Bethany, Bethany, Bethany

I wasn't going to write this post, but I've been sewing swim for the family, and I can't resist sharing how cute my kiddos look in it!

So when Jessica from 5oo4 decided to do another swim shorts pattern, I couldn't resist testing it (even though I had already tested the Malia), because I knew my kids would want it. And boy, was I right.

You might remember that last year I sewed up the Kids Swim Trunks for all three of my little kiddos. And I thought it was the only pattern I would ever need for kids' swim shorts. And I was right. And wrong. That one is perfect if you have board short fabric and want to make woven board shorts or swim trunks. Which are awesome! But the new Bethany pattern is a whole other layer of awesome!! It uses regular swim fabric, which means you can use the same fabric for the swim top/rash guard and the shorts. So much fun!!

I started with the plan of making a swim outfit for my daughter. She already had this classic one-piece from last year that still fit. And I had extra of this fabric! So I sewed up the longest length of the swim shorts to match. And I absolutely love this look! It looks very retro to me. She will get a ton of use out of this suit this summer. Plus she prefers these shorts to the ones from last year, just because the stretch gives her a little more ability to move her body. I did include the optional attached swim briefs just in case she wants to try to wear it with a different swim top sometime.

Next I added my almost eight-year-old to the mix. I had already made this rash guard for him from this amazing tiger swim fabric from Boho Fabrics. So I sewed up a quick pair of shorts in the longest length with black binding to go with it. I have to admit, I was skeptical of whether this would work for a boy. But I tried. And they do! This is the first pair I made for him. Since then, I actually made him another pair, as the rise on these is a bit too low for him, and he prefers the enclosed elastic waistband to the contour waistband I used here.

Finally, I added my youngest son to the mix. He wanted to match his brother, but with short sleeves and the enclosed elastic waistband with a drawstring. And he totally wants to be a tiger when he wears this swim outfit! Look at him growling and in the tree!! I constructed the boys' version exactly the same as the girls, except I didn't stretch the elastic when I put it on the swim briefs. So the pattern is 100% unisex.

In case you're wondering, I also made the pattern for me. And it will absolutely come in handy this summer, but I think my kids take the cake for cuteness on this one!! Such a fun sew :)

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