Swimwear Archives - Merritts Makes

March 22, 2021March 22, 2021

Suit Up for Summer 2021 with Raspberry Creek Fabrics

Whew! What a year it’s been. Last year’s 2020 Suit Up for Summer blog tour was the last collaboration posted on my blog. Fortunately, the 2021 tour was the perfect opportunity to jump back into it.

This year I tried to keep things simple by sewing up two suits: one for myself and one for my son. They didn’t go quite as smoothly as planned but, all worked out ok in the end. Let’s get to it.

SUIT #1: A FLUTTER SLEEVE SEABRIGHT SWIMMER

FABRIC AND INSPIRATION

Fabric – Multi Stripe Swim, Inspiration

I can never say no to a good stripe and this pastel stripe swim knit immediately caught my attention. After selecting my fabric, a Pinterest and Google deep dive led me to find this Boden Limnos Wrap Swimsuit. I was drawn to the simple, romantic lines and the sun coverage on the shoulders.

CREATING THE SUIT

The Friday Pattern Company Seabright Swimmer seemed like a perfect starting point for my suit. I made a few small alterations to the pattern to get a look closer to the inspiration photo. The first simple one was overlapping the front wrap pieces by an extra two inches instead of meeting at the center front. Second, I added sewn in foam cups. Finally, I changed the sleeve to a small flutter. Below you’ll find a quick tutorial on how I created the flutter sleeve from the existing pattern piece.

SIZING

Based on my measurements, I chose to sew a Medium at the bust (I was between a Small and Medium) and grade to a Large at the waist and hips. I had no issues with the sizing and think the final suit fits quite well.

FLUTTER SLEEVE TUTORIAL

First, Grab your sleeve pattern piece. Cut it to your desired length. I cut mine about 3.25″ below the bottom of the armhole.
Then, start at the center and draw vertical lines every 1″.

Cut each line from the bottom. Just up to, but not through the top of the sleeve.
Place your cut sleeve piece on top of more paper and spread them each cut line apart evenly. Tape in place. I spread mine apart by 1″ at each cut line. If I had to do it again, I’d add a little more fullness and spread by 1.5″ at each cut line.

Redraw the bottom of your sleeve pattern piece.

Cut out your new pattern piece.

That’s it. Cut two mirrored pieces out of your fabric and follow pattern instructions for attaching the sleeve. You can hem the sleeves if desired. I left mine un-hemmed.

SEWING

This suit took about four times as long as it should have. First, I decided that I didn’t want the hassle of trying to match the stripes along the back so I removed seam allowances and combined the back bodice and back bottom pieces into one. It looks nice, but required me to change up the construction. This required too much thinking for someone who’s out of practice improvising and I spent a lot of time seam ripping my mistakes until I figured out a workable solution. In the end, the suit is fully lined but the side seams are just exposed serged seams on the inside. Not my most professional finish but, since nobody else will see them, I’m not bothered.

Overall, I didn’t mind sewing the pattern. It was a good pattern and the issues were all of my own doing. Trying not to destroy swim lining and swim knit when ripping seams for the second, third, and fourth times was a challenge and I may have uttered several choice words as I was doing it.

THOUGHTS ON THE FINAL SUIT

Despite saying this every time I make a swimsuit, this one might be my favorite. With a decent amount of sun coverage (hello, fully covered back and shoulders) and just a hint of skin with the low neckline, it feels sexy and practical all at once. If I made this suit again, my only changes would be adding some extra volume to the flutter sleeves and extending the shoulder seams out towards my arms by about 1/2″.

Now, for a quick tangent about these images because I love how they turned out. We don’t have a pretty place with decent lighting in our house for photos, our yard is muddy and dull this time of year, and I don’t really want to take photos in a public place in my swimsuit when its 40 degrees outside. So, each year we’ve made due by hanging a curtain in the garage and using it as a backdrop for swimsuit photos.

Maybe I just watched too much of it (made it through the full season twice) but the coloring of this stripe reminded me of Bridgerton. So, inspired by Bridgerton, I wanted to create images that felt simultaneously soft and bold. I purchased 2.5 yards of this floral ponte (now retired, sorry) also from Raspberry Creek to use as a backdrop.

Remember how I kept making mistakes and this suit took significantly longer to make? Well, we were originally supposed to photograph this suit last Thursday which was a beautiful, sunny day with highs in the 60’s. Instead, by the time the suit was finished, the only time we had to take photographs was on a cloudy, rainy Saturday morning with highs in the 40’s. The cloudy day made my garage too dark for photos so, our only option was outside. My husband had a good laugh as I was outside wearing my large snow boots setting up the backdrop. Then, he was a great sport as we spent about 15 minutes in the rain snapping these shots. By the time we took the ones where I’m sitting down, both my suit and the fabric were soaked through. What do you think? Were the images worth it?

SUIT #2: SEW LIKE MY MOM PALM EURO SUIT

I’ve been sewing this pattern for my son since the pattern’s release in 2018. He’s owned maybe a dozen of them through the years and loves the comfort of the fully lined and fully enclosed seams. I sewed up a straight size 7 and the fit is spot on. A pair can be sewn up in about an hour and uses surprisingly little fabric. This suit used less than half a yard (although I still needed 1/2″ for the length of the legs). He chose the rainbow floral swim knit from Raspberry Creek for this pair of jammers and I love how they turned out! He was so pleased with the suit that, after these photos, he wore it under his clothes for the rest of the day.

Due to the cold, we didn’t get many photos of him in his suit as he didn’t want to be out in the rain long and I wasn’t about to force him to do so. We snapped what we could get in less than 5 minutes.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this stop on the Suit Up for Summer 2021 blog tour. Be sure to check out all the other talented creatives this week as they share their suits. You don’t want to miss them!

Sew Mary Mac Merritts Makes Wild + Wanderful Call Ajaire

Made by Kates Violet and Jewels Sweet Mama Life All Things Katy!

Intensely Distracted Pins & Pinot My Heart Will Sew On The Petite Sewist

All My Spare Time Kara Metta Handcrafted by RED Sincerely, Shantelle

Replicate Then Deviate That’s Sew Kari Desert Blooms Boo + Lu

Titchy Threads Sew A Little Seam Simple Life Pattern Co. Pattern for Pirates Ellie and Mac

Lowland Kids Gingham Hive Striped Swallow Designs Honeydew Kisses Little Lizard King

Jennuine Designs Greenstyle Creations Made for Mermaids Call Ajaire Hey June Boo Designs!

Sofiona Designs Love Notions Lil Luxe Collection Jalie Sweet Red Poppy

March 23, 2020March 23, 2020

Suit Up for Summer 2020 with Raspberry Creek Fabrics

Disclaimer: The fabric for this post was provided to me by Raspberry Creek Fabrics. However, all words and opinions are my own.

Hello! It’s been a minute. This year seems determined to keep everyone on their toes. Posting about swimsuits at this time may feel a bit frivolous but, projects such as this one are keeping my spirits up. Truthfully, without deadlines, I’m not sure that I’d be able to focus on much of anything at the moment. Enough about my state of mind, let’s talk about these suits.

Fabrics

I personally had a hard time narrowing down my favorite prints from the Raspberry Creek 2020 swim line. My son, on the other hand, immediately knew that he wanted this banana print. I eventually figured it out and selected the tangerine micro stripe and leopard print for my suits.

Note: For this week only, you can use the code: SWIMTOUR for 15% off swim fabrics only over at Raspberry Creek Fabrics.

Palm Euro Suit

I’ve made no less than ten Sew Like My Mom Palm Euro Suits since the pattern was released two years ago. This kid LOVES them. I love that they use a relatively small amount of fabric and can be sewn up in 30-45 minutes. The banana pair below is a straight size 6 with a 7 length in the jammers option.

Women’s Top #1: Belen Bodysuit Top Hack

This swimsuit wasn’t actually a planned pairing. Once I finished my son’s banana print jammers, I had a bit of the banana print left and decided to use it as a practice for recreating a coveted ready-to-wear suit (here). Since sewing my first Belen Bodysuit last fall, I’ve wanted to use the pattern as a base for swimwear. This hack provided the perfect opportunity.

Cutting

For this hack, you simply need the bodice front and bodice back pieces from the Belen pattern.

Remove 4 inches from bottom of front and back bodice pattern pieces.
Cut 1 front bodice and 1 back bodice from main swim fabric.
Cut 1 (2 if adding removable swim cups) front bodice and 1 back bodice from swim lining.
Cut one strip of swim fabric 5″ x (circumference of bodice bottom + 14″) for bottom band. For reference, this ended up being 5″ x 37″ for me.

Construction

Optional: If adding removable swim cups, use your two front bodice lining pieces to create openings for your swim cups. I used the directions in this post as a guide, omitting the under bust elastic.

1. Follow sleeveless Belen Bodysuit bodice instructions.

2. Baste or serge bodice and bodice lining together at the bottom.

3. Fold bottom band right sides together, cut short sides at an angle if desired.

4. Using a 3/8″ seam allowance, stitch along short sides and 8″ in from each end of the bottom band long sides. Turn right side out.

5. Mark your center front with a pin. Starting 1/2″ from center front, pin the bottom band top to the bodice bottom all the way around to 1/2″ away from the center front. This should leave a 1″ gap at the bottom of your center front bodice with 7 and 1/2″ of the stitched band ends hanging free at center front. See photos below for reference.

Women’s Top #2: Alexandria Swimsuit Top

The top was inspired by a pin on my Apparel Sewing and Inspiration Pinterest board. In search of a tie front wrap swim top, I settled on and purchased the Made for Mermaids Alexandria Swimsuit pattern. It’s a one-piece swimsuit but, there’s a top hack tutorial on the M4M blog meaning the guesswork was done for me.

Sizing

The Alexandria is the first Made for Mermaids pattern that I’ve used so the sizing system is new to me. The sizes are colors and coincide with the color of the lines on the PDF pattern pieces. Following the pattern measurements, I opted to sew a size purple bust graded to an indigo at the waist.

Sewing

This was the part of the Alexandria that wasn’t my favorite, mostly due to my own errors and the fact that I generally prefer my swimwear sewing to be a little less involved. Construction took somewhere around four hours. Here’s where I admit that I went a little rogue and didn’t actually follow all the steps outlined in the pattern or hack tutorial. This would be my downfall. There was a brief moment when it came time to hem the bottom of the swim top that I wasn’t sure it would work. I got creative and made it work, but learned my lesson about following the directions. Learn from my mistakes.

Cottesloe Swim Bottoms

After getting creative with my swim tops, I decided to keep it simple with the bottoms. I used high waisted option of the Megan Nielsen Cottesloe Swimsuit pattern for both pairs. Both have the waistband omitted and are a size 10 at the waist graded to a 12 at the hips. Each took about an hour to assemble.

There you have it! Five pieces, two hacks, three full suits, and a few mix and match options as well. Looking forward to the future has seemed bleak as of late but, these suits have me hopefully looking forward to a time when we can wear them outside of our garage. If, like me, you’re in need of a little sunshine in your life at this time, click the blog links below for swim inspiration coming your way all week.

Thanks for reading!

Raspberry Creek Fabrics

Hosted by: Sew Sophie Lynn and Paisley Roots

Sincerely, Shantelle Merritts Makes Sew Mary Mac

Phat Quarters Sewing Sew Haute Blog My Sew Bliss Kainara Stitches

Made By Kates Sewing and Things Desert Blooms Sweet Mama

Margarita on the Ross Auschick Sews Hazelnut Handmade Call Ajaire

It’s Liesel House of Curves Stitching and Making Replicate then Deviate

A HUGE thank you to all our pattern sponsors!!!

Simple Life Pattern Company Love Notions Hey June Handmade New Horizons Designs
Sew A Little Seam Jilly Atlanta Ensemble Patterns Petit A Petit & Family
Striped Swallow Designs Jennuine Designs Jalie Ellie & Mac Sew Like My Mom Lowland Kids Phat Quarters
Greenstyle Creations Chalk & Notch Made For Mermaids Lil Luxe Collection Violette Field Threads Patterns For Pirates
Rebecca Page Shwin Designs Sinclair Patterns Call Ajaire Boo Designs Tadah Patterns

And again! Remember for this week you can use the code: SWIMTOUR for 15% off swim fabrics only over at Raspberry Creek Fabrics.

September 18, 2019September 18, 2019

2019 Summer Favorites

Most mornings, my son and I walk to school. Over the last few days, I’ve started to feel the cool, crisp air of fall. The appearance of fall weather has me reflecting on summer and the handmade pieces that I found myself wearing again and again. Are you ready for a post with very few styled photos? Yes? Okay! Here’s a rundown of the handmades that got me through Summer 2019.

Pants

You might have noticed that I’m a fan of pants (#sewfancypants, anyone?). I don’t have anything against shorts, I just haven’t made the time to sew some yet. Maybe next summer. The following pants are just so good that I haven’t felt the pull to make shorts.

For me, the pattern of the summer was the Sew Liberated Arenite Pants (with slime leg hack). In May, I sewed my first pair (the ones pictured above) in a rayon/linen from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. I found myself wearing them multiple times each week and reaching for them immediately after they’d come out of the wash. My love for Arenite Pants was compounded when I made my second pair out of a textured Tencel. That pair was worn almost as much as the first. I just don’t have photos because I apparently took less of them as the summer progressed. My go-to styling method was wearing them with a woven cropped top and Saltwater sandals.

1. Tied Mila Shirt and Emerson Pant 2. Fringe Top Hack and Emerson Pant

When I wanted to dress up my summer looks a bit, I often found myself reaching for these high-rise True Bias Emerson Crop Pants. I first blogged about this pair during Sew Fancy Pants in January (original post here). In the winter they looked effortlessly cool paired with a Nikko Top and booties. During the summer, their wide leg shape and the breezy fabric kept me feeling cool. My go-to summer styling for the Emersons was pairing them with a slightly fancier rayon top and shiny flats.

1. RTW tee and Frisco Pants 2. Jersey Popover and Frisco Pants
3. Five Points Blouse and Frisco Pants 4. Cottesloe Swimsuit and Frisco Pants

This pair of pants hacked from the Threadbear Garments Frisco Jumpsuit pattern were an unexpected favorite (more info posted here). Considering the fact that I made these halfway through the summer, these babies got some serious wear. You may notice in the photos above that I didn’t really have a go-to styling method for these pants. Wearing them was more of an “anything goes” situation which was a ton of fun. First, you see my #momstyle. Second, I’m channeling my grandpa. Third, this one feels the most “me.” Fourth, I’m ready for a day of boating. You can see why they got plenty of wear. The possibilities with these pants felt numerous.

Jumpsuits

When it comes to ease of dressing, a jumpsuit is second to none. There’s just something about only having to throw on one clothing item that can’t be beat. I know, I know, you might be thinking, “What about the fact that you basically have to undress to go to the bathroom?” My answer: The all-day comfort of a good jumpsuit is 100% worth the inconvenience. Also, I have a child. Very few things embarrass me anymore.

1. Hampton Jean Jacket and Zadie Jumpsuit 2. Wiksten Haori and Zadie Jumpsuit
3. Zadie Jumpsuit

I grabbed this rayon/poplin Paper Theory Zadie Jumpsuit whenever I wanted to feel stylish and a little extra confident. It’s versatility proved useful as I wore it on an anniversary date, to my son’s school program, my son’s birthday party, and even to an outdoor work party in 90 degree heat. The pictures above illustrate that versatility. While I enjoyed playing around with styling, I most often found myself just throwing on the jumpsuit and wearing it with a simple pair of sandals.

1. Loominous Zadie Jumpsuit 2. Jean Paul Coverall

I don’t have a large amount to say about the two jumpsuits (Paper Theory Zadie Jumpsuit and Ready to Sew Jean Paul Coverall) pictured above except to say that I love them and both were also worn regularly. I pretty much styled them the same every time (straw hat + jumpsuit + sandals) so I don’t have many different photos. They also share the same bonus: not having to think about what to wear. I mean, there’s really not much more that I can ask for from an outfit except for style, ease of wear, and comfort.

Dresses and Skirts

Dresses and skirts were a staple of my summer wardrobe in previous years. This year I relied heavily on lightweight pants so these items didn’t get quite as much wear or photographs. Despite the limited amount of wear, they’re still summer favorites worth mentioning. Here’s what I love about them in photo order:

1. Fringe Top Hack and Justine Skirt 2. Scout Tee Swing Dress Hack
3. York Pinafore 4. Tea House Dress

This Ready to Sew Justine Skirt (original blog post here) pairs well with at least half the tops in my wardrobe. It’s casual enough for most any activity and the big pockets are ideal for holding my phone, snacks, a water bottle, or my son’s rock collection.
This Grainline Studio Scout Tee swing dress hack has now kept me cool through four summers (made before I was blogging). It’s not the most well made item in my handmade wardrobe but, easily in the top 10 most worn. It’s been to the amusement park, zoo, church, and even to the pool as a cover-up.
The Helen’s Closet York Pinafore (original post here) is the only skirt/dress item I sewed this year that made the summer favorites cut. Most of the time I paired it with a simple tee shirt and sandals for a cool, casual vibe. The cotton/linen fabric kept it cool and the nice big pockets held everything I needed, eliminating limiting my need for a bag.
The Sew House Seven Tea House Dress (original post here) is possibly one of my favorite dresses I’ve ever made. It has all the ease of a sack dress combined with a tie to add subtle shaping. I feel pretty every time I slip it on. Despite all these details, my favorite one is, you guessed it: the large pockets. Sometimes you just need some “Mary Poppins bag” style pockets.

Swimsuits

1. Cottesloe Swimsuit 2. Pilatus Swimsuit

Two swimsuits were added to my handmade wardrobe this year. Each proved to work well for different situations. The Megan Nielsen Cottesloe (original post here) in ribbed swim knit proved to be the ultimate suit for practicality. I wore it when I knew I’d be running around chasing my son or doing higher intensity water activities like tubing behind a boat. My rainbow striped Opian Pilatus swimsuit (original post here) turned out to be my “fun” swimsuit. I wore this one more often when swimming activities included a lot of laying or sitting around. It made me feel cute, confident, and NOT wanting to hide my body in the water. I didn’t swim a ton, but both have held up well with the use they have gotten.

Most Worn of Summer 2019

Pants, jumpsuits, swimwear, etc. are all great but, my most worn make of the summer is one that I didn’t even sew until July. Since then, my Helen’s Closet Suki Robe (original post here) has been worn almost daily. I throw it on the moment I wake up and wear it until I can no longer delay getting dressed. Honestly, this robe makes me feel like a freaking queen. It’s the first robe I’ve owned since childhood and owning one again seems luxurious. Splendidly, wearing it even makes me enjoy cooking breakfast.

July 13, 2019July 13, 2019

Megan Nielsen Cottesloe Swimsuit

I don’t know what it’s been like for you but, summer has had a bit of a slow start here in Utah. The temperatures have seemed cooler than normal for the last couple of months. This last week, all that changed. The summer heat has arrived. Now I’m once again ready to sew all the swimsuits. My family had a neighborhood/church swim party to attend this week and I used it as an excuse/deadline to finally sew up a Megan Nielsen Cottesloe Swimsuit. The View A with tie back has been tempting me since seeing Sara’s earlier this year. Alright, let’s get into it.

Fabric

In May, I purchased this Ribbed Swim Tricot in Spruce from Blackbird Fabrics. I have a thing for emerald and forest greens (see my Zadie Jumpsuit or Joy Jacket for further proof) and was drawn to the texture of the ribbing. Once the fabric arrived in the mail, I knew I’d made the right choice. The color was spot on and the texture gives it a little more heftiness and security than a regular swim knit. Sewing it was made easier because the extra thickness stopped the fabric from getting eaten by my machine which occasionally happens with swim. It’s a real dream and I’m using all my self control to stop myself from ordering it in additional colors.

Sizing and Alterations

I think this is my favorite part of sewing a custom swimsuit. There’s something powerful in taking your body and its measurements back from the ready to wear industry and making something that fits just right. Swimsuit shopping used to leave me feeling odd and unnatural. Swimsuit sewing leaves me feeling empowered.

Following the Cottesloe size chart, my measurements put me in a 4 bust with a 12 at the waist and hip. Taking this into account, I used a 4 until just below the bust and then graded out to a 12 for the rest of the suit. As usual, a little extra length was needed so I added 1/2″ in length to the front and back straps and 1″ to the length at the lengthen/shorten line. The last adjustment I made was adding a little big more coverage for the booty. I added about 1/2″ to the back leg openings, tapering that amount to meet the seam allowances on either side. With those alterations done, I was ready to sew.

Construction

The suit came together pretty quickly once I started sewing. With my pieces already cut (completed the previous night), I was able to sew the suit together in a day. This day included regular mom duties and a family lunch date. If I had sewn all at once, it probably would’ve taken 2-3 hours.

I opted to add foam cups and fully line the whole suit. When I’m nearly nude in public, I tend to prefer the security that extra layer of fabric provides (even if it’s a false sense of security). There are instructions for both a fully lined suit or a shelf bra in the pattern. During the construction I had one momentary panic when I noticed the cups seemed to be sewn in lopsided. I had carefully tried on and pinned the cups and couldn’t figure out how I’d gone wrong. Upon trying on the suit, I noticed that things didn’t look lopsided at all. Turns out my chest is just a bit more asymmetrical than I’d thought. Just one of the many perks of sewing; I learn new things about my body all the time.

The simplicity of the suit and straightforward instructions made this a joy to sew. This was the third suit I’ve sewn for myself and one of the easiest. While my skills have certainly improved since my first suit in 2015 (that was NOT easy), I would credit some of that ease to a perfectly simple pattern. If you’re a beginner, this pattern is a great place to start.

Final Thoughts

After testing it out for an evening, I have no complaints. The suit held up, kept me covered, and made me feel great. The only thing I would change if making this suit a second time would be moving the back ties up about an inch. I inserted them a bit low. I have a feeling this suit will have a place in my summer wardrobe for years to come. Having a good, basic, one-piece will never go out of style. My next swim venture will hopefully be making some swim separates out of my leftover fabric. If you have favorite two piece swim patterns, I’d love your suggestions.

Thanks for reading! Now, please get back to thoroughly enjoying your summer. I know I will!

March 11, 2019March 12, 2019

Suit Up for Summer with Raspberry Creek Fabrics

There may be snow on the ground, but we’re already dreaming of summer and days spent in our favorite swimmers. Thanks to the Raspberry Creek Fabrics 2019 Swim collection, I’ve gotten a head start on summer sewing. Initially I couldn’t wait to get my hands on swimwear fabric and get to making myself a new suit. A few days later, however, the insecurities set in. Did I really want to share my body in a swimsuit with the internet? Should I get a spray tan? It’s been years since I last made myself a swimsuit, what if it’s a colossal fail? This. This is why I blog and give myself deadlines. If I hadn’t made the commitment, I would’ve let these doubts get the better of me. Despite my doubts, I’m always thankful that blogging pushes me out of my sewing and style comfort zones. Alright, enough about my insecurities, let’s talk about these suits.

My Son’s Palm Euro Suit

My 5 year old has been wearing this style of trunks since 2017 when I met Rachel of Little Fish Apparel. I purchased a pair of her trunks and since then, my son hasn’t worn any other style. Last spring Sew Like My Mom released the Palm Euro Suit pattern and I fell in love with the style and quick construction. My son fell in love with the fully lined inside and options to have his favorite style in a variety of fabrics. There was no question that this would be the pattern for my son’s newest suit. I got this Flamingo Vertical Stripe swim fabric and got to work.

When I say construction is quick I mean that a pair of these can literally be whipped up in the time it takes to get my child ready for the day. I sewed this pair one morning last week in about an hour including interruptions like getting oatmeal for my son, reminding him to get dressed, and answering approximately 100 Minecraft questions. My son wasn’t thrilled with the suit when I first finished it but, was sold after putting it on for these photos. In fact, he opted to wear it under his clothes for the rest of the day. Calling that a win.

This pair is the brief length, fully lined in a size 5. Sizing was spot on when compared to the size chart.

Do we look cold here? We might be a little cold.

Opian Pilatus Swimsuit

The last time I made myself a swimsuit was in 2015 (here). Back then I wasn’t blogging and had a following on Instagram that was mostly limited to family and friends. I shared the photo on Instagram and remember being only slightly nervous. This time I was again nervous, but more so since I planned to also blog about my suit. Upon finishing the suit, my nerves lessened because I realized that this body made a freaking swimsuit which makes me feel pretty good about it. Life is too short to not show your body love for the things it can do. Stepping down off my tiny soapbox because it’s time to talk about this suit.

Fabric and Pattern Choice

With over 30 Raspberry Creek Fabrics swim prints (plus a nice selection of stripes, dots, and gingham), picking my favorite design was a daunting task. Originally I planned to use a Watercolor Palm Leaf print until a moment of inspiration had me changing my mind to this bold Vertical Multi Stripe. Some sewists choose a pattern and then look for the fabric. In my case, I generally choose the fabric first and allowing it to tell me what it should be. This fabric was begging to become an Opian Pilatus. With a cut out back, tie front, and high waisted bottoms, the Pilatus swimsuit combines the fun of a two-piece swimsuit with the security and functionality of a one-piece. Now that I’ve sewn it I can echo others and say that it’s a good one. I did however, make a few changes for my own personal comfort.

Sizing and Alterations

According to the measurement chart, my measurements put me at a size 2 bust with a size 6 waist and hip. Based on this I traced a size 2 top and size 6 bottoms. The pattern is drafted for someone approximately 5’6″ in height so I made a couple more initial adjustments to fit my 5’10” height. To address this, I added 1/2″ to the top of the bottoms, and a total of 1″ to the bodice pieces (1/2″ added to each the top of the straps and bottom of bodice pieces). Finally, I needed to address the coverage on the back bottom pieces. My initial muslin showed much more of my buttocks than I’d like to share with the world. I have no issue with others wearing a suit fitting this way, it was just more than I personally felt comfortable showing. After a couple more muslins, I ended up adding 1 and 1/2 inches at the fullest part tapering to the original pattern lines at the top and bottom. With fitting sorted, I was ready to start sewing.

Construction

I sewed in bra cups but otherwise followed the pattern as written and found it straightforward. Construction took around 4 hours (including lots of try ons between steps because I was loving it). I used my machine’s lightning stitch for the seams and hemmed the waistband and leg openings with neon green thread and a double needle. Upon completion, my bottoms were gaping slightly at the back waist. Begrudgingly, I ripped out the top hem, removed the original back elastic, and replaced it with a piece 1″ shorter than recommended. This fixed the gaping and with a new hem, my suit was complete.

Final Thoughts

What more can I say? Clearly we’re already enjoying our new suits over here and I can’t wait to make more over the next few months. We’re heading to a Great Wolf Lodge next month and my goal is making a new swimsuit for both days we’ll be enjoying the waterpark. Will it actually happen or will I get distracted by other projects? Hoping that typing it here will keep me accountable but not making any guarantees here.

Ready for more swimwear inspiration? The Raspberry Creek Fabrics Suit Up for Summer tour is happening all week. Make sure to check out the other talented ladies included.