Making the
Coralie swimwear and need a little extra help getting the fit just right? Well, you've come to the right place! This post will cover the most common fitting adjustments you might want to consider for your Coralie.
The Coralie swimwear, designed in collaboration with Hannah from Evie la Lùve, is a simple-to-sew, versatile swimwear pattern with multiple versions to choose from. Oh and did we mention it’s got ruffles too?! With so many gorgeous variations to sew we best get cracking!
Our bodies are all wonderfully different and part of the joy of making our own clothes, lingerie and swimwear is that we can customise them completely to our shape and not have to settle with something that "kinda fits" bought from a shop. As with all sewing patterns, to get a perfect fit on the Coralie pattern, you may find you need to tweak the pattern a little bit before cutting out your fabric.
For best results, we recommend making a test swimsuit or bikini – AKA a “toile” – first before sewing in any special or expensive fabrics to check size and fit. It’s super important when making your toile that you use a fabric that has the same amount of stretch and recovery in both directions as the fabric you plan to make your final swimwear from. If it has a different stretch percentage, unfortunately it’s almost pointless making a test garment as it will fit differently. So make sure the stretch percentage is the same before you start, to save wasting your time and fabric! The fabric you use needs to have at least 50% stretch both widthways and lengthways. (Check out the supplies section in the online workshop for how to measure stretch percentage.)
In this post we’re going to cover:
• Choosing your size
• Lengthening or shortening pattern pieces
• How to combine pattern sizes for different bust, waist and hip measurements
• Full bust adjustment
• Fixing a gaping seam
• Adjusting the leg height
• A quick fix for straps that are too long
How do I choose my sewing pattern size?
Taking accurate measurements is the first step in making sure that your swimwear will fit. The three measurements you will need to determine your size are your bust, waist and hip measurements.
Using a flexible tape measure, find the circumference of your:
• Bust – the fullest part of your bust, ie. around your nipples
• Waist – the narrowest point around your middle, where you bend at the side
• Hips – the fullest part of your bum (not around your hip bones, as the name suggests, which is higher up)
Check the tape measure is sitting level with the floor all the way around. It can help to turn to the side and look in a mirror to check.