Wednesday, August 27, 2014

My First Attempt at Swimwear Sewing: A Maternity Swimsuit

Long, long ago I got two swim passes for our family that added up to around 12 trips to a local heated indoor pool.  So far we haven't used them.  A few days ago I thought it would be a great plan to go and take the kids... and then I realized that I still can't find my maternity suit and there isn't a single non-maternity suit that I can fit into these days. 

As I was measuring out mermaid tail fabric I had an idea.  I set aside an extra yard that I'd purchased and the next night I started sewing.  I started with the bump section, measuring out an ample amount of fabric and then running elastic that I'd pulled really tightly taut down the sides.  It was something I'd seen on pinterest and it worked perfectly to make a little rounded out area for the rapidly growing bump.  Then I made the bust area and straps, brought it in a little and hemmed it and the top was done.

I also made bottoms, which have really good coverage and a separate skirt to go over it.

Here's the finished result.  I think it's one of my all time favorite bathing suits. I also think I'm going to try my hand at making one postpartum at some point next spring if I can find the time!  I loved being able to figure out the neckline and how much coverage I wanted!  And with coupons it cost around $8 to make, which is great because while there are plenty of bathing suits I see out there that I love, they're pretty much always out of the price range that I can imagine spending for any piece of clothing. 

So here's the finished result.  My newly made maternity swim suit:





10 comments:

  1. Wow Cam, that is really great! You are amazingly talented. (Michelle)

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  2. That is so neat!!!! Way better than my plan of just not swimming lol

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  3. Looks great!!! Love that it's shiny!

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  4. Cool! And I LOVE the coverage! TB

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  5. What a great looking bathing suit! I love the color too! Wow, wonderful what you can do with a little fabric and a sewing machine. And for $8!! How can you beat that? I can see how it also allows you to be creative and come up with designs, which is probably very relaxing, especially when the finished product comes out so well.
    I sometimes sew, but don't think I would ever try a bathing suit. Kudos to you!
    God bless. ~ Bonnie

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  6. How did you do the bust? I always have a hard time with adding support or less "thin" coverage there.

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  7. Wow! It looks great! You should sell them. I hated my maternity suits because they were so low cut. I'm not sure why designers think pregnant women want to show off so much cleavage!

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