Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Swimsuits, take II

On a recent post, there were a few comments regarding the swim suit I sewed for Miriam, so I wanted to elaborate a bit more on it.





The general idea for the pattern was taken from Simply Modest Swimwear, after seeing one of their adult-sized patterns. I made my own pattern for a smaller version for Miriam exactly according to their instructions, except that I altered the skirt (more below).

However, when I made Becky's these last couple of days, I made several major changes which I think are improvements on the original pattern.

  • Instead of having two pieces (top with attached skirt, and leggings), I made one piece that has the skirt AND leggings connected to the top part. This made it necessary to add a zipper in the back so that the suit could be put on and taken off. My main reason for doing this was that when the kids play wildly in the pool, or jump in, the top part of Miriam's suit can slip/float all the way up to where it was exposing half her belly. Not so with Becky's swimsuit. This also eliminated the need for an elastic waist band on the leggings part, which is slightly more comfortable.
 With zipper

 No zipper on the left, zipper on the right
  • I changed the length of the skirt to being about the same as the leggings, rather than quite a bit shorter. To me, it just looks better that way. The skirt is not restrictive whatsoever. I have a similar swimsuit myself, and have never found it to be a hindrance. Men wear knee-length board shorts that are at least as bulky as the light fabric these swimsuits are made from, and yet nobody claims they are cumbersome to swim in. It's a strange world we live in where men being dressed down to the knee is normal, but ladies covering the same amount of skin are considered prudish and unfortunate.
  • Another change I made on the skirts was the shape in general, namely making it even length all the way around. The original pattern comes up about two inches higher on the sides than in the front and middle, which I imagined would look funny. 
If time were not a factor, I would love to reproduce the pattern I designed and make it available to others who are interested. It is very different from the original pattern I used to get a general idea. I do find that the Simply Modest Swimwear pattern is overpriced. I wish their profit margin were a little lower in order to allow more ladies to sew themselves a  modest swimsuit. I figured that if I ever got around to it, I could probably make the pattern available for about $15 including domestic shipping, and there would be no copyright on it. Simply Modest Swimwear comes out to $35 after shipping, and is copyrighted. I WISH more ladies had access to modest swimwear, and money shouldn't be the reason why they either have to abstain from swimming, or dress immodestly. Just my two cents. Chances are slim that I will get a personal assistant to do all the cooking, cleaning, and laundry for me, so I will probably never get around to reproducing my pattern in all different sizes. 

BUT, I do think I will be teaching a sewing class next spring at our church, and making this our project, for ladies who are interested. Some things, you just have to be here for! :)


P.S. Anyone know why my side bar content is not visible? Is Blogger having issues tonight? It is still all up in my "Layout" tab, but is not showing up on the site for some reason. Ideas, anyone?

23 comments:

  1. Looks normal to me. Probably a temporary glitch. Thanks for this post! I really wish this type of swimwear and patters weren't so expensive especially since kids will grow out of it every year.
    Wow once a year menu plan, modest swimwear pattern..you are full of money making great ideas! Maybe we will see an Anderson homeschool curriculum in the future? Wish I lived there to take your sewing class!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The side bar was not in the right place earlier but is now. The suits are lovely; you did a great job on them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think their little swimsuits are just adorable. I did look at the website and thought their prices were very high. But I live in Illinois so I'd never pay that much for any swimsuit when I can only wear it a few months a year.

    About the leggings being attached to the dress: I like the idea of the dress not floating up but I always put my daughter in two pieces (long tank and "shorts") so restroom visits were easier. This is not meant as a criticism; just interested if this is an issue for you. Of course we were always at a public pool where, believe me, we wanted to get in and out of that bathroom ASAP so I looked for shortcuts wherever I could.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love them! I can't wait to make my girls next year. This year we had found swimsuit cover/dress thingy that I made to be like Culottes on the bottom.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I too have the same desire to make my 3 daughters and myself a modest swim suit. I have seen the pattern that you have mentioned but compared it with another website that makes the swim suit for you and decided it would just make more sense to buy them if I were going to pay that kind of money. Here is the site. I do like their swimsuits for girls and ladies because they don't have the leggings showing. http://www.dressingforhisglory.com/swimwear.html. I can't wait for your sewing class. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Did you learn to sew as a child? I wish I had this ability - I am useless with anything beyond sewing on a button. Do you think it's hard to pick up as an adult with no/minimal prior experience?

    On a totally (and I do mean totally) unrelated note, I wanted to show you this article. I live in Canada, and it's all the rage now. Curious as to your thoughts...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Those are BEAUTIFUL!!! I have never seen a prettier more modest swimsuit. Very nice!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oops - I realized I forgot to give you the link to the home birth article...
    http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/08/26/dont-try-this-at-home/

    ReplyDelete
  9. Whatever that glitch was, it's been fixed by now. One other benefit to swimsuits like that, is that there's less skin that needs sunscreen, and more protection against future skin cancer.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I LOVE!!!! this swimsuit. I've been "trying" to make one for years. Trying more in theory, than in practice. I like your pattern even better. I would buy it!! It is a shame that modest swimwear is so expensive. My daughter has NEVER been to a pool because of it. Oh, well. We do go to the beach sometimes and they don't care that we wear shirt and shorts. lol

    ReplyDelete
  11. They're so blonde from the sun! There's nothing prettier than little girls with natural highlights from playing OUTSIDE!

    And I love Becky's suit as well!

    Mindy

    ReplyDelete
  12. Those are wonderful Zsuzsa! THey look similar to ours, only we did not do the zipper/leggings hooked to the bodice. That is a great idea. I hate sewing but it is fun to look at!!! Great job. Your children are beautiful. Miss you guys!

    Jessica

    ReplyDelete
  13. Renee -
    I know you weren't asking just anybody but I learned to sew as an adult. I started with basic curtains for our baby's room when I was pregnant for the first time, then moved to maternity tops and jumpers. I made simple dresses for my daughter and matching vests for her big brother for the holidays (he hates those photos now....). My mother taught me to place a piece of masking tape on the machine to guide my stitches to keep them straight. That helped a lot.
    You can do it. Start with something basic like a valance.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I must say that it makes me think about it.
    I'm not a Christian, even though I think many things are very good about it, but I'm still a woman. I don't like to show my body to anybody, and I can sew, so I'm thinking about making such a swimsuit for myself.

    I'll just try to make it by myself, because I most certainly don't have 35$ to spend to a pattern.

    The material of Becky's is lovely, by the way :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Your girls are just beautiful! Becky's suit is adorable too! You are a very talented lady, Zsuzsanna!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love the girls swimsuits!!! Wish I could attend the sewing class...I am in seriously lacking sewing skills, lol.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Is there anything you can't do, Zsuszanna? Jealous!

    ReplyDelete
  18. The swimsuits and your girls are both adorable! I'd love to attend your class but I think Canada is a bit too far... maybe someday you'll publish the pattern (hint hint ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love the swimsuits. The key will be how well they hold up. I have had several hommade dress suits for my daughters and I and they look great for about the first month of swimming.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Awww, your girls are so cute! And pretty swimsuits!

    ReplyDelete
  21. The 2nd photo is one of the sweetest pictures I have ever seen.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oops, I meant third photo.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Where do you get your fabric for these? I can't seem to find floral swim fabric.

    ReplyDelete

Your KINDLY WORDED, constructive comments are welcome, whether or not they express a differing opinion. All others will be deleted without second thought.