Another sewing project completed

Today I finished the swimsuit I was making! It was a little hard to get used to sewing with and stretching the lycra, and inserting elastic was really hard at first. I learned that you should follow the directions the the T concerning the elastic, even if they seem weird and unnecessary! :-) I did change on thing concerning the elastic though. I made a casing and fed the elastic through for the shorts waistband, instead of zigzagging it to the fabric, and then turning it under. In some places the elastic doesn't look perfect, but all in all, I think it turned out well! I modified the swimsuit a little, lengthening the bodice (since I'm on the tall side), skirt, and shorts a bit. I also sewed the skirt to the bodice, instead of leaving them separate. I left the bodice to hang down and tuck into the shorts, so the swimsuit shouldn't come up while swimming! In addition, I used 4-way-stretch lycra for the lining as well, since I had plenty of it, and didn't want to fuss with swimsuit lining fabric. Also, since I got a great deal on fabric off ebay, I didn't want to have to buy even more fabric! A tip, if you're going to buy lycra fabric, check ebay first! The best I could find on online fabric stores was lycra for $10 a yard! However, I got 4 yards off of ebay for $18, and that included shipping! $4.50 per yard is a whole lot better than $10 per yard, and ebay had a great selection!

I made the skirt knee-length, so that I'll be comfortable wearing it in and out of water. Plus, I won't have to wear shorts while swimming, I'll just wear the swimsuit, making swimming more comfortable. I also like that it's higher necked then most! Though it didn't turn out perfectly, it's very comfortable, and I'm glad I made it! You can find the pattern here.

Here's pictures of my swimsuit, one with me wearing it, along with a blouse that matches perfectly, and one of just the swimsuit. I really like the fabric, it has my favorite color in it!

Ready for sand and sun

The completed swimsuit