For this project I used the Jalie 3350 One-Piece Swimsuit pattern (blogged), which was released 2 years ago and some milliskin matte poly/nylon/lycra that I purchased three years ago.
I bought the fabric online at Spandex House in a light blue with a twinge of purple. When it arrived, it was more of a sky blue (shown above) and I just didn't like it. The fabric sat on my shelf for 3 years while I decided what to do with it. Last month, I dyed the fabric a darker blue using a Dharma Acid dye. The color turned out really beautiful!
I made view B in a size U for height and a W for length. I had originally cut a smaller size but then I realized my fabric didn't have enough stretch, so I cut out a bigger size.
The instructions were such a pain in the butt! It's been a long time since I made something that was intended for intermediate/advanced sewers. Sometimes I accidentally read steps out of order or interpreted instructions incorrectly. I used my seam ripped constantly, but eventually I got it right.
I sewed most of this at my in-laws' house. I forgot my twin needle so I finished the elastic edges using a zig-zag stitch. This really isn't my favorite look - I think the twin needle or the coverstitch looks much more professional, but at that point in the project the smell of chlorine pool water was calling my name and I just needed to get it done! Because, crawling baby, peeps! While someone else watches my squish sewing must happen, STAT!!!
I used the same fabric for the lining. I lined only the cup area, which has 2 lining layers and one top layer. I would have made less mistakes if my lining fabric had been a different color than my suit fabric. I'm not a fan of this bust area sans swim cups. I don't like the ones at my local fabric store - they are too stiff! If anyone knows where to get seamless swim cups for a B/C cup, please let me know. Otherwise, I will have to find some at Goodwill.
I have mixed feelings about the fit. I love the way the fabric fits around my bust and it fit *perfectly* after it came off the sewing machine. I stopped eating white sugar, artificial sweeteners and honey after I realized I had become allergic to it. The resulting weight loss means that the suit is now too big and needs to be taken in. I'm pretty sure I lost an inch in my waist and hips. The neckline gapes a little and the bum area is a wee bit sad looking. I'm not planning to fix it because I'm nursing and probably will wean my baby in 4-6 months.
My dyed fabric kind of failed the pool test - it bleeds blue when it drip dries. Well, I'm an Aggie after all, so I guess it's okay. I just have to be really careful that it doesn't touch anything in my gym bag when it's wet. Maybe that will stop after I wear it a few times. Also, I need to shorten the straps slightly and adjust them...no matter how I adjust them they look crooked!
Next time I'd like to order some FILPAR rubber elastic because it is thinner and stays put when you sew. I'm hoping this milliskin matte holds up to the chlorine okay...I was really disappointed how stretched out my last suit got. Apparently printed nylon/spandex, while pretty, is thin and loses its stretch much quicker than solids.
All in all, I'm satisfied with the suit. It's wearable, and everything pretty much stays put when I go to water aerobics. (Yes, people, I do water aerobics!) I'm sure this one will stretch out before too long and I'll get to make a better version of this suit. (Plus, when I'm done nursing I won't fill the cups out and I'll really need a new suit.)