So Melbournians, are you feeling even colder each time that I post the bathers I have been making or mention our imminent trip to Thailand?  We are getting VERY excited now – less than a week before we leave!  Part 3 of togs for Thailand are the one-piece swimsuits that I made for Clare and for Stella.

These are Clare’s. Once again the fabric was from Rathdowne Fabrics. The pattern is the All 4 one Stylish Swimsuit, available on Etsy from Coles Creations. I found the instructions very straightforward. The binding was time consuming, but otherwise these are pretty easy to sew.

The swimsuit straps can be crossed over and stitched into place, attached straight, or tied in a halter neck. Clare elected to have hers crossed over. She chose the skirted style with a frill along the bodice triangles. We used one fabric throughout because that is what we had!

The small floral is very pretty. I sewed size 8/9 for Clare, which pretty much corresponded with her measurements, although she will possibly only get one year’s wear from it. Bathers degenerate pretty quickly with chlorine exposure anyway.

Surprise surprise, Stella chose exactly the same style as her sister, except in a different print (but also from Rathdowne fabrics). However she decided to leave hers to tie as a halter neck.

And somewhere during the construction process I forgot to line the bodice. Oh well! This fabric was slightly beefier than the one I used for Clare’s bathers. This time I made size 6/7, which appeared to be too big for Stella but in reality seems to fit quite well. Sometimes it’s just worth giving things a go!

I use the overlocker for some of the construction, but much of it is on the machine with a zig zag stitch. I have started to get a little obsessed with sewing bathers, and have started trawling Etsy for women’s patterns from the 80s and 90s, many of which appeal to me much more than those available today. Speaking of women’s bathers, I still have a “togs for Thailand part 4” blog post in the works – a Bombshell swimsuit for me!