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Successful swimsuit conversion to tankini top

Thought I'd report on my latest experiment on swimwear for a busty person. I like tankini type tops but don't find the halter style I like with bra-sized cups all that often. I saw this

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in my size on Ebay at a bargain and bought it with the thought ofconverting it to a tankini top. (I wear my tops with black swimshorts from Lands End.) It worked out quite well and was not verydifficult. The most rewarding part was dyeing it chocolate brown.Being mostly nylon it took RIT dye instantly and turned out a richdark color. The white trim turned out khaki. Instant gratification!The steps to convert it are exactly what you'd imagine: whack off thebottom and hem! I used a stretch twin needle and stabilized heavilywith Sulky Solvy.

I made it more complicated by wanting it longer than the leg openings would allow. It took several hours more to make a pattern for the fill-in pieces and splice them in. For that I used the multiple-step zig-zag to allow for maximum stretch in all directions. I managed to get an extra 2.5 inches in length, which I covet. (An average tankini length from the underbust is something around 6 or 7 inches. I prefer

  1. So, I got pretty close.) Since it's a dark color the arches on the hips hardly show. Frankly, they pretty much look like a design element ;-). Also, I used a strip of swimwear lining I had lying around for the hem, thereby shortening the tankini only a quarter of an inch.

It was a silly idea, but for $12 US I got a correctly-sized and pretty colored tankini top. For that price if I wanted a matching bottom I could probably just buy another full suit and make it from that. Don't know if anyone else will ever try this, but if yes I can say that it works! (I'm going to do a second one in plum!)

Pora

P.S. May I mention that just because a swimsuit has an underwire "bra", it doesn't mean it provides any support. This suit, though in my proper bra size, left my girls less than uplifted. Like, halter up and halter off meant no difference in their position! Good thing I have a seamless bra I wear swimming!

Reply to
wurstergirl
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but in my size on Ebay at a bargain and bought it with the thought of> converting it to a tankini top. (I wear my tops with black swim> shorts from Lands End.) It worked out quite well and was not very> difficult. The most rewarding part was dyeing it chocolate brown.> Being mostly nylon it took RIT dye instantly and turned out a rich> dark color. The white trim turned out khaki. Instant gratification!> > The steps to convert it are exactly what you'd imagine: whack off the> bottom and hem! I used a stretch twin needle and stabilized heavily > with Sulky Solvy.>

So?? WHen do we get to se a picture of the transformation??? I'm especially interested because I prefer tankinis these days. At one point I had the triangle top bikini...back when I was younger and skinnier...will never go back. I currently have a tankini that I bought online....not bad, but could use some tweaking.

Larisa, looking forward to seeing the finished pics

Reply to
offkilterquilter

Oh, I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking about this! I'll see what I can do about pics. Our digital camera is not that reliable lately. (What tankini did you buy online?) Mining Ebay for the suits takes a little effort. Email me your size and we can hunt together!

Pora

Reply to
wurstergirl

currently store size 14....will try to find a link to the one I bought last year....or maybe it was the year before.....either way, it was an attached skirt over the bottom to cover my hips and butt...lol

Reply to
larisavann

G'day Pora

Congratulations!! so pleased it worked out for you. Like you, I have 'never' found a swimsuit that has enough bust support, even though this is a feature in the description. I emailed one seller and when she replied that she was heavy-busted too and the swimsuit had 'lots' of support I trusted her.....only to find when it arrived that the built-in bra would be lucky to support a 10A!!

As mentioned previously, I've been wearing tankinis for many years as I find them more comfortable and if you are wearing them all day, a trip to the loo is so much easier....specially when bush camping!!

My pattern originated from the KwikSew 'Making beautiful Lingerie' book so the bottoms are the regular brief pattern, that I use for all my lingerie and the top is a variation of the princess style teddy, that has been lengthened to a similar measurement as you did for your top. Sometimes I add a short (approx 10cm or 4") skirt. Rather than making a built-in bra, these days I just wear an old bra underneath as this makes it a quick and easy job to make a new tankini.

I find that a lightweight jersey works really well, has lots of body and doesn't need lining and also is not affected by chlorine in a heated pool.

Have fun! Bronwyn ;-)

off kilter quilter @somewherequiet.net wrote:

Reply to
HC

Yeah, it's pathetic what some people consider "terrific!" bust support. Would their heads explode if they ever got a really good uplift? :-)

Can't say anything about bush camping. I'm glad for the half hour I spend with my preschooler at the YMCA pool twice a week! But the tankini is my style, either way.

I'm intrigued by the description of the princess teddy-turned- tankini. One reason I've stayed away from sewing my own tankinis is that I don't know how to add several cup sizes to a stretch garment pattern. I do own the Kwik Sew Swimwear book but I seem to remember their cup adjustments being very, uh, standard. I haven't got the courage to try putting in darts, more gathers, or adjust princess seams in lycra that has different stretch in cross directions . Do you have anything to share here about how to do it?

[Actually I bought an It Figures tankini top that I love the style of, and I wish I could 1) make a pattern from it and 2) add cup sizes to the pattern. If I had a clue how to add cup sizes I'd go ahead and cut it apart.]

I've been doing the swim bra thing for a long time. It definitely makes it easier to mix and match with any tankini of the same neckline and forget about the inner structure.

I think my pricey Moontide tankini was made from something like this. It was two layers and reversible and just luscious to wear. That was several sizes ago so if I could find a source I'd love to sew with it.

Thanks! It looks like my Ebay source ran out of the suit I converted, boo hoo.

Pora

Reply to
wurstergirl

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