Monday, July 15, 2013

Inspiration: Vintage Swimsuits

I don't know how anyone sews a season ahead. It's hot outside, why would you want to work on a sweater? All I want to do is make a swimsuit! I've been slowly accumulating all the supplies, but without an actual event on the horizon, I haven't felt much urgency. At this point, I have everything I need except a pattern.

I have been following a fantastic Pinterest board called Vintage Bathing Suits. I could look at this board for hours on end. As a mom, the details of a vintage maillot suit appeal to me over bikinis. Don't get me wrong, I would rock a bikini if I could find the right one. Sadly, most of them (including the ones I already own) are made for lounging on the beach with Stephen King, not jumping in the water with a toddler.

Seriously, how cute are some of these?


Grace Kelly looks good in everything.


This is an infant suit, but I adore the white ric-rack trim. There IS such a thing as stretch ric-rack (check ebay and etsy) so this look is definitely do-able for a home sewer.


This swimsuit is definitely my favorite. And for $148 from Anthropologie, it should be perfect! I pinned that suit a zillion years ago, and the caption I gave it was "I wish I could find a sewing pattern like this." Well, I have not one choice, but two!


This pattern from Burda appears to be very popular, from the amount of projects posted using it. And for $3 you won't find anything cheaper! But being a little nervous about sewing a swimsuit, I've ultimately decided on The Bombshell Swimsuit:


I haven't purchased the pattern yet, but I've been so impressed with the versions floating around the sewing blogosphere. There is also a detailed sewalong here, perfect for us Nervous Nellies. As for fabric, I lucked out and found some solid black swimwear knit in the remnants at Jo-Ann's. I would have liked red, and I would have liked better quality, but for $5 I'll take it. Especially for my first try at a swimsuit.

As for finding the motivation to move "swimsuit" to the top of my project list, over the weekend we visited a lake that has a small beach. AB was a bit timid, so I didn't have to get in the water, but maybe next time...


2 comments:

  1. I love the black one! It's super cute and so feminine! You can't be anything but sexy in it :)
    Check out my blog on high waist bikinis at www.myhighwaistbikini.com

    xoxo
    Kim

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous swimsuits, I like the bombshell swimsuit style. Thanks for sharing ! Check out on our page for more current info on affordable swimsuits and new designs - Swimsuits Direct - Women's Swimsuits !

    ReplyDelete

I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to comment below.

Newsletter sign up

.