Making Bathing Suit Bottoms

 Hello Readers. I have been wanting to try to make myself some bathing suit bottoms for a long time. My daughter gave me this avocado swimwear fabric a few years ago. I made a rash guard (Because I burn easily.) and wanted matching bottoms. 

 

Avocado swimming!

 

I loved the rash guard, I made it with the Chelsea pattern from FabricsStore.com But I want a matching set. 

I did some practice with the Megan Neilson Acacia pattern but it wasn't the cut I wanted for my swim bottoms. 

I did make some underwear though. I experimented with the waist and made it higher.

My lingerie skills are weak but this was good practice because I was about to do the same thing with my bathing suit.

 

I decided to make a pattern. I like these swim bottoms but the waist was too low so I did not like to wear them very much. I traced the edges as carefully as I could.

 

I tried to allow for the seams.

 

I cut out my pieces. I cut one backwards and it really went downhill from there. I had to put 2 scraps together to get a back piece facing the right way.

 

I serged it together. The lining was beige and cut/put together in the same way. I did not take pictures because the slippery swim fabric was killing me! I almost gave up. Bad words were said. 

Then,  I serged the lining to the swim bottoms. It looked thick and lumpy I was not happy.

I added this elastic around the leg openings. It should be folded in half around the edge of the bathing suit but it wasn't wide enough to cover the serger threads. I just sewed it on top of the edge to cover the serged edges. And said some more not nice things about bathing suits. I was about to throw the whole thing away.

I added a waistband.

 

  I folded a long strip in half and used the serger to sew it to the swim bottoms. That made them more high waisted and it let me skip using the elastic that was now my enemy. I didn't think it would look good. I was out of fabric. It felt like a mess. 

 

You can see (On my hip.) where I had to sew a small piece of fabric in to make the back piece the right shape. It is what it is. But it fit OK. I was in shock. How did it work out? I don't know. I almost didn't even try it on. 

When I raised my arms, the higher waist was covering my stomach! It fit like I had wanted. I was in complete disbelief. I think the material and lining was pretty thick but I am going to live with it. And be grateful that it worked out.

Lesson- Keep going, keep trying, it might work out. 

Happy summer everyone. 

***Year End Update***- This swim top was great all summer.