Monday 18 April 2016

School swimmers - Jalie & Ottobre

I'm pretending Autumn isn't happening and continuing with sewing swimsuits for the kids. There'll be a couple more to show you after these and then I'm plunging straight into fleecy dressing gowns for winter warmth. No inter seasonal sewing here!

Before we went on our beach holiday, I tried out an Ottobre swimsuit for the boy. It was an oversized fail, but after we came home I rejigged it and now he's happy.


The pattern is the Seamus swim trunks from Ottobre 3-2009. By his measurements I traced off a size 140cm.

I'm used to Japanese sewing patterns where one needs to add seam allowances, but at least those patterns show a cutting layout where the seam allowances are suggested. This pattern had no such guidance. I'd forgotten to add the seam allowance ot my tracing which is what I normally do, but then added it as I cut the fabric. I gave myself 1cm for sewn seams and 3cm for the waist and hems.

He decided they were far too baggy for what he was used to. In truth they looked very like the image in the pattern magazine, so maybe I should have thought to size down from the very beginning.


This second pair were cut with the front inset and top part 1cm over the fabric fold line, removing 2cm width from the centre front. Then I just cut the rest without any seam allowances. There's a few seams there and my maths brain is failing me late at night, but I'd reckon I've reduced each leg circumference by about 6cm!

The kids are both doing their intensive school swimming programs at the moment, so I had a bit of fun making their swimmers in "school uniform" colours.

For A I used the other Jalie pattern that I have, Jalie 3134.


I love this swimsuit for it's sporty, I'm-on'the-swim-team look.

For both of the kids I added a little bit of colour by doing a faked flatlock seam finish. I've previously tinkered with my overlocker and created a proper lapped flatlock seam (tutorial here). But, I was worried that wouldn't be sturdy enough for swimmers.

Here, I've simply sewn the overlocked seam with wrong sides together, then stitched the overlocked seam allowance down using a twin needle. I matched the twin needle threads to the overlocker threads and even up close it looks passable. Doesn't mean I don't still want an industrial 7 thread flatlocker one day...


These are size I, same as the other Jalie swimmers I just made for her. Again, I could probably have added a little length to make them a perfect fit.

Similar to any racerback, sporty swimsuit, these take a bit more wriggling into than the other style with it's thinner shoulder straps. But once you're in, it's all held together really nicely. This is the suit I'd consider making for myself of the two. With enough power mesh underlining I figure it could work! :)


I didn't want my pale pink lining fabric to show in the exposed seam allowances, so I constructed the whole front first, then laid it flat on the lining fabric and cut the lining fabric out in one piece. For a kids swimsuit with no real built in curves that works fine.

I'm certainly finished with swimwear for this year, but did you see the new Lisette for Butterick patterns? Maybe next summer, hey.

Swimmers for me is one of the only items of clothing I've bought in the last two years. I'm enjoying following the thoughts of other makers on Instagram as part of Fashion Revolution. I'm happy my kids can answer "who made your clothes?". Now to start to think about who made my fabric.

19 comments:

  1. They're great, especially those trunks. I really like the faux flatlock.

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  2. You are a swimsuit ROCKSTAR! I love both of these, especially the very serious, racer-esque one-piece. I must confess, my kids' suits are still unfinished on my sewing table. This past weekend I sewed t-shirts for both of them in an effort to avoid those dang suits. I need to pick out some serged seams, UGH.

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    1. You can do it Inder! My overlocker manual had a good tip for undoing seams: Use scissors to cut the lower looper threads, then everything else kind of unravels surprisingly easily.

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  3. Swimmers not bathers? Did we grow up in different parts of Melbourne or something? Anwyay both swimmers/bathers/swimsuits are awesome. I LOVE those sporty lines on A's ones. And yes, I too often wonder who made my fabric (and what the dyes are made of - but then, perhaps I'd rather not know).

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    1. You picked it, I'm not originally from around here! (Canberra born and raised).
      I'm currently sewing dressing gowns out of some very nasty licensed fleece. Hate to imagine the factory this fabric came out of.

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  4. These look so professional! I have a question for you about your double needle technique here - I tried doing that just last night on the Lisette B6295 leggings, and one broken double needle, half a bobbin of wooly nylon, and much, much swearing later, gave it up as a lost cause. I'm sure it's a tension issue of one kind or another - did you have to substantially modify the tension of either your needle or your bobbin case from sewing on swimwear fabric vs cotton knits?
    (I found your blog through the O+S site - I hope it's okay that I'm posting here)

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    1. Hi Nicole. Thanks for "dropping by", I'm always happy to talk techniques, but with the caveat that I have no training or qualifications, just a self taught tinkerer.
      I haven't further changed my bobbin casing tension between seeing twin needle hems on cotton knits to Lycra spandex. However, the bobbin casing I use for my twin needle stitching is REALLY loose. I have the tension dialled way, way out.
      The only times I find it ends up a tangle of upper threads is when I'm trying to get away with cheap overlocker thread for the twin needle stitching (cause it's a colour match and I'm reluctant to buy better thread of the same colour).
      The other thing that does seem to help is the direction the two threads unwind in. I've no idea which way is right, but if things are getting tangly, I'll flip the second thread spool.
      I'm assuming you've seen my Oliver + S twin needle hemming post?
      I'm sure a zig zag stitch at the bottom of your leggings will suffice if the twin needle won't behave.

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  5. I love these both! The red stitching details are super fab, I can't wrap my head around how you did that, but it looks amazing.

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    1. Thanks Kristin. I should take some close up pictures. I've probably made it sound more complicated than it is. Simply sew the seam, push seam allowance to one side and stitch it down. Do this so the seam allowance shows on the right side of the garment.
      This swimsuit front is made up of these separate panels. Almost like princess seams for swimmers. Should make a nicely shaped front for an adult woman's swimsuit. .... One day....

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  6. I made the Seamus trunks a few years ago and struggled somewhat to get the suggested piping on the front panel not to pucker the fabric. I like your flatlock seam finish MUCH better.
    Both swimsuits look terrific!

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    1. Thanks Deb. Now that I've got the sizing sorted I'd be tempted to do a version with piping, but I'm kinda over swimmers for this season. The flatlocking adds just enough for my liking!

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  7. Aha, the stitching detail I have been admiring on IG :) It is so cool!

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    1. Thanks Jenya. My favourite fake flatlocked swimmers are still to come.... Stay tuned :)

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  8. Amazing trunks and swimmers, there is no way anyone would say they are home made. Love the fake flatlock red.

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    1. Thanks Sharon, beyond being accepted and worn by the kids, not looking "homemade" is what I aim for!

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  9. I have to echo Inder's comment - you are a swimming suit rockstar! These are incredible and the red stitching is amazing! I thought it was some kind of trim! So creative and impressive!

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    1. Thanks Rachel, xx.
      The external stitching suits swimwear so well and when a pattern has nice seam lines, all the better!

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