Stripes and frills

My daughter recently graduated to squad swimming, and I thought that a one-piece might be a little more streamlined than the bikini / t-shirt combination that she had been wearing.  So even though it is the middle of winter, I am sewing swimmers (the pool is heated).

I usually use Stuart's blocks for my children's swimwear, but the link was not working on the day I was sewing these.  So I dug out an old Knitwit pattern that I picked up in an op shop.  I sewed size 8.  She is an average sized 8 yo.

Based on the cover photo, I decided to raise the leg line.  My daughter does find the leg line too high, so this was obviously an unnecessary alteration.  Lucky it is covered by a frill.

I also lowered the armhole and narrowed the straps.

This was to be a quick project, so I was going to sew them up just using the overlocker and my sewing machine, rather than fiddle about using the coverstitch machine for something new.  Well, I ran out of thread half way through stitching down the elastic, and the coverstitch machine was sitting there already threaded, so I moved seats and had a go.  It worked out fine and now I have tried something that I was fearing.

I added frills to the leg opening and the neckline.  The leg ones turned out fine, but I think that I should have added the neck one after the elastic, as turning under the gathered frill and the elastic was little too bulky.

The fabric was from stash, via Spotlight.  I lined the front with lining from Beach Bubble Swimwear.  The elastic is rubber elastic from Glitter and Dance.