Polka Dot Bombshell Swimsuit

As you may have noticed, I have not been sewing much for myself this summer. My body has been changing so rapidly that it hasn't seemed worthwhile. But for our vacation this summer, I decided I needed a one-piece suit. I definitely am not feeling like showing off my belly skin quite yet, so even a modest tankini suit wasn't going to cut it this year.

I have long admired the Bombshell Swimsuit by Closet Case Files, and this seemed like the perfect suit to make for my postpartum body!

I made it up in a HUGE rush, right before we left for vacation. For the most part, it went beautifully... I had no trouble at all with the gathering at the sides, and the fit was perfect without a toile. I've made swimsuits before, so I'm familiar with the placement of elastic, and the seam around the legs went in without a hitch. Actually, it is sooooo much easier with my new machine since I can now sew an even zigzag (my old Singer was challenged in this area.)

I made the version with the non-ruched rear, since I figure that I don't need any extra material in that area!

For bust support, I opted to sew in a bra as described by many other bloggers who have made the bombshell. I used a bra that had a band that was too small for me, but was a pretty good fit otherwise. The bra I used happened to be a soft-structured bra rather than an underwire. I sewed it into the sideseams, and along the top of the suit. 

The only problem I encountered was with the top seam along the bust. It took me about 5 tries to get it right, ripping and resewing with ample silent cussing along the way. The directions suggest just a little bit of stretching of the elastic across the top of the bust, but I found it took maximum stretching of the elastic to eliminate gaping. 

It was a really cheap make... I had all of the materials left over from last summer, so I didn't have to purchase anything at all! Rather smart of me to purchase an extra yard of fabric, and extra lining and elastic. If you were wondering, you CAN make the Bombshell out of only one yard of fabric, if you don't ruche the rear.

More photos, some with Bug and Lion!