Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Swimwear: Part Mermaid on my Mom's Side

You may remember that I sewed a hacked Bombshell when I was pregnant. At the time I predicted that the top would probably fit post-pregnancy but that I would need to sew new bottoms. Turns out I was right.

Original version with prego belly included

At the time, I must have had the forethought to buy enough of the fabric to make more pieces after pregnancy because I found two yards of the stuff when I was rummaging in my stash this summer hoping for a scrap of swimsuit fabric. Clever past me. 

As this project was completely unplanned, I somehow forgot I was going to make a Bombshell bottom and pulled out Vogue 9192 instead.


I ended up sewing the bikini bottom (View D) and the cover up skirt (View F). There is not much to tell except that I learned that rubber swimsuit elastic is firmer and less stretchy than other elastics and - more important - you should avoid any un-sewing of the stuff.


Oops. 

I didn't make any changes to either the bottom or skirt except that I added a little bit of length (2") to the skirt. It probably wasn't necessary. They both fit very well out of the envelope. The only change I'd make in the future is perhaps taking the waist in a bit and using slightly wider elastic.





The skirt is a win I think; I love the style. This is a piece that I have been wearing as a cover up and for splashy days. Really, you could take a dip in it, but I think I would reserve it for wading rather than swimming.  I'm very happy with it paired with my bombshell hacked top.





I like that the length is adjustable. The construction was really simple - you press the seam allowances open and sew them down to create a casing for the pull ties.




The bottoms - sorry for the lack of picture of me wearing them, but I just didn't feel up to taking pictures of my bum and thighs - is a very modest cut. It's exactly what I would pick out for my mom, who is a modest lady. For myself, I would choose something with a lower rise and perhaps cut a little higher on the sides. That said, I'm happy for the full bum coverage. One thing that I will add is that when I sewed swimwear in the past I just self-lined anything that needed lining.  This time I used swimsuit lining fabric and the difference is worth it. It's thinner, lighter and very soft and comfy against the skin. The sandwich method of sewing the bottoms made for a really cleanly finished inside.

There's not really anything else to say because both pieces were easy to sew, are well drafted and fit the bill. Sometimes there is just no need to over-complicate things.

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