Friday 21 June 2019

The Story of a Perfect Swimsuit

This is a long story - grab a cuppa or a poolside cocktail. Is it interesting? Who knows? but I thought I would share it anyway. 


I had a go at making a bikini way back in June 2016 as part of the vintage pledge challenge. There were peaks and troughs as it were in this 1960's pattern. The bottoms were totally brilliant but the top popped over my breasts when I did breaststroke in the pool! I had made the straps so short, to create support, that there was just too much tension. I like to take the positives so after one holiday I kept the bottoms and binned the top after salvaging the plastic clasp.



To ensure I could continue wearing the best fitting bottoms ever I then made a tankini top to match them, luckily I still had some of the same fabric left over. I modified the Tilly and the Buttons Fi Fi boudoir set top. I had finally cracked it and it is still in holiday-suitcase-circulation two years later.



But then I wanted a swimsuit. In Feb 2017 I tried the flojo Belle swimsuit to test their new release at the time. Again, there was mixed success. It was groundhog day;the bottom was brilliant, the midriff was marvelous, the straps were super and the top was TERRIBLE. It was so flat, there was no shaping or support and it  was really quite unflattering. I stuffed it in a box on top of the wardrobe and wore a swimsuit my mum gave me for 2018 - she didn't like it, I gave it a home.



Then by chance, I found another half started attempt at swimwear in my fabric cupboard when I was having a clear out in February. I had cut another pair of the 1960's bottoms with lining but had never sewn them up. Maybe I needed to shop for elastic or something and it fell off my radar. I don't even remember cutting them out...but in 2019 it got me thinking again.



I made them up and they were indeed as nice as the first blue pair. I hunted out the old Belle swimsuit and salvaged some fabric from it. The straps were good and there was enough front and back fabric to make a top.







I had been on a blog called cookin' and craftin' where there was a brilliant list of patterns for sewers who wanted to try incorporating twists and ties in their sewing: one of them was the Nautilus swimsuit. I took the 'plunge' and bought it. I wanted to make the full swimsuit but decided I had the opportunity to make a few fitting decisions by making just the bikini top first.

My machine didn't agree with the rubber swimsuit elastic I all ready had which ensued a month with a broken sewing machine. Although it is a super fit, some of the sewing is what you might call a sh*t sandwich. It is still wearable though and taught me a few things for my main swimsuit make.


I now had a new stripy set (by recycling the old costume, some cups from an older swimsuit and the original clasp) Keeping up?? I felt more confident about cutting out a full new Nautilus swimsuit. 



I was making my swimsuit in the week leading up to a swimsuit being made on The Great British Sewing Bee. My partly made top half was featured on the Minerva lycra swimsuit mailshot that week. It was easier to make this time because I had been through the pattern once before. It is not an easy pattern to follow but it is supported by photo tutorials on their blog which held my hand through the trickier parts. 


I now own: a tankini, a bikini and a swimsuit all made by me.
I got there in the end, it has only taken 3 years!


You can, if you think you can. Jo xxxxx

17 comments:

  1. Wow I am impressed Jo. Positive thinking is the way to go.

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  2. You are just one amazing and inspirational person xxx hope you are all well xxx must catch up soon xxx

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  3. No such think as a perfect swim suit when you want to keep legs fully covered when you have as much cellulite as I have and thighs that hang off me despite regular exercise and good diet. They are just so exposing. I am pretty slim at a size 8 but still full of lumps and bumps that embarrass me and a sticky out fat stomach that is just a part of me no matter how big or small I get (and not even child birth related) - women are not kind to one another. People think I have a good figure clothed when dressed but a swim suit would completely alter their thinking. People are sadly NOT kind. Positive thinking only goes so far with bodies.

    You however look great and don't actually need a perfect swim suit, as you would still look nice. Excellent that you did get to make some though and all your makes look really good. It must feel very satisfying.

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  4. The swimsuit fabric is to die for - how awsome is that!

    You look great, the swimsuit looks great well done for persevering.

    One question is it possible to make something like this using a standard machine or do you really need an overlocker?

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    1. Thank you. I don't go for animal prints per se but I thought the zebra one was OK. You can make them on a normal machine using a zig zag stretch stitch. Overlocking just finishes the edges it doesn't make them any more stretchy. Who is looking on the inside anyway? You should try one.

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  5. Brilliant I love how you keep at it until you get the perfect result, it looks great on. I am going to make a new bikini before we go away purely for the hot tub. I was going to use leftover scuba as it is thick and stretchy what do you think? x

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    1. Try dunking it in some water first to see what happens to it. You might find it hard to make straps in scuba (turning out might be hard) but let us know how you get on.

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  6. Amazing resilience that paid off. What a fab zebra print swimsuit! It looks brilliant.

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  7. Wow, perseverance paid off. Well done, your swimsuit looks fantastic on you. You are very brave modelling it too, Cathy x

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  8. Wow, nicely done, the black and white one is brilliant. I can't imagine how hard it is to make a swimsuit, you're a star!

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  9. Lovely. That is a very flattering swimsuit. I can't imagine being able to actually buy anything better.

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  10. Good on you for even attempting to sew swim gear!!! I wish I had a sewing machine that didn't buck and carry on when using particular fabrics. It would be nice to sew a swim suit for myself as I hate how narrow the pants are between the legs. Some of us have more to try and tuck away than others. lol

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    1. If you can: try a zig zag stitch on the narrowest setting and quite a long length. It looks like a bit of a messy normal stitch but it is stretchy. Also I always use a new needle when sewing lycra. The rubber soon blunts a needle.

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  11. You are looking fantastic in your new suit, enjoy!

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  12. That's one amazing story Jo, your swimsuit saga. I really admire your perseverance, going from strength to strength with each new step. I love your swimsuit and, it is such a good fit and the zebra fabric is fun, too. I need to get a new swimsuit but I have no plans making it...The thought of learning something new is just too much right now (and I am not even building a house!). I am unable to concentrate on anything that requires a clear head, all my making is boring because this is all my brain can handle. Have a lovely week xx

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  13. Believe it or not I read through this post several times and appreciated your skill in sharing what you learned and your example of perseverance even after your machine was down for a month. Bravo!

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