Last year, the whole online sewing community became more comfortable with sewing swimwear thanks to Heather of Closet Case Files and the launch of her Bombshell Swimsuit pattern. I don’t know about you, but I have more confidence than ever now when it comes to sewing swimwear – heck, I made two new bikinis already this year! They’re not as scary to sew as it seems, and it can be a lot cheaper than buying a new swimsuit off the rack at a department store…plus, you don’t get the “yuck” factor of trying on something a bunch of other ladies have squeezed into before you.
(Funny story – I used to be a merchandising manager for a department store, and would try on new swimsuits I liked as soon as they came off the truck before they hit the selling floor. That way, no one else would have tried them on before me, they were fresh! Once July 4 rolls around, the peak of swimsuit shopping season, I don’t recommend trying on swimsuits…if you catch my drift!)
Swimsuit sewing patterns are a lot cuter nowadays, and the styles are really on trend! It’s easy to copy some of your favorite RTW suits for a fraction of the cost, as shown above. Here’s the patterns:
1. Bombshell Swimsuit – two different versions, plus a high-waisted bikini bottom
2. McCall’s 5400 – also some cute bikini options
3. Kwik Sew 4003 – my go-to bikini pattern, you can leave off the ruffles
4. Simplicity 1426 – try converting the bra top into a retro bikini top!
These are all so cute! Ohhh Lulu also has some bra/undies patterns that work well for swimwear… sadly I have a bikini that I cut out too late in the year last summer buried somewhere in my UFO pile. Better dig it out! But I totally agree- swimwear fabric is $10-16/yd, and you can make a bikini out of half that! Plus, you can make sure you have as much (or as little) butt cheek coverage as you like, unlike with RTW swimsuits that always seem to display just a little too much for my comfort!
I forgot about Ohhh Lulu, thanks for the reminder! It's crazy the prices they slap on swimwear, I think half the time you're paying for the name. Sure, there's some skill and technical know-how required in getting the fit right when it comes to spandex, but when a bikini costs close to $100, puhlease!! And yes, I love customizing my butt coverage – it's nice to not get wedgies!
Great post! I have all these patterns 😀 so I'm especially loving seeing the comparison to RTW. Oooh the new simplicity swimwear pattern is pretty awesome too.
Lucky you, happy swimsuit sewing!
My bombshell might be my favorite sewn thing to date. I was shocked by how easy it was, and love how I don't have to go swimsuit shopping ever again!
Crazy right?! Swimsuit sewing is so easy and instantly gratifying.
Did you see the new Jalie swimsuit pattern? It's Jalie 3350, a one piece with a cute twist top detail.
Jalie has quite a few good suits. McCalls has a colour-blocked one that I'm hoping to get too. Don't forget vintage Kwik Sew on Ebay and etsy.
Nice job, showing dead ringers.
Mary in Thailand