Thursday 29 January 2015

Gone troppo: Jalie times two and a Cosi

 
There comes a time, if you're endeavouring to sew all your kid's clothes, when you're going to have to make some swimmers.....


Perversely, while I sewed Roger's Newcastle cardigan the weather was stinking hot. The following week, as I set to sewing swimmers it cooled right down and I wondered if they'd ever get worn. While I'm obviously not a born local (or I'd call them bathers, right?) I love my adopted city's changeable weather!

I'd only had a vague ambition to sew swimwear, but I was hurried along by those little remnant packages at The Fabric Store where A found this lovely floral lycra. For $5 I had more than enough fabric for a pair of swimmers or two, and she declared that that was what she'd have, please.

 
The obvious pattern choice was Sewpony's Cosi Swimsuit as that seemed to be the one that everyone cut their teeth on. But when I went on to Rathdowne Remnants for some lining fabric I found other swimsuit lycras in the remnant sale and suddenly I had three different swimsuits in mind...

And so my first swimsuit was Jalie 3350. It struck me as amusing to sew the cross over bust view in a vintage-y floral fabric for a 4 year old (with obviously no bust!)

 
I sewed a straight 4 year old size (Size H on the pattern) and the fit is perfect. I used a soft, pale pink lycra for the front lining and sewed it with a combination of serger and sewing machine. I did the hems and straps with a plain old zig zag stitch, and while it looks a bit homemade on close inspection, it's behaved perfectly and stayed nice and flat during wear.
 
 
There are a few pieces to the swimsuit and it took a little while to piece them all together, but I adore this pattern, and I found the Jalie instructions and diagrams really easy to follow. There were also some nice steps showing how to baste the outer and lining fabrics together to make the construction easier. Time consuming, but worth it.
 
Flushed with success I headed straight into swimsuit number 2. This one was driven by the fabric. I'd found this remnant which had two repeats of the print on it and was spaced at exactly the right length for a well placed flower on a Cosi swimsuit:
 
 
Also a straight size 4, this swimsuit is a bit blockier in shape and has ended up looking a bit baggy around the belly and bottom. The length and the chest width were definitely correct for her size though. I bought some bra strap sliders and rings and left the straps as long as the pattern indicated since I was sewing after bedtime. They turned out to be very long and are doubled up almost all the way, so there's plenty of room to grow and this one should last a while! To finish the hems I got the double needle out and tried to make this pair look a bit more "pro" than the first.
 
 
Being nearly all white I lined this one front and back with the pale pink lycra and now it's plenty thick enough and really should last forever. I love the little leg frills, and A is super keen on the pattern version with the peplum skirt. Even though I'd already bought the Jalie patterns I couldn't help but buy the Cosi swimsuit just for the variety of costumes you can make from the one pattern.
 
I don't own a tablet computer and had to use Flippers' work tablet to view the instructions. That meant I got logged out every 5 minutes or so and had to keep logging back in. Personally, I prefer a good line drawing on an old fashioned piece of paper, but if you like colour photographs in your pattern instructions then this is a very well presented pattern with plenty of helpful instructions and images.
 
You know how when you look for one thing, you find another? Well, I wanted navy lycra for those leg frills and then I found this great stripe to go with it for a third pair of swimmers:
 
 
Another Jalie pattern, this one is Jalie 3134; a racer back style with options for colour blocking or even some faux piping.
 
 
I was fastidious about matching the stripes of the centre and side front panels, and then had a complete brain fade and just cut the back panel anyhow. Just thought I'd mention it so it's not the elephant in the room...
 
 
While she may not be showing it with that belly out pose, this is a really flattering swimsuit cut, and I might even be tempted to make this one for myself! Incredibly, these Jalie patterns go from a 2 year old size up to women's size 22 (I made the 4 year old size again here). That's probably the greatest size range of any pattern I've ever heard of!
 
 
The racer back is perfect for an active kids. Easy to put on by yourself and no straps dangling or slipping off your shoulders. I could make her a new version of this one every year for as long as I'm allowed to.
 
Thinking this one would be my best (until I flunked the stripe matching obviously) I did my very neatest, double needle hemming close to the edge of the folded under elastic, but sadly, it's tending to roll outwards around the neckline. Perhaps the elastic curve is too tight, or I should have stitched further from the edge.
 
After all the comments on my recent post suggesting I need a coverstitch machine I'm going to shrug and say whatever the problem with this swimsuit, a coverstitch machine would undoubtedly have resolved it. I want one. End of story.
 
All the swimsuits had plenty of wear during our recent holiday (not the location of these beach pictures) but A's favourite is definitely her "booby crossing flower" one.
 
 
The kids swam almost every day and Flipper and I took it in turns to ride. He rode dirt tracks, I rode mountain roads.
 

I finished the supported alpine challenge ride that I entered and sent Flipper these pictures from the top of the second major climb. One is a picture of my legs, the other is custard. Can you tell the difference?

I have to mention Sewsquirrel where I bought the Jalie patterns. I'd been about to buy the PDF versions when I found this online Australian store selling a huge range of patterns with free postage within Australia. I ordered just before Christmas, and since there was some delay due to public holidays (completely reasonably) Sarah of SewSquirrel refunded the cost of one of the patterns to me. Brilliant!

28 comments:

  1. Swim wear is something I am planning to try this year. I love the last one with the racer back!

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    1. It's worth it, for such little pieces of fabric, the price of failure (not that you'd be likely to) is very low. Go for it!

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  2. (Ugh - I just wrote a big, long comment without logging in and it deleted it) - anyways, it was kind of a rambling comment. Love all the suits - my fave is the racer back. I bought a bunch of the expensive bathing suit lining fabric - love your idea of just using the pale pink lycra. I'm definitely a line drawing person too - I wonder why some people like line drawings and others like photos? Maybe a personality or a brain thing somehow....

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    1. Oh sorry about the comment vanishing. Thanks for the compliments. I think the it's a tie for me between the two Jalie patterns. I think the photo vs drawing thing must just be a brain preference as I always look at sew alongs and think "that's just the same information with photos instead of illustrations". For my mind, there's nothing gained, but some people love them...

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  3. I have spring break on the mind (understandable as we suffer through a typical Midwest winter) and my youngest has been requesting a "one piece" bathing suit, as everything else she has are two piece. Rather than buy one, I've been debating making one - nail biting nervous! I, too, thought right away of the Cosi, but am loving these two Jalie patterns you sewed up. Of the three, which is your favorite? I love all the version you made, esp. the last striped one. Your A looks adorable with her little belly:)

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    1. You could definitely do it Lucinda. I really like the racer back Jalie for fit and practicality for a kid, but then the first Jalie pattern has a nice option of two different views, and the backs of views A and B are quite different. I'd be hard pressed to choose between them. The Cosi has so many different options, but I'd need to fiddle with the fit, and having found the Jalie patterns to fit so well I can't really be bothered...

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    2. thanks for your thoughts . . . the Jalie patterns sound like real winners!

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  4. Wow, Shelley, all three swimsuits are impressive, but that last one is just incredible. You definitely took, "You made that?!" to a whole new level! I also love the v of the front of the floral suit. And you certainly have the most darling model (that nose crinkle - gah!) and such lovely photos, too! oh and the stripes being the elephant in the room - hahaha! so not true!

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    1. Thanks Rachel, it was not an easy photo shoot as she had no intention of being photographed, would not stand still and we'd just done the ice cream bribe thing while I had my striped long sleeved Bento photography shoot. I was too stibborn (and cheap) to go for ice cream round two. The crinkly face is her angry charging rhinoceros impression. It's quite funny, especially since it often starts out of a genuine bad mood but ends up making everyone laugh!

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  5. Those are great!! I've been contemplating making a swimsuit this spring but haven't decided on a pattern yet so I appreciate your reviews. I'm still hoping that Liesl might come out with a swimsuit pattern one of these days and then I'll just have to try it!

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    1. ha, you know I was almost waiting to have my first time with Liesl too, but that little remnant of floral lycra pushed me to jump in ahead of time. I'm tempted now to have a look at some of the jalie two piece swimsuits/gym wear. I'd love to find a good boys swim trunk pattern.

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  6. Ohhhh now I'm ready for summer! All are so cute but I especially love that racerback one, that fit is just impeccable!! Bolt has some Jalie patterns but I've never really browsed them, to tell the truth. I find the fit of the cosi a bit off for Em too though - on the second one I made I cut out the back quite a bit for her shoulderblades...but that Jalie pattern looks perfect for an active little swimmer (or for myself, frankly!).

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    1. I would seriously consider the racerback Jalie pattern for me too. I think the placement of the panels could be very flattering and I like the idea that if I made my own swimwear I could line it with some serious hold-it-all-in kickass kind of lycra. Sorry for the perfect blue sky tease in the middle of your winter! ;)

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  7. Love them all, Shelley! They all look like you've been sewing swimsuits forever.;)

    Glad to see Jalie 3134 as I've been considering purchasing that one. Oldest daughter has been swimming laps lately, gearing up for her lifeguarding swim test. She's been wearing a borrowed one piece (her cousin's) since all she had were bikinis. And while the length is good on the borrowed one it's a bit baggy in the bum. Storebought swimmers (especially one pieces) just don't fit her very well. To cut to the end of my rambling...I'm buying it!lol

    And before I forget...yes, stitch farther away from the edge and that takes care of the elastic flipping out. A coverstitch machine would still be awesome!

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    1. Cindy, you are the swimmers Rock Star.
      What a great tip.

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    2. THanks Cindy. Your kind comments are taken very seriously as I might have attempted this if I hadn't seen how easy you make it look!
      Yuor girls will look phenomenal in the Jalie one piece (as would you!)

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  8. Echoing Rachel here, these are all amazing, but that last one is a show-stopper! Stretch fabric with CURVED seams? Are you insane? Or just a really damn good seamstress, apparently. I was way too distracted by the cut of the suit to notice the stripes. Dang.

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    1. THanks Inder. you know everything that looks tricky is easier with stretchy fabric. That stripe gaff really bugged me, but I do see so much ready to wear clothing with dreadful stripe matching that I know I'm overly sensitive.

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  9. Amazing swimmers, they all look so professional and your model seems very happy with them. I also really like the Jalie racerback and that elephant has left the room now.

    Watch Gumtree for your Coverstitch a friend got one for a very good price.

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    1. Thanks Sharon. Any Coverstitch models that you know and love?

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  10. Very impressive lineup of bathers/swimmers/cozzies (and I would expect no less from you!). I'll join all the other commenters and say that the racerback one is particularly awesome with that curved front. Looks like a really great pattern, too. Can you believe I ended up missing the Fabric Store sale because I couldn't offload my kids and there was no way I was going to take them... never mind, I'll have to check out the remnant bins one day!

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    1. Thanks Marisa. You left off togs (although I'm definitely not a Queenslander!).
      I hope you made it to The Fabric Store over the weekend. I bought some amazing double sided Italian wool at 1/2 price, not that that was what I'd gone there to find of course...

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  11. I had my eye on that 3134 pattern a while back. You may have given me a nudge towards buying it. I am seriously impressed with all your swimsuit sewing.

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    1. Thanks Katy. Of course I'd say buy the pattern. I really like it and I still can't get over the size range. It's one pattern I can't imagine our kids ever outgrowing!

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  12. Awesome job, I am off to buy those Jalie patterns.

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    1. Thanks Nicole, that's very flattering coming from you!

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    2. Really? Wow, how nice.
      The pattern was sold out, I am not surprised after this post, but I have asked to be notified. I will be sure to tell them who sold all their stock for them.

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  13. I love the swim suits! I really want to make some but can't find any fabric I like. I want it to be fabric I love if I'm going to take the time to make them. You can buy them ready made so cheap so why bother unless the fabric is cool. Or at least that's my thought... I love the floral fabric you got the best. And you've inspired me to make some...just as soon as I find the fabric....:)

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