Making a swim suit sounds super scary right? It’s actually not like I thought it would be. I got some swim fabric on clearance a while back and had been scared to make one. I tested the Bondi Bikini for Rebecca Page and was surprised and delighted to find out it was not any different than making regular clothes, just maybe a bit more elastic. This pattern had a lot of little pieces, but they came together easily and the instructions were great; step by step with pictures.
I had a tankini just like this in high school (except it was pink!) that I loved. It’s all worn out now, but I did steal the foam cups out of it and sewed them into the lining of this suit. The cups are gathered at the bottom, although the lining is not. The next time I sew this one up, I’ll probably either reduce the size of the outer cup or gather it at the side, it probably wouldn’t be an issue for people who are more blessed in that area, lol.
So the bikini/tankini part might be confusing until you actually see the pattern pieces.The top and bottom look the same for all versions, it’s just the bands that are longer or shorter. So this is the tankini top, with the bikini bottoms. The bikini and tankini bottoms are both shorts style, the band in the tankini version just comes up higher on the waist. Hopefully that all made sense!
The suit is a halter style, so the back is just bare until the bands. It ties at the back of the neck, and also in front in the middle. I added 1/2 inch to the length of the shorts because I wanted them to be a bit longer. After making a muslin, I also scooped out the front rise just a tad to fit my short rise better. And that is the beauty of making your own clothes! You can modify things to be exactly how you prefer them right?
You can see the pattern on the Rebecca Page website HERE. And if you haven’t made a swimming suit and want to, just go for it! It’s not as scary as it seems.
