Floral Bikini

While I was in Edmonton last month I stopped in at my favourite discount fabric store there and picked up a metre of this pretty printed spandex.

I can feel fall creeping up on this week here in northern Saskatchewan so I figured I better get to work and sew up a bathing suit with it before it's too late!

I used my own Endless Options Bikini Top pattern that I shared with you last year and my favourite Kwik Sew undies pattern for the bottoms.  I love the Endless Options top because it's just like it says, there are endless options for wearing it!

The bottoms were a little tricky because I lined them and had to make little tiny casings for all of the elastic instead of just securing it to the inside with a big zigzag stitch like I normally would.

I also wanted to use these cute plastic rings from my mom's stash for embellishments at the hip seam.

I refuse to show up on the internet in nothing but a bikini but here's a snapshot of how they sit so you can see that it doesn't just look like a pretty diaper.  The elastic really does stretch out and lay perfectly.

Only a few more weeks of beach weather around here but I think this little set will come in handy on my next warm weather vacation, hopefully this winter.

I'm obsessed with collecting vintage swimsuit patterns but I have to admit, until I came up with this great combo, I've always found sewing swimsuits a major challenge.  How about you?  Do you make your own swimwear?  If you have any tips or tricks make sure to leave a comment below~