to wear this Patterns for Pirates Essential Tank to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Unfortunately the trip over to Universal did not happen, but I still rocked out the tank. I will be showing off my Potterheadness all summer long in this tank!  Using the map coordinate for the back and the binding was perfect!  This fabric and panel was from Affordable Fabrics and More.

That evening we had dinner in the condo with several family members, so I just switched into my Made for Mermaids Mama Quinn. The Mama Quinn released right before I started testing, but I purchased the pattern specifically for this fabric. The fabric is from Hobby Lobby and is a light weight woven of some sorts (I am terrible with types of woven fabrics). I usually avoid patterns that require making your own binding or straps. So instead of making my own straps, I used a coordinating fold over elastic also from Hobby Lobby. This Mama Quinn is the double v version. I am also wearing my jegging SOS Pants from P4P.

And my poor little buddy was not happy about me putting him down for photos. 😂😂😂😂

Rash guards are brought up in the sewing groups a lot. People are always asking what pattern to use to make a rash guard to provide extra coverage when in the water. I used a Slim Fit Raglan from P4P with the funnel add on to make a work out top a few weeks ago out of a lightweight performance fabric from Hobby Lobby. The lightweight, quick drying fabric made for a looser fitting rash guard while watching my boys on the beach.

On the last morning, we went for a walk on the beach while it was still chilly out. My Mama Bear Joggers from P4P in the athleisure knit from JoAnn were perfect to keep me warm while we strolled.

That final day my MIL and I decided to hit up the outlet mall since it was a cooler day. I wore my new Favorite Tee dress from P4P paired with leggings to keep me warm against the wind. The combo was so comfortable and easy to shop in.

The weather actually warmed up as the day progressed which meant I got to wear my strapless Sunshine Dress from P4P to our dinner on the intercoastal. I love the fit at the natural waist which allowed me to eat all kinds of fresh seafood and hide my food baby!

So I am throwing in two bonus outfits that I brought but only put on to show you what rounded out my vacation wardrobe that I packed. I did not get a chance to wear this Siren Swim Top mash up with the Boundless maxi skirt but did snap a photo when I tried  it on when deciding what to wear one night. I forgot to have my husband take a photo of the back so all you get is a mirror selfie of the criss cross in the back.

Finally, I brought my lace hacked Dreamer Top from See Kate Sew to wear with some RTW khaki shorts. This is one of the first garments I made for myself when I discovered to PDF sewing world. I have learned so much since this top, but I still love it! If you haven’t checked out See Kate Sew, you should.

On the long trip home, I had one of the highlights of my trip. We knew the boys would need a break and some food somewhere around Atlanta. I contacted one of my favorite online sewing friends and fellow blogger, Aaronica Cole from The Crunchy Mommy.  We were able to make last minute plans to meet up at Fine Fabrics in Atlanta (while my husband took our boys to Chick-Fil-A to eat and burn off some energy in the play area). Aaronica and I got to chat and buy fabric in a stress free, kid free environment! I am so glad she was able to join me and that we were finally able to meet after keeping tabs on each other in the sewing groups for almost a year. Of course we were both wearing P4P. Aaronica had on a pair of Mama Bear jegging Joggers, and I had on my favorite elephant DBP Essential Tank (Knitpop) layered with my most frequently worn me made garment, my Cocoon Cardigan in a knit I had previously bought at Fine Fabrics.

Overall, we had a wonderful vacation, and I was able to wear mostly me made outfits. Next time, I want to approach my vacation wardrobe in a more mini capsule format where I take less pieces but can combine for a lot of different outfits. However, this time I didn’t have much time for new pieces leading up to our trip.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I wore, and that you may get some ideas for any upcoming warm weather vacations.

Until next time…sewing and sipping,

Stacey