Home » Inspiration

Category: Inspiration

8101 Swimsuit Alterations Part 1 – Style Changes

I know you lot are a creative bunch and I can’t wait to see some of your own amazing swimsuits!
In the mean time, part 1 is focusing on a couple of extra style changes you might like to make. Jen (Grainline Studio) pointed out some lovely Madewell swimsuits that have a similar silhouette and I saw they did some nifty strap options on the back. I think it would look great on Version 2 with the low cut back, so here’s some how-to’s for playing around with strap options!

Criss Cross Straps on a Low Back

Here’s some swimsuit backs to give you inspiration on how to play around with the straps.Maison Fleur 8101 swimsuit inspo

Source from top right, clockwise: Asos, Madewell, Kooj

To recreate this look, make longer straps for the neck ties, around 30-35″ should be enough to go across the back, but to be on the safe side you can sew the straps the full cross-wise length of your fabric & trim after you’ve tried it on.
You’ll want to sew up two small rouleaux straps, each about 2cm (3/4″) long and fold them in half to make loops. Sew these into the sides, just below the seam where the cups join the bodice. To recreate the Kooj back, take the back back from Version 2 and remove 2.5 cm (1″) from the centre back. Then follow the pattern instructions for finishing the ends of the bikini band in version 3.
Tune in for the next post which will go into some basic fit changes.

Fabric Inspiration for the 8101 Swimsuit

If you’re making the 8101 swimsuit I thought I’d provide a little fabric inspiration to get you’re creative juices going for the 8101 swimsuit. I had a lot of fun doing some virtual fabric shopping picking out different styles of print and colours!
Let’s start with some solid colours – I really like having contrasting straps and ties, especially with a solid colour, you’ll only need 1/5 yrd of fabric in the contrast colour.
Maison Fleur Patterns swimsuit inspiration 8101
Source: 1. Coral & Mint 2. Gold 3. Scarlett Red  4.Mermaid Scales  5. Milliskin Matte in Purple and Gold 6. Mint & Navy
*Yes I realise that number 4 isn’t a solid, but it’s just so pretty and reminiscent of a mermaid, don’t you think?
I like milliskin for solid colours as one side tends to be shiner than the other, even with the milliskin matte so you can play around with having the straps made from the reverse side to the body of the swimsuit. I would note that it can be a little less than opaque when fully stretched, so if you’re going for a light colour you may want to line the whole swimsuit to ensure coverage. I also find milliskin tends to have more stretch to it – it usually has 20% spandex in it’s composition compared to more regular nylon lycra that usually has around 10%, so if you do get a milliskin I’d check the stretch and see if you need to size down for it.
If you’re more of a print kind of gal then check out some of these below. The leopard with the black band contrast keeps catching my eye.
Maison Fleur 8101 Swimsuit Inspiration
 
Source: 1. Blue Stripe 2. Cheetah Print 3. Colour Streaks 4. Stripes & Fruit 5. Green Plaid 6. Honeycomb 7. Liberty of London 8. Pink Gingham 9. Stars & Stripes
I couldn’t resist the 4th of July themed one as the holiday weekend is only a few weeks away in the USA.
They all use the 8101 sewing pattern as is with the except for the blue diagonal stripe, where I decided to add a centre seam to create a chevron pattern with the diagonally printed stripes. It screams original Barbie to me, so I might have to make myself one just like it now!
Please note that the prints aren’t 100% to scale in these illustrations and that I haven’t actually seen or handled most of these fabrics in person, so make sure you order a swatch to check suitability before buying. For more information, the fabric requirements, supplies list and sizing chart are all listed on the 8101 Product Page.
What fabric are you going to make your swimsuit in? i can’t wait to see them pop up in the wilds of the internet… Happy fabric shopping!