Summer is coming and I felt that familiar need to make a new casual swimsuit. Then I decided that another one to swim laps in wouldn’t go astray. Then I found a Jalie swimsuit pattern that I had bought at the Fibres West garage sale. So, unable to choose between them, I decided to make all three!

I started with Jalie 3023, which is a pattern that looks as though it was designed for teens and tweens, but clearly had more womanly figures in mind given the sizing options.

I chose to do the set on the right hand side and found some lycra which had been donated to my stash and which I didn’t actually like much. It was a reasonably straightforward sew, although I’ve never sewn a Jalie pattern before and had to fathom some of the instructions.

I quite like the side ruching, and the skirt with the built in bikini bottom is quite cute.

White is not a good colour for bathers unless one is really brown. I took these photos to check the fit and haven’t had them on since, so zero styling happening here (not that much happens anyway). I’m not sure I will wear these at home so they will be relegated to the holiday place for wearing in the hot tub/dam.

Having made these I knew I wanted to make another set of tunic bathers. These are from 1974 and were redrafted for me by Sarah (workspace-fads).

I had this fabric in my stash, it’s quite nice lycra and I bought it in a sale at Homecraft Textiles. The lining is from a big piece I bought from the Remnant Warehouse a couple of years ago. The built in bra is one I drafted myself and I am inordinately pleased with it. The fabric came from REmida, a recycling centre here in Perth.

I was a bit miffed about my pattern placement. I spent ages making sure everything lined up and it got shifted sideways. Although my husband told me it would have looked daft with the tree in the middle and I do tend to agree.

The fabric is supposed to be sold as panels and has a red line where each panel should be cut. I managed to “hide” it on the bikini bottoms part. I was very stingy with the fabric as I worked out I could get a couple of other swimsuits from it (2 metres in all).

These are really comfortable to wear and I can walk around the house in them in the summer and not feel too exposed. It’s like wearing a very short dress – takes me back to the 1970s!

I thought I should test them in water – it was chilly as I took the photos before the warm weather really hit and the pool hadn’t yet been heated.

This month’s Magamsewalong theme is “On-screen October” and I was really stuck for ideas but then read my own ideas slide and decided to strike a pose. I found this image from 1925 in a book. The tunic swimsuit is heavily embroidered which is why I suspect the model is no where near water! Anyway, I decided my tunic was near enough so copied her pose.

I have to laugh at my white feet – not caused by shoes but by swim fins! I can’t help looking at the pattern matching on the embroidered tunic; it did make me feel better about my own. Please note that I didn’t wear the matching bikini bottoms for this photo, I used an underwear pattern and don’t find it as comfortable as other bikinis I have in my drawer, so might need to find the pattern I used for them.

I also made a swimsuit for swimming laps, and once again messed up the pattern placement. Please excuse the weird fake posing – we were trying to get a look (which didn’t work) and then I didn’t get any regular photos. In fact, I was trying to copy the black and white pose above and it was only afterwards that I realised I was wearing the wrong swimsuit!

They are easier to see as a flat lay anyway.

I’ve now swum in these and am happy to report no seam popping when I pull them on, and they are really comfortable to wear. I was almost tempted to do extra laps!

Miss G has been in the pool too now that it’s warmer, but I couldn’t resist showing you a post-swim bread making lesson with Granddad! Her Daddy scored this loaf that she made.