The new designer capsule collection for Project Run and Play that I am part of is called Project Watercolor Beach. It features 10 patterns including tops and bottoms, wovens and knits, layering pieces, separates, dresses, swimwear, and more, for boys and girls. I designed two patterns for the collection, the Golden Dress and the Lemon Tee, but I sewed up a summer wardrobe for my children with some of the other patterns too.

Every year in June, after school ends, I take my son and my daughter to my parents' home in Algarve. The three of us spend the summer there and my husband joins us on the weekends until his vacation starts in mid August, and then he stays with us there until September. Our everyday life all summer long is spending the morning at the beach and the afternoon at home while I work and they play or do whatever they like. This means that we live in cool and "beachy" clothes all summer long, so this collection was perfect to build my children's wardrobe.

Because I designed the Golden Dress and the Lemon Tee I sewed quite a few garments of each pattern for them. I think I made four dresses and one tee for my daughter, and four tees for my son. For the tees I used cotton jersey and for the dresses I used seersucker and lightweight cotton.

And as soon as the other patterns were complete I also made for them:

• one Chromium hoodie for each, both made in french terry (cropped for her and regular length for him)

• one Viridian swimsuit and one bikini made in swim fabric

• one Cobalt boardshorts, sewn in boardshort fabric

• one Bodhi boardskirt also in boardshort fabric (and I have another one cut out)

My kids loved all the garments and we went to the beach to take photos. At this time we couldn't go to Algarve so we went to Cascais, a small gorgeous village 30 minutes away from where we live that has beautiful beaches. I was born in Cascais and spent my early childhood there, and I love going there. We went to one of the beaches, took photos, and then my kids got to go into the ocean and play there until they were almost frozen (the water is still very cold here in May). The boardshorts, swimsuit and bikini got ocean approved. :-)

The Chromium hoodies made out of soft french terry were the perfect layering piece for when we left the beach in the cool late afternoon.

These are my sews so far, but I'm still going to make another swimsuit with the Ripley pattern, some more boardshorts and a Coral dress... And probably another hoodie or two.
You can buy the Golden Dress pattern here, the Lemon Tee pattern here, and the whole collection over on Project Run and Play shop. As of July 1st the patterns will also be listed here at Suco by Susana.
Happy sewing!
Susana