I made a one-piece swimsuit for our day trip to Bear Lake–a couple months after I thought about it and in a different fabric (also from my stash). This was mostly to test the pattern (the Seabright Swimmer) in advance of making the long sleeve version for any winter hot tubs, but I was pleased with it overall.
The front feels very vintage!
And the back keeps the sun off!
My one regret? I used the inferior cotton swim elastic instead of the good rubber elastic…and when the cotton gets wet, it relaxes…and that plunging front needs a snug elastic to keep things decent. (I brought a bikini to the lake just in case and I ended up changing into it.) That cotton swim elastic can shrink pretty dramatically, so I threw the suit in the dryer after this trip to try to fix it. But this might end up being a “poolside only” suit.
I also had to add two inches overall to the length of the pattern. My usual long torso adjustment is just one inch, but I gave myself wiggle room and used it all. (A short torso as drafted seems to be a common complaint with this pattern.) Other than that it was an easy sew. I changed some construction to get finished seams in the top and that was simple too.
Will I make it again? Yes! But I’ll use the rubber elastic and put some sleeves on it.