The bathers reveal
Okay, I may as well launch straight into it – here I am in my newly sewn bathers! Just perfect for early morning Melbourne in late July….
I can assure you that these bathers must be very flattering, because they’re doing a terrific job of disguising my protruding stomach and the spare tyre around my middle. Of course, the fact that I am standing up very straight and sucking in my gut for all it’s worth could have something to do with it.
The pattern is a freebie from BurdaStyle, the Alison vintage style bathing suit. While the pattern is terrific, you may as well throw away the almost useless instructions and go straight to this excellent review and tutorial from Isabelle.
Like Isabelle, I added bands to the legs for more coverage – and to eliminate the need for painful hair removal processes. I’m nothing if not practical! I lengthened the body/side/neck band to make ties at the back of the neck rather than a purchased closure. I left out the back tie that is illustrated in the pattern – I don’t think that it needs it, these bathers feel pretty secure as is. I’m not likely to be swimming laps in these. I also added bra cups (salvaged from a old pair of bathers) inbetween the lining and the outside.
I’m thrilled with how this has turned out! It is almost all constructed on the overlocker, although the gathering and bra cup inserting was done with the regular machine. There is a tiny amount of handstitching.
I made the size large, which is a European 40-42 for these. I usually wear an Australian size 12 (or 8 or 10 or 14, depending on the item!) and didn’t really alter the pattern dimensions or shaping at all. I am substantially short-waisted, so if you are longer through the waist – and many readers would be – I would advise lengthening this pattern through the body. It used most of the 80cm fabric remnant I had purchased.
So in conclusion? I still don’t know what motivated me to make these, but I’m really glad that I did. I’m also a little amazed that I was prepared to post pictures of myself wearing them – but that will be a whole other blog post!
ETA: Yes, it was absolutely freezing when these photos were taken! Around six degrees C. They were taken very quickly.
I’m so impressed, they look fabulous! Your undie post inspired me to sew my own and this may very well kick my butt into tog-making gear… um I mean bathers. 🙂
You are ace. That is all.
Woah! Thornberry, you still got it!
You clever, super, brave, brave legend, you!
OMG I wish I looked like that in bathers!
What a great style – love the vintage/boyleg look.
It’s a great swimsuit and I agree with the above comments – you look very stylish and are very brave for posing – I would NEVER have the guts to reveal myself in a swimsuit on my blog!! Also I love the fact that you’ve made a vintage pattern look totally up-to-date.
You are brave, for lots of reasons. They look gorgeous.
fantastic fantastic fantastic. They look wonderful and so do you!
Damn you’re a clever chook! Loving the boy leg for all those, er, practical reasonings…
The ‘boy legs’ look great and you look fantastic, but you must have been frozen!!
They look fab. Well done and you look amazing in them too. Now can I place an order? Love the style. So what I need.
So impressed Lara!
Ditto all of the above- yay to no hair removal, and yep, first thought was you must have been cold! But they are gorgeoues- in a spot they would rival the 50’s style ones in Lark!
I’ve always thought you were awesome, but this just proves it.
yep, fantastic! a great and flattering pattern and very well put together – great job!
Well done – they look great! And good on you for being brave enough to post the pictures.
One word – awesome!
Wowzers! Great job. I love it!
Good lord – I can’t keep up with you! Last night I was admiring (and thinking of making) that very nice black wrap, and today you’re in a bathing suit. What is the weather *doing* in Australia?!
Looks great though – good for you. And spare tyre indeed. If you had a spare tyre, you’d see it in the shot of the back, because you can’t breathe that bit in. So, shush!
Awesome! Love the swimmers, you have inspired me to add swimmers to my “make list” and wow you are brave it must have been freezing!
Lara you have done an amazing job. You look great and the bathers are fantastic! I am needing some bathers for our up coming trip so perhaps I should try these out…
Woo Whoo! I would never be that brave! Good for you! Love the bather!-also loved calling it a bather because we dont call them that all the way over here in the states 🙂
Good for you – they look great – great bum coverage – very inspiring!!
They look great. I like the leg line. Well done!
Lara both the bathers and you look fantastic. Well done
they look great and so do you!
you’re so brave to be out in the cold in just bathers ha ha!
xox
Wow. Mighty impressive effort – both the bathers and the fact that you donned them on a freezing Melbourne morning. Such dedication to the craft.Well done !
I’m really digging the décolletage, very flattering. Lara, you’re a champ! (Talk about suffering for your art though – it’s been blinking cold).
Look at you you spunky Mama! Gorgeous bathers and gorgeous you! I am super impressed.
the bathers (& you) look fantastic
can’t believe you took those pics outside in the freezing cold- you are mad!
lara, You are my hero.
Wowza! That looks fabulous on you!
You are an innovative stitcher and very gutsy for posting this to the world. Good for you!
Oh my gosh! I just purchased fabric to make the same bathers!!
They look fabulous on you! I know who I’ll be contacting if I get stuck with mine!
Fabulous. Glad I’m not the only one stripping off for blog posts! I’m going to get a pattern and make another pair in stretch fabric next time. The ones I made today may not withstand a lot of vigorous water activity. Bra cups a good idea too.