Just keep swimming

I promised yesterday to post about my next sewing obsession, sewing my own swimsuits. I recently had to take Emma shopping for a one piece swimsuit for “swim gym”. It is mid-January in Illinois, I thought we’d be Sh*t Outta Luck as they say. So I started turning the idea of making her a simple tank over in my mind. I did some research on Pattern Review and decided I could do this. I figured that if I did find her a suit that fit it would cost $100 for a size 0 suit that took all of a half yard of fabric to make and she’d never wear it again outside of PE. But she got lucky, we found one that worked on the clearance rack in the back of Dick’s Sporting Goods for $20. But now my mind wouldn’t rest. I ordered some cheap lycra spandex fabric online, ordered a Kwik Sew book from Amazon and continued my research. I spend a lot of money on suits since we put in our pool, usually from Lands End because they have cute suits that fit and flatter a middle age figure. I also used to take Aqua-fit classes at the gym and I liked a different type of suit for those. I’d been thinking I needed to get back to the gym for those again this winter and a new suit or two may just be the motivation I needed to jump back in.

So let me show you what I’ve added to may stash recently:

First of all I ordered this book. It has basic patterns in the back in a large range of sizes. The styling and fabric choices in the photos is dated to say the least, but the information is good and some of the patterns have a lot of potential. The only style really missing that I would like is a racer back tank. I don’t like halter top suits because of my neck issues and spaghetti straps always seem to slip off my shoulders. But I think if I need to I can use these patterns as a starting point and modify them to suit my needs.

This lovely Wonder Woman number is one of my favorites. Not that I’d ever make it but it is good for a laugh or two. In all honesty I do like the bra top style and may use it to modify one of the one-piece tanks to a more flattering style for myself.

The book gives really good instruction for making the bra top and I know that Emma prefers bikinis so I may use it for a suit for her too. She’s more of a Batman kind of girl than Wonder Woman though.

 

These are some of the fabrics that I purchased. The first set is a black with pink and purple dots and a solid black. I think these will be used for something for Emma. But there is enough black there for at least bottoms or a contrast for another suit. The second photo is a multi-stripe and solid navy. I ordered the stripe online and ordered the royal blue in the last photo to go with it. But the online photos didn’t depict the colors well and in person they don’t match at all. Plus the royal blue is very shiny, maybe I’ll put it aside until I find red stripes and make that Wonder Woman suit after all. The navy in the second picture is from Joann’s. I originally bought it with the idea of making a modified version of the Alison Suit from Burda Style. But when the blues didn’t match in the online purchased fabrics I changed my mind. I’m also on the lookout for a copy of Kwik Sew 2500. If I find it I will make it in purple to replace my favorite Lands End suit.

When will I get to all of this? I have no idea. But I did buy a yard of lycra lining fabric, swimwear elastic and a few types of bra cups at Joann’s last week too so I have everything I need when the mood strikes me. But for today I need to get back into my sewing room and work on yesterday’s list of priorities. I got quite a bit done on the Theater Aprons yesterday afternoon and evening, an hour or two more and they should be done. Then it is on to the Missoni fabric top for Saturday. If that goes together as fast as it should I might be able to start embroidering the dogs’ names on the denim for their beds.