Still Swimming

I'm still doing Water Aerobics about 3 times a week, and so I still go through swimsuits with some regularity.  I finished one about a week ago, and another one today.  These are both from fabric I got at Spandex House when I was in New York last February, and shopped with Rosie, enabler extraordinaire.

They are the same pattern, but the green/brown print has a piece of Fold-Over Elastic (FOE) used as trim at the empire line and all around the back.  I usually leave the back pretty open, but this needed something, I thought, and I think it's cute.  You can see in the photos how the elastic works.

Graphic Dot Swimsuit

I was running out of PowerNet which I use to do a front lining/shelf bra in my swimsuits and got some at the ASG Convention Vendor Hall from Anne St Clair of Needle Nook Fabric.   I've been collecting fold over elastic for a while and I have some fun prints and colors.  I decided this crimson with black dot elastic would go beautifully with the graphic black and white print.  The fabric is some I got in the LA  Fashion District with Kathi Rank. 

I thought it needed a little something extra so I added a bow, and I have to say I think it's darling.   Who doesn't love a bow?!

Another Swimsuit

I'm still doing Water Aerobics as my main exercise program, and so I'm still making swimsuits.  I did a new one this week and here it is.  The  pattern is one I copied from a RTW suit, and the fabric and the Fold-Over Elastic are from the LA Fashion District (thanks Kathi Rank!!) The bodice is lined with PowerNet from Fabric Depot.  It's sort of an athletic/shelf bra arrangement.  Since I'm hopping around a lot in this, and I'm not wearing it for 'glamour', I like the flattening effect I get with this type of support system.

I was going to say that this was the same as a couple other suits I made, and link to the blog post where I discussed them, but apparently I made them when I wasn't sewing much and I wasn't blogging at all, so I'll put a photo of them in now. 






The pink one with the lines of trim is the one I purchased and have copied.  The others are my copies, and all the fabric is from the LA Fashion District.  The newest, orange one is at the top right in the photos.
The lower photo shows the back, and the interior.  You can see that the powernet has elastic at the lower edge.  It's stitched to the edge of the front piece around the neckline, straps and down the sides.  The lower edge floats free.

Two More Swimsuits

Photo Link
I made these two suits in July. The Violet Geometric one is a success, the Pink Sequin one, not really. I did not put zippers in these suits, otherwise they are very similar to the ones I've  made previously. The violet fabric is from LA, as is the Fold Over Elastic (FOE) on both suits.

The reason the Pink Sequin suit is NOT a success is my own fault. The fabric is from Hancock Fabric, and although it's marketed as a swimsuit fabric, and seems to hold up well to chlorine (almost too well from my point of view) I did not take into account that the application of the sequins, which I think are laminated on, would affect the stretch qualities of the fabric. There is almost NO stretch in the lengthwise direction, and less than the normal amount on the crossgrain. I of course paid no attention to what I could plainly tell, and cut the pattern out as usual. Well, I can wear it, but it's pretty form-fitting. The worst thing though is that the 'sequins' are almost painful along turned edges with no FOE. I have been wearing this suit in the hot tub, which usually manages to stretch out and soften any suit very quickly, but naturally in this case, it's not doing it. I think if I would put FOE on the plain edges, I might be able to wear this pretty comfortably, so maybe I'll just do it. I love the way the print worked out on this, and I do like the look.

Here's the back of both suits.

Photo Link

Swimsuit With A Zipper

From Drop Box

I used the same fabric as the first suit I made to make another one which is almost the same, except for one glaringly obvious diversion. It has an exposed zipper right in the front. The suit I copied and my first two copies all have a hook at the CB. This is fine, except it's sometimes hard to hook since it's fairly high up in the back, and it's tight fitting. I feel like I ought to be able to dress myself at this stage in life, and I have had to ask for help with this once or twice. I began to try to think of a better closure option.

From Drop Box

A center front zipper seemed the obvious choice, and so far, I like it. I've worn it twice now, and it's fine. I plan to make more like this as I need them, and perhaps several fairly soon. I have a few of these zippers on hand, and I might as well use them if they happen the right color. Finding swimsuit fabric is the trick. Here's the back view.

From Drop Box

I used Fold Over Elastic for all of the edges except the legs. Maybe I should put it there too, in future, but I'm not sure that would be worthwhile. I sort of guard the FOE, since it's a little hard to find. White isn't so precious as colors, but none of it is available locally.

You can see the inner structure. It's the same as the others except the zipper goes right through it. I use a powernet shield in the front bodice area. It has a strip of 3/4" elastic at the bottom, which floats free, and the powernet is basted to all corresponding edges of the front, and constructed as one. This gives it great support, just about like a sports bra, and perfect for water exercise.

Tan/Black Floral Swimsuit

Since my first swimsuit was a success, I had my eyes open for fabric for another, and found this at Hancock Fabrics.

From SwimSuit"

Kathi R had sent black FOE (fold over elastic) to me, so I had it on hand. It's only about half as wide as the lime green that I used on the other suit, but i think it's a good size with this print. I wasn't sure I was going to really like this fabric once it was made up, but I think the print is awfully nice.

I've been thinking about the problem of Spandex being a fairly quick casualty of the chlorine in swimming pools, and I've decided I'm not going to worry about it since even if I find 100%-polyester swimsuit fabric, as some of you wisely suggested, I'm still going to need something like a powernet lining in the bust area, and that's will have spandex in it anyway. At least for now I'll just figure they'll only last so long, and take it in stride. I'm sure 100% poly is the way to go, but without a powernet lining, which would defeat the purpose, it really won't be useable for me anyway, especially for water-aerobics.  At least they're quick to make, and take very little fabric, less than a yard, plus notions of course.

Swim Suit Copy

From SwimSuit

I mentioned a couple months ago that I had started doing water exercise. Well, I'm still doing it, and I like it a lot. One bad thing about it is that you go through a lot of swimsuits because of the daily chlorine wear on them. I have a Kathy Ireland suit that I like a lot. It has a high neck and a lot of support, which is great for this, so I decided to copy it.

Kathi Rank sent me some lovely swimsuit fabric recently, so I plunged right in. It's a very dark navy and white print. I wanted to use foldover elastic for the edges, but had no navy or white or anything that worked, except this BRIGHT lime green. I got it from a co-op a couple years ago. I ordered a few different colors, and they sent me all different colors than my order, but I decided to just keep them and use them as they matched something. I wasn't sure I'd ever use this green, but it was perfect for this.

I decided not to do cups in the lining, but just did a plain powernet piece with elastic at the bottom to see if that would give me more of a no-bounce sportsbra effect. I'm glad I tried it, as I like it. I wore it this morning and had to wait for it to dry before I could take photos. I think I will be making more of these, although I'd like to find a different closure option. I don't like these hooks, and it's high enough in back that it's hard for me to do by myself. Any ideas?

Here's the back, which shows the front lining as well.

From SwimSuit