Week 40, only 12 to go!

I really struggled with getting started on this week.  Inspiration was weak and life was chaotic.

The first problem was, I’m trying to sew up my fabric on hand.  I pulled out my patterns and fabric.   I tried to get them to speak to each other, but it wasn’t working.  I had more swimsuit patterns cut out, but I really wasn’t feeling that either.

Eventually, I ended back at the fabric store to buy the poly foam for my next swim project.  I picked up several pieces of fabric that I felt were fun summer fabrics.  Once home, I dumped them in the mess I had going in the sewing room the pieces fell into place.  I could see why I had “sewing block” (we are going to coin that phrase, instead of writers block, you have sewing block).  All the fabrics strewn through the room were fall fabrics and the patterns strewn across the room were summer patterns.  No wonder they wanted nothing to do with each other.

In my zeal to sew my stash, I was forcing myself to use fall and winter fabrics for summer patterns.  I folded the fabrics back up and realized my error.

Still I wasn’t in a rush to sew.  The summer fabrics sat in the sewing room, untouched and uncut.

This morning, however, I woke to the simplicity group sharing my photo of my swimsuit to their 32,000 followers.

I was so excited and it was just the push I needed.  I headed into the sewing room with no breakfast in my belly, no bra on and unshowered, but I was finally ready to sew again.

I grabbed my swimsuit project and set out to complete it in one day.

I began constructing the bust area and soon realized two things.  First the lower bust pattern is mislabeled.  It tells you to cut 2 of the fabric and 2 of the “interfacing”.  You need to cut four of the fabric and two of the interfacing.  I figured it out pretty quickly so it wasn’t an issue just annoying, and perhaps more frustrating for a beginning sewer.  Second, the bust is not tricky to sew together but tricky to figure out what part of the top bust fits to the bottom.  I carefully laid it out and pinned it together to see if I was right before sewing.  Ripping out stitches in swimwear is less fun that normal stitch ripping, so use your imagination.

It was so fun to see the bust take shape!

More surprisingly than anything is that it fits pretty well!  This is a really hard suit to taylor as you go because it’s pretty much complete before you can try it on.

I’m planning on making another one.  I really like it.  One criticism that I have and that I will change for next time is the crotch piece is just too wide.  The last suit I made fit way better down there so I’m going to adjust the crotch pattern piece for the next one. The only other adjustment I will make is to take in the back by about 1/2 inch to an inch.  Otherwise this suit is literally perfect.  I love the cut and the style.

By the way taking pictures of yourself in a swimsuit is quite possibly the most awkward thing but oh well!

This is my “I’m over this picture process!” moment.

See you next week!  Only 12 weeks to go!