With team GB performing so well over the weekend and the last week, everybody at Calico Laine is really getting into the London 2012 Olympics. One of my favourite events to watch is the gymnastics, especially as we have some local men and women competing from Cheshire. In the women's gymnastics there have been some amazing leotard designs. Each country has had several different designs with a separate leotard for each event or heat. Traditionally, these outfits are made from Lycra and here are Calico Laine we have a lovely range of lycra fabric. We do a large range of plain lycra which is 150cm wide and £8.49 per metre. It is 80% nylon and 20% spandex and is a great quality fabric suitable for gymnastics and dancewear. With plain lycra you can combine the colours to make a more appealing design on your leotard. For example, you could have a royal blue background with a red and white diagonal starburst across the front and side of the leotard or you could have a white background with different coloured sleeves to add detail. If you are looking to add even more interest to your outfit, like many of the Olympic gymnasts you could add jewels to the fabric. We stock a number of Acrylic Jewels in a range of different colours from clear crystal to ruby. The best size for this use would probably be either a 3mm or 4mm as you would not want them too large. These can be stuck on using Gem Tac glue so that they are also washable. You could use these to make different designs across the body of the leotard or just to add a bit of colour to a more plain design. If you have any ideas on how to use Lycra for gymnastics then please feel free to comment below or leave a message on our Facebook or Twitter pages. Until next time, Laura Calico Laine