Hello! I’ve made this new bikini…
Pattern: the Sophie swimsuit by Closet Case patterns; and yes, I did make two sets of Sophie bikinis earlier in the year when I was testing this pattern but there were things about both pairs that I wasn’t happy with. With the pink/black one, while I really liked the bikini top, I really didn’t like how the colour blocking on the bottoms looked. And with my grey pair, the bikini cups really were just too scant for my liking.
But mostly, it just came over me that I really wanted a black bikini this year. I’ve also kept the pink/black top, altered it to be a halter neck; and also the charcoal bottoms and plan to continue wearing them too, mixing and matching with each other and with my new black ones here too. Now I’ve got so much choice!
Fabric: a quite thick, black stretch polyester/lycra fabric from Fabulous Fabrics. It has a slightly rough side which I prefer to the smooth shiny “right” side, so I used the rougher side out for my right side. This is what you can do when you Make Your Own!
Now, sizes and fit; and this is my tip for fitting a foam-lined bra/bikini top: Cut out the foam cups, baste together and test the fit of these on you FIRST! Once the fit of the foam cups is perfect, repeat the same alterations to your fashion fabric… This is the exact same advice I would give for self-fitting a foam lined bra for yourself.
My own personal fit modifications… and please skip this bit if you want! after all it’s only of interest to me, really! For both my black, and my pink/black bikini tops, I cut the size 4 but with a size 4 cup. I pieced together the 4/4 foam cups to check the fit. I like the size of this cup on me, coverage-wise, but the fit was just a little “pouffy” so I unpicked and shaved off or “flattened out” some of the curve (about 4mm) from the vertical middle seam on each of the cup pieces. Doing this gave me a really excellent fit; so then I just cut out the fabric cup pieces the same way; shaving off 4mm of curve from the inner edges of each cup piece. Otherwise I just made them exactly to the pattern, and recycled the bikini hook closure and underwires from that grey bikini top. That very scant grey bikini top I had made previously, was a size 4 with size 2 cups. It “fitted”, but had not enough coverage!!
With the bottoms; my black fabric is quite thick, almost a little scuba-like and isn’t hugely stretchy, so to be on the safe side I made size 6 bottoms grading out to an 8 at the hips. I didn’t think it needed a full lining but I did incorporate a “panty liner” of white stretch fabric, sandwiched between the front and back in the joining seam and basted it along each leg edge before attaching my swimwear elastic. I topstitched on each side of all vertical seams 1/8″ out from each side (above). You can barely even see this with the naked eye actually because of the black-on-black! but I just wanted it to be all finished off nicely and to stylistically fit in with that same topstitching on the bikini top 🙂
Sienna doesn’t like me going in…
… and is always relieved when I come out ok! Craig took these pictures and it makes me laugh how I kinda look like an IronMan or something, charging athletically out of the surf, haha! The water was cold!
Did I dive right into that invitingly turquoise water for a frolicsome dip? NO!!!! Since I’m the wussiest wuss that ever wussed I just got my pictures super fast and then threw on my jeans and thick woollen cardi again pretty quick! You can see that turbulent water and my crazy hair, it was blowing a freaking gale and the waves were booming and thundering onto the sand like the proverbial white stallions. I do love the beach in any and all weather, including wintery and wild; I love the sparkle of sunlight on the water, the swirling foamy shallows, and the crashing of the surf. Well, perhaps more so when I’m warmly rugged up snug as a bug in a rug, of course. Sienna loves the beach too, but it’s alright for her, in her thick fur coat! hehe, the things we do…
It’s funny; when I finished the pink/black one I almost immediately took a violent dislike to the colours I’d chosen… It seemed a bit… I dunno, young and sporty? or something. Then I made the charcoal version. Which I really adore. When I took out the pink/black one again, to take photos in it, of course, you know the story, it didn’t look quite so hideous after all. I actually took quite a shine to it again. The pink seemed a bit warmer and less Barbie than I’d remembered it. I decided I might even like it better than the charcoal one. I don’t know. Oooh, I’m torn! Either way, I expect both are going to get worn this summer 🙂
Heather has introduced her own sizing chart for the pattern, which I think is a pretty good idea. You know, when you’re making something and you sometimes get too lazy or too cold to disrobe for proper measurements, and go with the same size you always take, or worse; what you think you are. I do find that when faced with an unfamiliar sizing chart, you’re more inclined to get out the tape measure and do a properly slow and careful remeasure, to determine your correct size. Which I did. So saying that, how do I feel the cups fit? well they both fit pretty good. Though I do feel like the cup on my charcoal one, while it fits me; is just a smidge on the scant side for my tastes, if that makes any sense. I believe Heather has upsized them on the final version, which I reckon is a good call. I am small up top but I still kinda like to have lots of coverage there, for personal preference. I might remake the charcoal bikini top, following the new sizing of the final version of the pattern. But maybe not ’til summer!
Fabrics and bits and bobs: the fabrics are from Fabulous Fabrics; who do get some very nice swimwear fabrics in stock during the season. I bought all these fabrics in previous summers, stocking up during sales. Stashing strategically, as you do 😉 Other supplies from my fast dwindling MakeBra basic kits; the underwires, under wiring channeling and the foam for the cups. The swimwear elastic, plastic swimwear hooks for the straps and back closures are from Spotlight.
