I’ve been spending a lot of time at the pool this summer, something that is pretty new to me. This probably sounds pretty silly but I don’t have a thing to wear! It’s really tricky to find bathing attire that is fashionable (i.e., not frumpy) but provides the coverage I want these days. I particularly like to wear a camisole-style top and boy-leg shorts. It’s often difficult to find what I’m looking for (and without spending a lot) so I’ve decided to try making some things for myself.
I’ve got several pieces of 4-way stretch knits in my stash just for this purpose. I have a large amount of this aqua/chocolate brown print so I decided I would start with it since I would have the chance for a do-over if my first attempt didn’t work out. I used the Shelf Bra Camisole by Jan Bones as my first pattern. I took a class with Jan at the Sewing Expo a few years ago and was very impressed with her knowledge of sewing with knits. This pattern has a built-in shelf bra and separate pattern pieces for different cup sizes. All of the edges are finished with ¼” elastic which ensures a nice fit.
I feel much more comfortable at my sewing machine than my serger, so I chose to construct this piece using my conventional machine and a zigzag stitch. Some day I'm going to learn to use my coverstitch machine (a friend recently suggested I bring it to a sewing retreat and make it my goal to learn to use it, an fantastic idea!) but the old Stretch and Sew methods still work great.
For a first try this top is great. I wore it to the pool over the weekend and thought it was very comfortable. When I make another I am going to try one size larger as this one is pretty snug and I would like to see the difference.
Working with this pattern gave me the confidence to try some other tops with patterns not necessarily designed as swim wear. I feel that I could easily add a shelf bra to other tops, and want to try one of the camisole-style tops I particularly like. Pamela Leggett’s Perfect Tank Top (more like a cami, really) is another one I think I’ll try. After I’ve got the tops down I’ll move on to the shorts. Stay tuned.