Tag Archives: Swimsuit

Blue and Pink Sandpipers

For anyone keeping track, these are my 4th and 5th Sandpiper Swimsuits! If a pattern ain’t broke, don’t fix it I always say!

These 2 swim fabrics were from Sew Me Sunshine and are really nice quality – they have more stretch than the other fabrics I used, which makes them much easier to get on and off! I had originally wanted these 2 sets to be interchangeable with the pink and blue patterned set I made but the colours are all off – a good lesson about how things look in photos/ on screens is not always totally true to life!

I made the size 2, as I’ve made most of the others before (apart from the first one where I misread the size chart!), and I made the hem bands half width, as I’ve also done for all but the first one.

I also had to take them in at various points to make them fit okay, as I’ve done with the others – though the fabric does definitely affect the fit, I’ve found. For the top I took an extra 2cm off the shoulders and on the side seams an extra 1.5cm at the top, grading out to the normal seam allowance in the middle, then back to an extra 1cm at the bottom of the seam. For the bottoms I took an extra 1cm off the side seams to about 8cm down from the top, then graded out to the standard seam allowance.

Even though I now have 5 swimsuits, and have only worn any of them on my holiday to Thailand, I’m still tempted to make some more – I think I have a problem! But Fabric Godmother have a couple of nice looking swimsuit fabrics – and I don’t have a yellow one yet….

Blue and Pink Patterned Sandpiper Swimsuit

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I’m here with an almost seasonally appropriate make (especially after the hot weather we had last week in the UK) but I made this back in October, lol. In my defense it was for my trip to Thailand, I’m not so out of sync with the seasons that I would sew swimwear in October in the UK!

This is, of course, the Helen’s Closet Sandpiper Swimsuit. I made 2 versions before (1 and 2) and I had to make significant fit changes to them. The first one primarily because I cut out the wrong size, though the second one still needed some fit adjustments. I’ve discovered that the quality, recovery and stretch of the swimwear fabric can massively affect the fit of a pattern you’ve made even a bunch of times. Spoiler alert, I made 2 others and had to fit them all individually according to the fabric. Speaking of the fabric, it was from Hey Sew Sister, though she doesn’t still have it in stock.

I made the hem band on the top and the waist band on the pants half width, as I did with my second version – as I did want a bit of a gap between the 2 pieces, which was non-existent on the first version. I also took off an extra 1.5cm off the shoulder seams and 1cm at the top of the side seams, grading out to the normal seam allowance in the middle, then back out to an extra 1cm off the bottom of the top side seams. I also had to take an extra cm off the side seams of the pants, grading out to the normal seam allowance 10cm down from the top.

I really like the fabric. I used lining fabric from fabric godmother, which is a really nice quality. The flowery fabric doesn’t have the most stretch, but it’s got more than the cheap wearable toile fabric I bought for the first 2 versions. But it also has really good recovery, so doesn’t look saggy anywhere, especially when wet. I did try to pattern match the bands, which worked better on the top than on the bottoms, but I’m not a total perfectionist when it comes to sewing, weirdly, even though I am a bit more of one in other areas of my life (though I try not to be – done is better than perfect, as the saying goes).

Even though I’ve made 5 sandpipers, I’m looking at these photos and thinking I want to make another one or two! Insane! But they’re relatively quick, aside from the fitting finagling, and the pieces are small (for me), so you don’t need much fabric. And I have loads of the lining still left – not sure about the elastic, though, I would need to order more I think. Anyhoos, here is a swimsuit. In May. Enjoy!

My first foray into sewing a swimsuit

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I actually made this Sandpiper swimsuit last year but have (obviously) only just got around to photographing it for the blog. I bought 2 lots of fabric at the same time, so expect at least one more Sandpiper in the near future.

This is the Helen’s Closet Sandpiper Swimsuit – it’s no secret I’m a bit of a Helen’s Closet fangirl! I thought about using the Axis Tank and the pants pattern I used to make all my underwear (can’t remember which one it was now!) but since there are some specific techniques with sewing a swimming costume – like the elastic and lining – and because Helen’s instructions are always so great and comprehensive, I thought it was worth plumping for a proper pattern.

I made the size 6 and had to make loads of changes! I realised when I cut out the second version recently, that I cut out the wrong size. I looked at the high bust measurement and thought it was the full bust measurement. I took it in about 4cm off the shoulders, 2.5cm at the armpit, out to 6cm from the side seams at the waist, 3cm off the crotch seam and 2cm off the pants side seams! I did think this was a lot of adjustments – which obviously it is when you’re an idiot and cut out the wrong size! Luckily this was kind of a wearable toile!

I bought this fabric (and the other one) from an online shop I’d not used before – Fabriques. The fabric is fine but doesn’t have super good stretch – I’ve since bought some other swim fabrics from Sew Me Sunshine and Hey Sew Georgie and they feel much nice and have more stretch. It does the job but it’s pretty difficult to get off once it’s wet!

Attaching the swim elastic was a bit of a learning curve! It isn’t very even if you look closely. but when it’s on the body you can’t really tell. It looks quite scrunched up when it’s not on the body – which I assume is normal?

I’m very inspired to sew my second (and third and fourth ehem) versions after the Sewing Bee this week. I love seeing everyone’s different interpretations of the briefs on the made to measure challenges. But I would probably have lost because I don’t generally like lots of flouncey or intricate details in most garments – but especially in a swimming costume! Have you been inspired to sew a swimming costume after watching the bee? (I’m not sure I could sew one to a strict time crunch, though!)