Sewing the Bombshell Swimsuit

Love vintage bathing suits but, not the authentic vintage price-tag? Grab this pattern and some swimwear fabric to create a OOAK vintage swimsuit just for you. It's not technically vintage but, it is vintage style which is the next best thing. Amiright?

We've spent plenty of time in our backyard this summer. Sprinklers, popsicles, and slip n slides, takin' it back old school style.

This month started with me participating in the #BRAugust challenge, hosted by Ying from Tailor Made Shop. She has a website, a blog, and an Etsy shop. I purchased bra making kits from her in the past. She is a sewist who creates and sells beautiful things for the lingerie sewing world. Yay for bra making!! Although, for the challenge, I did not make a bra. I opted to make a swimsuit. I've never made a swimsuit and I needed a new challenge.

PDF pattern online. The swimsuit comes in a PDF only. I love the style and have several RTW swimsuits that look the same as View A. I had some mint green lycra and knew I wanted to use it for my new swimsuit. Minty green 50's Bombshell, yes, please!

Okay, so you know the PDF drill: print out the pattern, tape everything together like a madwoman, and cut, cut, cut. Decide on the size you want to cut out first. I went with a size 12 and I had just enough fabric. The measurements were spot on with my body, no need for grading. Yay! 

IKEA was sold out of desk legs but, I purchased the tabletops anyway. So, my sewing space was a hot mess. Just ignore all of the scenery behind me in the photo. 

Oh, do you see the top I'm wearing? You can read all about that here.

Follow along as I sew a 50s-style swimsuit.

Layout your fabric and place your pattern pieces on top. Be sure to follow the distance of the greatest stretch arrows or DOGS. I cut some pieces with scissors but found the rotary cutter and mat were easier. The fabric is slippery, so choose your favorite method.
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I only had one yard of 60" wide fabric so, I couldn't do the ruched backside. I had to make it work with the amount I had. #sewingwin

You'll have to ignore all the wrinkles in every picture. I didn't press them out and I apologize. I'm usually a stickler for getting out the wrinkles. If you squint, you might not be able to see the wrinkles. 

Materials Needed

• Stretch needles (Yes, you need these)

• Polyester thread

• Rubber or swimwear elastic- you cannot use regular cotton elastic. It will die in the salt and chlorine water.

• Swimwear fabric which is a blend of lycra and spandex. I buy my knits online from Girlcharlee.com. They have a swimwear section coming soon.

• Lining fabric (must be swimwear lining)

• Set of foam cups (optional)

• A sewing machine that can sew zigzag stitches

• Serger (optional)

• Rotary cutter and mat, scissors, measuring tape, ruler, and all your usual sewing notions

• Water-soluble pen

• Clips or ballpoint pins for pinning layers together

• PDF pattern of the Bombshell bathing suit

Make sure you practice stitching on your serger and or sewing machine first. My differential feed was on, on my serger. Below is a picture of the serger settings I used. I have a Brother Lock 1143DW which I believe is similar to the 1034D. Even if you have this machine, test the stitch on a swatch piece first. Every machine is different. I mainly used my serger but did have to use the sewing machine to make gathering stitches, basting stitches, and to sew on the elastic.

These were my serger settings I used. I’m not a professional, so here’s a photo. LOL

Settings I used to make the Bombshell swimsuit with my serger.

Front of the suit sewn, ruching and knot sewn on.

Back piece and lining serged together.

First, you need to make gathering stitches along the sides for the ruching. I opted for the non-ruched backside because I was limited on fabric. You need to make gathering stitches for the front knot area later on. When you do attach the tie knot, make sure you sew it onto the right side of the bathing suit. I did it on the wrong side the first time around and had to unpick it. Face-palm.

Once the front piece and back pieces are sewn together, set them aside.

You will then sew the lining to the front crotch piece. It starts to look more like a swimsuit at this point. Then, sew the 2 crotch pieces together per the instructions.

Clip lining to the crotch piece. Baste. Then zigzag around the whole area.

So far, so good... I ordered rubber elastic and foam cups from Etsy shops and had to wait for those to arrive.

So, I decided to jump ahead and sew what I could until I needed those pieces. I made the straps, darts, and tie knot.

Elastic Time

You put the elastic in the legs partially so that they will be enclosed neatly and discreetly. The recommended zigzag stitch is on the pattern. I tried sewing elastic with my serger once and that was a mess and a half! So, back to my sewing machine for this part.

Measure the leg opening, this will be the length of elastic you cut.

Sew the elastic onto the lining close, but not on the edge for 3". Then, fold over and top stitch an inch or two. Leave the elastic dangling for now. Ignore the purple thread I had in my bobbin. Oops!

Sewing foam cups to your Swimwear

Here's where I went rogue:

1.  I attached a piece of elastic to form a shelf bra. Zigzag over the elastic the length of where you basted the lining to the front crotch piece. 

2. I added the foam cups at this point. I am a little familiar with foam cups in other garments, so I did my own thing. Place them where you want them positioned on the lining and pin. Stitch them onto the lining  following their circular or triangular shape, using a zigzag stitch.

3. Cutaway the excess fabric- you're supposed to do this so the fit is better. And then zigzag over the foam cups again. You don't need to do it a second time, but I wanted to be safe. Ha!

Elastic isn’t stretched as sewn. It’s a 1:1 ratio of elastic and the seam length.

Pin in place, zigzag in place.

Cup is sewn on wrong side of cup. Notice the dart.

Cut the fabric, this creates a better fit.

If you have little gathers, you can leave them. They won't cause issues.

I did a second row of zigzag stitching for a clean look.

Finishing it up

Onto the next portion of the swimsuit.

Sew the gathering stitches for the knot tie, on the front of the swimsuit. This is barfingly easy. ;-) No photo though, sorry.

Use clips to attach the front to the back pieces matching the notches. I repositioned my clips, to clip the layers together. So many layahs (you gotta say it in a Boston accent). 

After that, take the swimsuit and make a sandwich. The instructions are easy enough on the PDF. You stick the back and front together, then swoop the front lining piece up and over. Serge the side seams together. Now is the time to try it on. And, fingers crossed it fits!

Serge the sides together. Make sure to catch all the layers.

Next up, finishing the leg holes. Start at on area where the elastic is dangling and attach it to the edge. There's a math measurement to get the correct stretch on each side. Follow their instructions and you'll be golden.

Zigzag around edges.

It will look like this when finished.

For the skirt, you will measure a piece of elastic the length from side seam to side seam. Zigzag this on without stretching the elastic. Sewing 1:1 ratio.

Remember 1:1 ratio for elastic.

Next, turn the elastic over and topstitch all around the leg openings and skirt to enclose everything. Start on one side seam and zigzag around the whole opening. 

You're almost done!! Woohoo!!!!

Time to sew the sweetheart neckline.

Be sure to get both layers. You can see where I missed an area. Ha! You’re going to fold this over and sew elastic on like the leg holes.

Sew the knot down by stitching in the ditch.

Your View A bombshell should look like this. It's 99% done. We just need to attach the straps. Can I get a Whoop, Whoop!?

Adding Straps

Grab your straps and get ready to zigzag them onto the swimsuit. 

I tried my suit on and decided where exactly I wanted my straps to be positioned. Clipped them in place and stitched.

I added a second row of stitches just to be extra cautious. I am not part of the itty bitty... committee. ;-) We don't need any free shows.

Use a medium zigzag stitch.

I added a second row of stitching at the straps. This is completely optional.

Hooray! We're done. See how easy it was to make a swimsuit! I learned a lot along the way and you bet I'm going to make a few more. I have some fun fabrics picked out from a few different Etsy shops. I better get crackin' if I want to parade around in my backyard, in all of them. 

I didn't do the halter top straps. I tried on my swimsuit and had my daughter help me mark where I wanted the straps to be attached at the back. I always wear halter strapped swimsuits and they kill my neck after a few hours. So, I was pretty stoked to be able to attach the straps in a criss-cross fashion on the back! Yay for comfort and holdability!!

Crisscross back straps are going to be so much more comfortable. I'm so excited!

Front

Back view

Now I just need to find a pool to hang out in. 50's Bombshell style. 

Are you going to make a swimsuit or have you ever thought about making one? I think this is right up there with bra-making. It's so fun and a lot easier than you'd think.  And... gasp, it might even be cheaper!! 

Let me know in the comments below what you think about swimsuit making.

XO,

Annette

Bra Making Hack

This post isn't about sewing bras or bras that I've made. Surprise! It's about Upcycling! Yep, you read that correctly. I'm going to show you some quick, easy alterations you can make to a brand-new store- bought bra, to fit you! Sounds scary? Don't fret! Grab your seam ripper and scissors. It'll be fun, I promise.

First, I'll share some backstory about my own bra journey. I wear a weird size. I can't walk into Target, Wal-Mart, or Macy's and just buy a bra. I have a small ribcage and large... um... blessings. So, I order bras online and pay a ridiculous amount for them. They aren't made any better than what you can find at Victoria’s Secret, etc. But, the internet carries more unique sizes, so I go with that route. I made my first bra a few years ago and it was mind-blowing! It was also extremely easy, cost-efficient, and even fun (once I got the fit, down).

Up-cycle Your Brand New Brassiere

A few weeks ago, I was walking through Dollar General and grabbed a large bra. I said to myself, “I bet I could alter this band size to make it smaller”. I held the foam cup up to me and it seemed to be the right cup size. I gave the cashier my $7.00 and drove home. When I got home, I tried it on and had my husband mark where I would cut the band. Eureka! This is the coolest bra hack ever and I needed to share it!!

Side note: I don't think this will work as easily if you need to increase the bra size. This is more of a cut-and-slash downsizing bra project. I wear a small band, large cup bra. If you have a small cup, it may be more difficult to do this bra hack.

Here's What You'll Need:

• Clearance or cheap Bra that has a larger size band than you normally wear

• Seam ripper

• Scissors

• 4" long piece of ribbon, twill tape, or similar material that is 1/2" wide

• Sewing machine with ZigZag stitch

• Stretch or ballpoint needle and matching thread

• Chalk marker

• Zipper foot, if needed

Plan of Attack

Try the bra on. It should be too big in the band, but fit in the cup area. If this is not the case, you'll need a larger band size. 

You'll want a friend to help you with the next part.

When you're back at home, put the bra on. Click the hook and eyes to the middle row. Have your friend pinch the band and mark with chalk where it should fit you. It should feel snug, but not uncomfortable. Take it off and get dressed. It's GO time!

Cut off the extra fabric you don't need.

Open the bra up and lay it on the table. Measure from the side seams to make sure the chalk marks (made by your friend) on both sides are even. You don't want to cut 2" off one side and 3" off the other side. Unless you're going for the lopsided look. ;) After you measure and they are even, cut the ends off. It's that easy! Set the excess bra band pieces you cut off, aside. 

Now, get that handy dandy seam ripper and go to town. You'll rip the stitching out from the hook and eye pieces, and set them aside, you're going to reuse these. It's all zigzag stitching, so it's easy to rip out. The hook and eye have an opening at one end, that's where you'll stick the band inside to re-attach.

Now it's Sew time. Install your stretch or ballpoint needle into your sewing machine. Thread your machine with matching thread and set it to a ZigZag stitch. I set mine at 2.5 widths and 2.0 stitch length. Practice on the band piece you cut off, to get the stitch the length and width you want. 

Align your hook and eyepieces to the band. My band was a tad larger than the fasteners, but I made it work. Align the top band to the top of the hook piece, then line up the bottoms. I ended up with a small gather in the band, but it was fine. Hey, it's a $7 bra! I usually pay $100 each for my bras. Ugh! Clip the fasteners to the band to keep them in place. I used 3 to hold the gathered band inside the hook pieces. 

ZigZag over the open area where the pieces overlap. I went back and forth twice, just to be safe. Do this on both pieces. It helps to use a zipper foot for the hook portion, my regular foot is a tad wide and had a hard time getting in there. Your machine may or may not have an issue with this. The loop side was easy. Don't forget to backstitch.

Clip the band to the Hook piece

Clip the band to the Eye piece

Zigzag sew your fasteners to the band.

Re-attach The Straps

I used purple grosgrain ribbon for my strap loop. Use a piece of ribbon or fabric. You want to make sure to use something that won’t unravel.

Now that the band is done, we need to sew the straps back on.

If you're lucky enough that the bra straps didn't get cut off, Yay! You're done. You just made a bra that fits! Try it on and sing praise for making a great-fitting bra for cheap! Super easy!! 

However, if you need to attach the straps, keep following along. 

Grab your ribbon piece and cut it in half. You should have 2- 2-inch pieces now. These are going to be your new strap fasteners. You won't need the full length, but it helps to have more wiggle room. Fold one piece in half and pin or clip it to the band spot you'd like the strap to be at. Try it on to decide where you want your strap to end up.

Maybe you have a special dress or top and you don't want your straps to show, this is a perfect opportunity to make a custom bra for that garment.

You can make the loop as big or small as you want. I made my loop 1/4", I wanted it the same size as the previous loop. Thread the ribbon through your bra strap loop and pin it to the bra band. Sew over the folded loop with a zigzag stitch. I went over mine twice. Repeat with the other side. Don't forget to backstitch.

And.... you're done!! You made a bra! Bra-making is really easy and fun. I know this was more of a bra hack, but it's a great starting point to dive into bra making.

Bra making is all about the fit- as all garment sewing is. Once you get your fit down, you can make tons of bras. As long as you have a machine with a zigzag stitch, you can make a bra. I hope this sparked some interest in you for bra making. If you're curious to learn more, I'll walk you through my first bra making adventure in the next post. Stay tuned!

So, what do you think? Are you going to try this bra-sewing hack? Maybe your mother-in-law or sister has a unique bra size. You could try this out with them. Let me know in the comments below if this is something you're willing to try, or not. 

Happy bra hacking,

Annette

Gertie Sews Vintage Casual (patterns from her book)

Do you have a fabric designer or pattern maker you simply adore? Maybe you have a few. 

Gretchen Hirsch aka Gertie is one of my favorites. 

There are quite a few fabric designers I'm obsessed with! Almost stalker-status. ;) I love almost every piece they design. And I must own it all. Insert evil laugh! Haha

As you might know, my favorite pattern designer is Gertie. She is a one-woman show and encouraged me (through her blog, TV, and books) to start sewing things for myself. GASP! Moms can sew for themselves? Yes, yes we can.

I was watching a PBS sewing show and she popped up. I can't remember what she shared on the show. But, I couldn't get past the fact that she didn't look like a typical sewing lady. She was young and had a fun style. I was instantly hooked! I found her blog, bought her books, and started a new sewing journey for myself. I still sew for my kids and shop, but I LOVE making things for myself more.

Gertie has her own pattern company, along with fabrics designed by her. She also has patterns with Butterick and Simplicity. Charms Patterns, Simplicity, and, Butterick patterns.  I love it all!

40s style Blouse from Gertie’s Book, Gertie Sews Vintage Casual.

40's Style Blouse

The top I'm wearing above is from the book, Gertie Sews Vintage Casual. It's the 40's-Style Blouse made using the Sleeveless Blouse variation, pg 134.

The fit is great in this top! Why haven't I made more? I don't know but, I need to.

It was an easy afternoon project. I made this top a few years ago. This was my first top with center buttons and a placket. As you can see, they should have been placed 1/2" closer to the edge.

Oh well. I still wear it all the time.

It's an easy style to wear over pants or tucked in. The darts are placed perfectly and make for a very flattering fit. 

The fabric is semi-sheer in black with pink bows and was purchased from Joann Fabrics. It is from Gertie's fabric line.

Pattern changes

I increased the armscye area. I don't consider myself to have large arms, but her patterns are usually tight in my armpits, so I size up with sleeveless patterns. 

Knit sweetheart top

Next up is the Sweetheart Top, page 151.

I made 3 of these in different variations. I love how easy the pattern was to sew up, plus it's soft and cozy.

I love the sleeveless knit top however, it's tight in the armpits. I could go back and unpick the bias bindings and make the armscye bigger, or just live in pain. I choose pain! I should just make another one because I have more fabric. That sounds waaay easier than unpicking.  Amiright?

Scoop neck sweater made with sweater knit fabric.

Another scoop neck, made with sweater knit that does not have a lot of stretch.

I cannot tell you enough how much I love this pattern. It's comfortable and easy to make. I made all 3 in an afternoon.

The Scoop Neck Sweater is a variation, on page 156.

I made the Scoop Neck Sweater in a black sweater knit with fun doo-doo balls all over it. The fabric I chose didn't have as much stretch in it, as it should have, but I made it work. ;) I wear the black sweater top a lot during winter.   

The Puff Sleeve Sweater is another variation, on page 158.

I made this version in a tissue-weight leopard sweater knit. I ordered the fabric online and had other plans for it. But, it was too flimsy for what I bought it for, so it got stashed away. The thin knit worked pretty well for this pattern. I would want something with more stability next time, but it works and I wear it often. Win-win.

Cigarette Pants

Onto a pants pattern. These were easy to sew. But, I don't usually have fitting issues with pants. I have a short torso and narrow hips/ booty. 

I made the Pedal Pusher variation, on page 166.

I made a muslin first, just to be safe. They are form-fitting and very flattering. They give me curves. Yay! The instructions were a little confusing when it came to the pockets, but I figured them out and forged onward.

I did end up splitting the crotch seam at one point while wearing them, AHHH!! Came home and stitched over that seam multiple times. Yikes! Nobody wants a popped seam, especially there!

Black and white polka dot pedal pushers, yes please!

I also made the Flared Shorts Variation, on page 167. They are my favorite, can you tell?

I have a few pairs of these shorts and love the style and fit. 

The flamingo pair has a tiki vibe and I didn't sew pockets in them. I regret that, of course. I made these to go on vacation, so I skipped the pockets. Don't skip the pockets. Haha

I made a red and white polka dot pair with pockets. I love these but don't reach for them as often. I usually pair the shorts with a black top and rock the Mickey Mouse look. 

Well, that's it from this book. Do you have this book or any of her books? I reach for this book more than her others. I like a casual vintage style for every day.

Have you made any of these patterns? Or do you want to? Please share in the comments below.

XO,

Annette