swimsuit inspired by a swimsuit

This month’s challenge is a bit tricky, eh? I think I’m the first to post on the “Inspiration Nation” theme & we’re already a week into the month. I know I struggled. Between wanting to save some of my sewing ideas in case they are applicable to next month’s Indie Pattern Month challenges, house-hunting, a sick preschooler, & the fact that I just recently decided to make myself available for sewing commissions, it’s been tough to find time to look through the archives for an inspiring idea & then execute said idea.

But I did it!

This self-drafted swimsuit was inspired by this post from last year’s childrenswear challenge. I had been wanting to make a swimsuit & had stashed this crazy print last spring. I had been poking around for a pattern that spoke to me, but hadn’t come across anything. I like vintage-y styles with ruching & plenty of butt coverage, but it can be challenging to find ANY swimwear pattern that accommodates larger sizes (I’m a 38″ waist) & is designed for the possibility of support (ie, no halters, for the love of God!).

Rather than splashing out good money to have to hack a pattern I wasn’t wild about, I decided to draft my own! & it was actually pretty simple to do. The intrinsic stretchiness of swimsuit fabric certainly makes things easier, & this way, I was able to include the elements I wanted (some ruching in the front with a powernet panel hidden underneath to hold in the belly a little, over-the-shoulder straps, very low-cut legs) & get really creative with the back.

I really loved the way that Rebecca, the author of my inspiration post, designed the back of her daughter’s swimsuit. I loved the high neck & triangular cut-out. I knew I’d swap out the tie closure she used for a G-hook (which I’m going to replace with a clasp), but I honestly found her design sincerely inspiring! The triangular window is unique, & it provides a nice frame for the bra band on the back of the suit. I’ve certainly never owned a RTW suit with this kind of interesting detail. Thanks so much for the fabulous idea, Rebecca!

I also added a free-floating interior bra for bust support, using the tips from Beverly Johnson’s swimsuit class on Craftsy, resulting in the most supportive suit I have ever owned.

This was my first time working with foam (I used my trusty Shelley bra pattern, as featured in last month’s challenge post), & it was fun to experiment with a new technique. I don’t foresee myself ever buying a RTW suit again!

For more photos & construction details, visit my blog!