I FINALLY finished a sewing project again! Ok- I haven't totally been neglecting my sewing; I leave out the wedding gown I altered and the repairs and garment remake jobs I've been working on. But these paying gigs (which I am am SO thankful for!), the recent attention I've placed on my art, and helping my dad at the house build-site (I mean a full-day's hard work cleaning up lumber scraps the framers left everywhere!) have left apparel product development at a standstill.
Top it off with a sewing machine that refused to cooperate until I stopped and gave it some love, oil, and cleaning attention and I've been struggling to finish anything. But today I succeeded in putting together a new swimsuit pattern- triangle top and hip-hugger bottoms. My goals were to make the bottoms flatteringly low-rise while still covering and hugging the bum. I wanted the triangle top to have more shaping and supportive qualities while still looking light and cute.
Yay!
The bottoms really do fully cover my bum, but don't look like granny panties. They've got a retro feel to them. (I kept thinking of the James Bond girls in the 60's and how cute their swimsuits were cut.) For the top, I tried using the nude power mesh I have laying around for bra wings to create an inner support cup. This certainly doesn't turn a simple triangle cup into a cleavage-creating machine, but compared to my other string triangle tops it definitely eliminates some of the pancakey east-west characteristics of this kind of bikini top. I suppose the other option people assume would help fight this look would be padding, but on me it always looks so fake and awkward. Maybe I'll work on combining the two for next time.
Detail of the inner cup; the power-mesh is zig-zagged to the normal lining fabric.
As with any totally new construction, there are a few details I will definitely change next time: tightening the elastic in several places and cutting the leg a little higher in the front. Also, the ties are oddly scratchy; I think it's the grain of the fabric. If only I had access to the materials SeaFolly uses! (Softest swimsuits ever!)
But overall, I'm quite thrilled with how it turned out. It's really a "1st muslin," but I try to make garments I'm pretty certain will turn out ok in wearable fabric. I need a new suntanning suit and this will do quite nicely for that purpose! :D
PS- the bra-making is coming along; I've got 2 in the works. I'll let you know how they turn out!
Lots and lots of pins!