A friend from church asked me for advice on sewing with knits, and I realized I had so little experience with them. So naturally, I thought, why not try making a swimsuit for a challenge. Without a pattern. Oh brother. I bought a yard and a half in red, light blue, and gray, hopeful that by three attempts, I should be able to get it right. First attempt:
I basically made it and then decided there was a better way to construct it, so I cut it up, and tried again. Still, there were too many flaws for me to keep this red one around (gathers not parallel to the floor, imperfect hem, elastic too tight, etc.), so with a full disclosure of the imperfections, I sold it on eBay for $17 and pulled out the next color:
I liked this one a little more, but the vertical gathers on the bust made my own bust look a little too busty, so off to eBay it went, for $19. Third try:
A look at the guts might give you an idea of how sewing with swimwear differs from
general garment construction. Stronger thread, stretch needles,
stretch stitches and surging, elastic on the seams, and durable 4-way nylon/lycra
knits.
I may not necessarily be 100% proud of the result, but I am so satisfied with
the good practice and experience I've gained! I love projects that make
me stretch! Literally, haha.
