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Professor Pincushion: Hi and welcome to Professor Pincushion. In this tutorial we are going
to be working on Kwik Sew pattern 4003. We are going to be focusing on creating View
B which is that bikini. So let's take a quick look at an example of what we will be creating
today. This bikini has straps that tie behind the neck and back. You can see the top has
layered pinked edges for a unique look. The bikini bottom also has a pinked ruffle to
match with the top.
Let's continue with the information on the envelope. The first thing I am going to consult
which is on the back of the pattern envelope is going to be the body measurement chart.
This is going to determine what size we are cutting out and also how much fabric we are
going to need. Now you will see here, it's put up by bust, waist and hip and we also
have back, waist and length.
But this is for a bikini, so we are going to keep it very simple. The top row for each
section is going to be in inches, which you can see over here and below that is going
to be in centimeters. They just have the range of inches in order to determine the size,
you can see the sizes listed up here on top. So you kind of just have to kind of fit yourself
and arrange and then that's going to tell you. Now the nice thing is, since itís a
bikini and you have the bra part and then you have the *** section, you can do two
different sizes.
So if you fit better in a medium for the bust line, you can cut out a medium for the bra.
But it maybe small in your hips, so then the *** section you can cut out a small. Next,
it's important to look at the suggested fabrics. Since we are doing a bathing suit, it is so
important that we do a knit that has a two-way stretch.
So they are saying, definitely use the spandex Lycra and then actually give you this really
handy chart, right here in the side. So if you cut the pieces four inches out of your
fabric, by holding it at the end, you should be able to stretch it to here. If you are
able to do that, then the fabric is going to be appropriate to use.
Next we can figure out how much fabric we are going to need and it's nice because I
broke it up depending on whether or not you are using 45 inch with fabric or 60 inch with
fabric and this is all in yards. So depending on what you have, you are going to have to
look at the fabric information tag on the end of the bolt. If I'm using say for example
60 you can go ahead and ignore this.
We also know that we are doing View B, the bikini, so we can ignore everything that says
View A, so I'm doing 60, doing View B, I am going to find my size, I am going to go down
the column and then go across the View B row and it says I am going to need 5/8ths of a
yard of main fabric I am using for the bikini. Then we also need lining, so this is going
to go on the inside of the bathing suit and it's the same thing View B going down to
small and I am going to need a half yard of lining fabric. Then we also need additional
notions, so not only do you need some matching all-purpose thread before the bikini you are
going to need 7 yards of 3/8ths of an inch swimwear elastic. A
And because of the design that they have on the bathing suit, they also suggest to use
either a rotary cutter that has a pinking blade or in my case, since I don't have that
I am just going to use my pinking shears. As an option way you can also have a one pair
of swimsuit bra cups if you want add a little extra padding.
This diagram is going to tell us what pieces make up our garment and which ones we need
to cut out.
So you, if you are only doing view B, you only need to cut out the pieces that have
View B behind it. So we can go ahead and ignore these ones if we are not doing View A and
they also make it really easy down here, it just tells you View B, you need to cut out
pattern pieces four through 15. But it's also nice that they break it out and you will
see the numbers here correspond with the numbers that they show on the actual pieces, which
is nice because if you are doing two different sizes for the bra and for the ***, you can
see oh for ***, they are going to be pieces 11 through 15.
So that way it makes a little bit easier for you. Sometimes your pattern pieces will have
more than one size attached to them, so you will see something that has a series of lines
and then they will have the sizes. So you just find your size and then you cut out the
line that's above that. Now if it's just a single line, then that means it's for all
sizes and if you see symbols like this, these are notches and they are very important because
-- there for helping us place pieces together in a certain way.
So you need to either make an indication by cutting into the notches doing a slit, just
make sure that you don't cut into or pass the seam allowance or you can do like I did,
where I cut a little outward notch. After you cut out your pattern pieces, then you
can look at the layout direction they have. So this diagram shows you how they suggest
you layout your pieces on your fabric.
And they suggest it in a particular way because in this particular example, it's very important
that you place your pieces in a way that you get the greatest degree of stretch going around
your body instead of up and down. If you are using the Lycra, you will be able to stretch
it this way, but you should be able to stretch it more going up and down with the salvages
up at the top and then you have a fold on one side.
Now you will see some of these pieces like 12 and 11 and some of these other ones need
to be placed on the fold to know for sure you are going to look at the actual pattern
pieces and it will say on one side place on fold or put this side on fold or something
like that. Now this one, piece number ten, you will see here there's a note and they
want you to cut out one number 10, but they want it to be twice the length of the pattern
piece.
They werenít able to fit it on the side here next to 14, so they just put it across the
top and all you do is just pin it to one side, you can draw a line around it, then you could
take off the pattern piece, you are going to flip it over to the other side with the
ends meeting up in the middle. So you end up with one long piece that's double the
size of the original pattern.
Since this is folded in half, some of these pieces you'll end up getting to just by cutting
them out once. Now this set up is for the 45 inch with fabric, below it we have the
60 inch width. So this is something you would follow, if you're doing the wider fabric like
I am. It's a kind of a similar thing, on this side, the fabric is folded in half with the
salvages on the end and you have some pieces placed on the fold. So you get one long piece
and then a couple of them are just put on there, so you end up getting two of 5 and
two of six.
Then they want you to cut off whatever fabric is leftover and over here shows you the next
setup, where you are folding it on the bottom big enough so you can cut 12 on the fold and
then you are folding it again on the top, so you can cut out piece number 11 on the
fold and then get your other pieces as well.
Lastly we need to cut out our lining pieces, so our lining pieces should also be cut out
of a Lycra type fabric, so it's also stretchy and for this we only need to cut out pieces
nine and 13. 13 needs to be placed on a fold, you see the fabric is folded in half and the
nine, we just need two pieces of that.
The nice thing about these directions, is they give you some tips on sewing with Lycra
fabric now. Now if you are using an overlock machine, just using a regular overlock stitch
is probably fine. You can just sew how you normally will, if you are using a sewing machine
like I am, then there are a few different options you can do. If you have a machine
that can only do a straight stitch and they show you an example right here, probably what
you are going to have to do is as you are sewing, you are going to slightly pull the
fabric.
That way it's going to have some stretch once you let go. You don't want to pull a
lot, just a little bit. So they show doing a regular stitch at your seam allowance and
then up at the top, you are going to do another set of stitches. Probably best if you have
a machine that can at least do a zigzag stitch and they show you a couple of examples here.
So this is a narrow, a very narrow zigzag stitch and then they do a medium one on top
and then here is the same thing, but they have a zigzag stitch which is made up of little
stitches. It's a good idea to at least take scraps of fabric before you start sewing your
garments, so you can experiment on it, stitch it with a couple of different examples and
then stretch the fabric to see if it's something you are going to like as we definitely want
the bathing suit to have some stretch when we are sewing with it.
Now this one at the top, this is probably my ideal one to use. My machine calls it an
overcast seam and here's an example of me just doing it on a scrap. So it looks like
a regular stitch, I don't have to stretch it as I am sewing, I just sew as normal and
then you see that it still has some stretchiness to it. So for me, this is perfect.
Looking through the rest of our directions, we can see what our seam allowance is going
to be. So in this case itís a 5/8ths of an inch unless the direction state anything other
than that. So if they just say, do a seam, we are always going to assume, it's 5/8ths
of an inch. Now to read the directions, I am just going to skip this over a little bit.
You will see up here, they have the illustration code.
So if it's dark, that means we are looking at the right side and this is for reading
the pictures that we see right here. So would be looking at the right side, white is going
to be looking at the wrong side of the garment or the fabric and then there's the lining,
so right side of lining, wrong side of lining.
So we are not going to be doing the cover and I'm actually going to be starting on the
other side of the page and this is going to be swimsuits. So we are going to start up
with step one and basically what I'm going to do, I'm going to read the written directions
and then I'm going to demonstrate what you need to do for that step.
Step one is broken up into multiple parts, so we are just going to take one part at a
time and the first section is trim bra strap close to edge along top panel seam using a
rotary cutter with a pinking blade or using pinking shears. Trim bra top panel along middle
panel seam and draw a middle panel along bottom panel seam in the same manner. This part is
very easy, so you are going to take your pieces that are 4, 5 and 6.
And you should have two of each one because there's two parts to the bra section. I am
just going to show you with one section, but you are going to do everything twice. So at
the bottom of each of these pieces, the bottom of 4, the bottom of five and the bottom of
six, you are going to either use a rotary cutter with a pinking blade or you are going
to use the pinking shears which means, it's going to be scissors that have the zigzag
pattern.
And you're going to trim off the bottom portion, so you end up getting a zigzag for design
to it and I actually have one already done. And you're not trimming off a lot, you are
just doing it on the edge, so you end up getting this design and again you are going to do
the same thing, for your five piece and then for the six piece as well.
Next you are going to lap bra strap over bra top panel having pinked edge along placement
line for a strap. The top stitch half inch from pinked edge using a double needle. If
you look at piece five, because we are going to attach four with five, and on our pattern
piece of number five, you are going to see a line and it says placement line for strap,
this is actually three quarters of an inch from the top of the number five pattern. And
You should've marked this on your fabric piece and you can just my chalk marks very faintly
here. You are going to have both pieces right side up and you are going to take the pinked
edge of the number four piece, which is the bra strap and you are going to have it, so
it lines up with that placement. And you are just going to pin them together because then
we are going to take them to the machine in order to do the top stitch.
When using a double needle also known as the twin needle, you are actually going to be
sewing with two spools of thread. So the first one, I am just going to thread like normal,
so you start with whatever you do and you are going to have to look at your machine
manual to see if your machine can even do two spools. My machine comes with another
attachment, so I am going to attach another spool up here.
And then I am just going to thread this one, just like I do with my other one. You just
want to be careful that you don't you get your threads too tangled, you want to keep
them as neat as possible, so I am just carefully going to go through this one and then we will
show the needle next. I was able to purchase my twin needle from the fabric store and because
it has a single base at the top, you just put it in like you would a regular needle.
Now you can see that you have to thread each individual needle, we have two of them here
and then you just have your bobbing as normal. Now the packaging on mine said, that you need
to have a machine that has the functionality of doing a zigzag stitch, because what they
want you to do is, you set it for a zigzag, but then you put the width of the stitch all
the way to zero. So it's basically doing a straight stitch.
I did both, I did the zigzag and then I just did a regular straight seam and mine worked
perfectly both ways. If your machine cannot do the double needle and you can only do a
single needle, you can go ahead and do that. I will just two rows of stitches and just
make them an eighth of an inch apart. Now working with Lycra, it can be a little bit
challenging, because not only does it stretch, but also it can be slippery and it could just
be frustrating to work with.
So here are some tips. If you find that when you are starting to stitch, and you are starting
on the edge and then ends up getting sucked down into the bobbin area, don't start on
the complete edge moving forward. Now you can actually go a little bit ahead of it as
long as you are still within that 5/8th seam allowance, it should be fine. So as long as
you are starting, just a little away from the edge, it might help a little bit.
Also what I find tends to help is sandwiching my fabric between tissue paper. So I have
tissue paper here on top and then I also have tissue paper on the bottom. When I finish
stitching, I just tear the tissue paper off. Now in this particular case with the double
stitches, it's definitely easier to take it off the top, than the bottom because we
have the bobbin crisscrossing on the bottom of this particular stitch. I can't always
get off all the tissue paper, but there is going to be a lining on the back.
So I am not really concerned about it, as long as you get all the tissue paper off the
front, then you should be fine. So I have my tissue paper underneath where I am stitching
and then the one on top, I am making sure that this bottom edge right here is lining
up with the bottom edge of my zigzag in right here. Because we need to stitch a half inch
from this bottom here, so about right here. So if I pin my tissue paper to my fabric,
right on the edge, I am just marking with a fabric marker, half inch up.
So that way I have a guideline to use as I am sewing and then I just stitch right on
that tissue paper and what I find is the tissue paper really helps it feed evenly. If I don't
use a tissue paper, I tend to see that my seams or my stitches end up looking a little
wavy which drives me nuts and this way, definitely my stitches come out a lot flatter.
To continue with step one, you are next going to lap bra strap and bra top panel over bra
middle panel having pinked edge along placement line for the top panel and. Top stitch one
have inched from pinked edge using a double needle, then you are going to let bra strap
top and middle panel over bra bottom panel having pinked edge along placement line the
middle panel and the top stitch half inch from pinked edge using a double needle, repeat
for other bra.
We are just going to repeat, so now we are taking this piece, so this is the piece that
we just stitched four to five and it looks pretty good. Let me show you, I just want
to show you the back real fast. So you can see a little bit of my tissue paper stuck
in there, which you can nitpick and take out or just not use tissue paper on the back.
But like I said, since there is going to be a lining, I am not too concerned about it.
So you are just going to do the same thing, right side facing up, you are going to take
piece number six, right side facing up. You have the placement line again on the pattern
piece, you are going to make sure that the edge of your pinking cut here is going to
line up with that line. And then you are going to do the double stitch with your twin needle.
Then you are going to grab a piece number seven, so this is the bottom part of the bra
and I am just going to scoot this down a little bit. And you are going to do the same exact
thing. This piece also has the placement line, so this is right side up, right side up, all
you are going to do is now you are going to take this part, line it with the line, do
your double stitch, just like we have done before. And then this section is complete
and you can go ahead and do it with the other bra section, the same exact thing.
Step two, pin cup lining to bra, wrong sides together, baste side and strap edges. So now
we are going to be using piece number nine and this what you should have cut of your
line. Of course, you have two, one for each side. So you are going to take one set and
here is my finished piece that we just created in step one. And I am going to lay it so it's
going to be wrong side facing up.
I am going to put this one, so it's wrong sides together, so I am looking at the right
side of the lining and you are just going to line everything up. And you may find that
the lining doesn't go completely to the edge of your main fabric because mine definitely
doesn't. So all I am going to do is I am going to pin around the perimeter, you don't have
to do this area here. You are just doing here across the top and then across this other
side and then we are going to do a basting stitch in this area.
For the basting stitch we can go ahead and switch back to a single needle. Now I am using
a ballpoint which is great for knits and my size is 10/70 and I am just going to go ahead,
starting basting my pieces. Now with basting you are going to use the largest stitch on
your machine and you don't have to worry about back stitching, you are just going to
baste this areas that you have done before.
And it doesn't really matter if you do it at the 5/8ths or you do it at the half inch,
this is just a temporary stitch to hold the pieces together. You can see, I am going to
go ahead and use my tissue paper trick. It just really helps it run a lot smoother and
itís a little bit more manageable at least for me. You can do whatever system works for
you. Again you don't have to do any back stitches, make sure you have the largest stitch
and go ahead and baste.
Step three, for each side, cut four pieces of 3/8ths inch wide swimmer elastic in the
following ways and then depending on what size you are going to do, you are going to
cut four pieces with the inches that give you, so I am doing a small. So I am going
to do four, 13.5 inches in length, pin one piece of elastic to wrong side of bra and
each side with one end of elastic at bottom edge.
And the other end, at the strap edge having the edge of elastic even with the edge of
the fabric, stitch on top of the elastic, stretching elastic evenly to fit. See elastic
and sewing procedures, turn under elastic to wrong side to form hem and top stitch using
a double needle stretching elastic to fit. Repeat for other bra. So you're taking each
of your elastic pieces, you're going to line it up at the top of your strap piece and you
are going to line up with the right edge on the side here.
And you are just going to pin all the way down, now it's kind of curvy at one point.
So you may have to stretch it a little bit to go around the curve and then pin to the
end here. And you can say I have already done it on this side. Then we are going to take
it to our machine, and your going to do a zigzag stitch all along the top of the elastic.
I am going to go ahead and stitch my zigzag stitch right in the middle of my elastic.
Now itís a little tough to get started, you just got to kind of help it a little bit to
get started. Now you can either do a three step zigzag which is what I am doing, so itís
three individual stitches that make up each zig or zag or you can do a wide regular zigzag.
Next what you are going to do is this is the part that we just sewed our elastic on. I
have the piece right side facing up and all I am going to do is take the elastic portion
of it and I am going to turn it under.
So then I am feeling the edge of the elastic up here at the fold. So if we turn it this
way, you can see the elastic is completely folded over and then you are going to use
your double needle and you are going to top stitch all along the side that has the elastic.
And you can see I have already done it on this side. Step four, pin strap extension
to fabric side of bra at strap seam matching notches and having fold line at strap at neckline
of bra.
Stitch strap seam ending at fold line, press seam allowances towards strap extension, fold
strap extension along fold line, right sides together and stitch outer edge and turn straps
right side out on outside hands, so opening to strap seam, repeat for other bra. So it
seems like there is a lot, we are just going to take one part at a time. First you are
going to need your bra piece and then you are going to need piece number eight.
Again there's two of them, because you need one for each size. Let me just point out on
this one, you will notice that there will be a fold line, right in the middle and I
just started my fold line, right here. So I would know where it is at the top. You are
going to have this right side up, this part, this is right side down. But this part at
the top is going to line up with the notches that are up here. So I am just going to scoot
this down, lay this on top of here. You are matching up the raw edge with a raw edge.
Now this side of the strap is going to line up right with your fold line here and then
your notches should match up. So you see I am only matching up this one, not this one
because this is eventually going to be folded over. So all I am going to do is pin and then
we are going to stitch a 5/8ths seam allowance, just for the part of our strap right here.
When doing your seam, this is where you can decide on whether or not you want to do a
zigzag stitch or an overcast stitch, you are just going to make sure that you go ahead
and do a backstitch. And once you get to this point, you can go ahead and stop stitching.
Next you are going to take the extension strap and you are going to pull it up away, from
the rest of the bra and you will see that you have your seam allowance naturally folding
over. Now we are looking at the wrong side here, but this is the right side right here.
Next what you are going to do is you are going to take this extension piece, you are going
to fold it in half, so the right sides are together. So you are folding right on that
fold line again. You are going to pin and stitch your 5/8ths seam allowance, starting
here at the base of where you strap meets your bra, and you are going to stitch up here
and then across here, again at the 5/8ths mark.
I then trim my seams and I am going to take this part and I am going to flip it right
side out. So then all my seam allowance in the top of this is going to be tucked in the
inside of the extension of the strap extension. And then we are going to slip stitch this
bottom portion fold closed, but we will get a little bit closer. So we can show you how
to do that.
You are going to do the slip stitch by hand, so you need to get some matching thread and
a hand needle. I am actually using a contrasting thread, so it will be a little bit easier
for you to see. And you can see this is the strap extension here and here is the strap,
the top of the strap from the bra section. I am just going to grab a little bit right
along the fold line here and try to tuck in my knot, so it's hidden.
So now I'm going to grab a little bit of the top of the bra strap and then a little bit back of the fold of
the extension and I am just going to go back and forth between the two sides and if you
use a matching thread, you are not going to see that all, but you could just barely see
my own. So I am going to grab some of the top of the strap, then the extension strap
and I am just going to zigzag back and forth till this whole thing is stitched.
Step five, the bra cups are optional, try on the suit, insert cups and pin in place.
Depending on the type of cups used, pin or attach to seam allowances or aligning with
hand stitches, pin lining to bra bottom edge and overcast edges together. Repeat for other
bra. So if you want to you can use a bra cup and there are different types. So itís just
a type that I happen to have and you're just going to place it in between your lining and
the main fabric on the outside.
But you definitely want to at least lay this on your bust, so you can kind of place where
you want the cup to be. And then you can pin it into place. Now to hand sew, I usually
like to flatten it out, so then I can make sure that I don't have any wrinkles and everything
is lined flat. And then I just tack around the edges and I am just attaching it to the
lining and the bra cup together.
If yours is big enough you can actually just stitch it to the seam allowance, so then itís
not going to be as noticeable. You can see the other one I've done here. You can definitely
see all my stitches all the way around, but if you donít want any cups, you also have
the option of not putting any cups at all.
The second part of the step is you're going to actually pin this bottom edge right here
because this is now open. So you are going to do this after you put in the bra cups,
if thatís what you want to do and you're going to do an overcast stitch all along this
bottom edge. You are doing it right close to the edge.
Step six to make casing for tie a bottom edge, fold three quarters of an inch to line inside
and stitch close to edge. Repeat for other bra. So all you're doing is you are taking
this bottom edge and you are folding it up, so itís three quarters of an inch. Now the
problem is, is this bottom portion is wider than what you are folding up to, so what you
will find, it's not going to fit.
You're trying to fold it up and then all of a sudden, you are get puckers increases. So
for me what I did in order to fix this problem as I did two rows of basting stitches, that
you can see right here, I did the 5/8ths and the one at the 3/8ths mark and I am not doing
any back stitching. So these are my gathering stitching and then on one side, I am just
going to pull the top threads and it's going to start gathering the fabric.
And I am not trying to really create any big wrinkles or anything, I am just trying to
ease it in. So it's going to fit a little bit better and itís going to be a little
bit more evenly distributed instead of all bunched up in one section. So I just kind
of pull it and then I just kind of distribute it, so it meets in the middle and everything.
And then you're going to fold it up and go ahead and do your stitch right on the edge,
so your zigzag stitch, your overcast stitch. I have already did it on my other ones and
let me bring that one in. So you can see my stitches right down here and it is all stitched
up, so now I have a casing, you can see where I am putting my fingers right now, so I can
put my tie through it.
Step seven, fold bra tie in half length wise, right sides together and stitch using a 3/8ths
inch seam allowance, trim close to stitching, turn right sides out using a loop turner or
follow these procedures. Cut a small opening on folded edge, a half inch from one end.
Hook bobby pins through the opening and insert into strap, guide bobby pin through strap
to other end, trim end, cut opening.
So you are going to take your piece number ten and you should only have one, which is
double the size of the pattern piece because you should have placed it on the fold or did
the layout directions which was for the 45 inch width fabric. You have it right side facing
up, all you are going to do is fold it in half. Let me grab my pins here and you are
going to do it for the whole length of the tie.
And then you're going to stitch 3/8ths of an inch from the raw edge, so instead of doing
your 5/8ths seam allowance, you are only doing a 3/8ths seam allowance. After I stitch my
seam allowance, I am going to go ahead and trim off the extra seam allowance there. And
then you are going to use either a loop turner or if you don't have a loop turner, you can
use their idea which is to use a bobby pin for turning the whole tie right side out.
So all I did is just snip on the folded side of the tie half inch from the edge and I am
cutting almost to the bottom here. And careful not to cut into my stitches, then you're going
to stick the bobby pin on the opening, both sides are going in to the tie and then you're
just going to pull it through, so I am holding my bobby pin with one hand.
And then gathering it with my other hand and then I am going to pull. Once you finish turning
the whole thing right side out, what you can do is go ahead and cut off that end, that
half inch that you cut into, so we have a nice, a nice end. Step eight, for bra tie,
cut one piece of 3/8ths of an inch, wide swimwear elastic of the following length.
And they give you a chart and you are taking your 3/8ths inch elastic and you are cutting
whatever they say for your size, so for me the small, I am doing 55 inches. Insert elastic
into tie having ends even, top stitch allowance center of tie using a double needle, insert
tie into bra casings, tie knots at end of ties.
So now you're taking your tie and it's all flipped out right side out now and you are
going to sticking your 3/8ths inch elastic into the middle of your tie and you can see
at the end, I just stuck a little safety pin, so it's a little bit easier for me to get
through it.
And all I am going to do is just the -- kind of the same thing where I'm gathering the
fabric on to my safety pin and then I am pulling the fabric on the other end with my hand.
So it just makes it a little bit easier, so this is going to go all the way through, so
that the ends of the elastic are even with the ends of the tie.
And once you finish, you are again going to use your double needle and you are going to
do that double top stitch right down the middle of the tie, so it's nice and flat and then
after that's done, we will show you what to do next in order to finish up the bra side
of the bikini.
Lastly you are going to take your tie and you are going to put it through your casing
at the bottom of the bra section. And I actually put a safety pin at the end of this as well.
So it will be a lot easier for me to get it through the casing and once you have it through
at the end of each tie, you are going to tie a knot. So that way itís not going to come
accidentally through the casing again.
And then the top of your bikini is done. Step seven, pin front to back right sides together
at crotch seam matching centers. Pin right side of front lining to wrong side of back
and stitch through all layers. Fold lining toward front and pin raw edges together at
waist and leg openings, stitch together close to waist sides and leg openings using a narrow
zigzag stitch.
We are going to be working on the *** now of our bikini. And for this we are going
to be working with piece 12 and 11. Both of these pieces should have been cut on the fold,
so when you open it up, you have one as twice the size. The first part is very easy and
there are several parts to this, so we are just going to do one part at a time, so the
first part of what you are going to do is you are going to take each of these, the right
side facing up.
And I'm going to lay them on top of each other, so this section down here is going to meet.
Now you will notice that this piece kind of curves outward and this piece curves inward.
I am just going to force this bottom piece to kind of curve outward like this top piece.
And it's a little and this one seems a little bit smaller, so what I would do is I would
pin the ends and then stretch the bottom in order for it to fit this section. Then you
are going to do your 5/8ths seam allowance. Next you are going to flip your *** over,
so you are looking at the wrong side of the back. And you are going to grab piece number
13 and this is the front lining and so you had one of these. And you are going to lay
it, so it goes right side of lining to wrong side of back.
And you going to do the same thing where you are pinning this bottom section here and then
doing a 5/8ths seam allowance. After creating the seam, I always like to trim it, then you
are going to be bringing the wrong side of the lining to the wrong side of the front.
So I am just going to flip this over. So everything is going to be lining up and you are going
to be matching your notches area.
Now the lining should be slightly smaller than your main fabric which is fine. Go ahead
and pin from here to here and you are going to go ahead and stitch right along the edge
using a narrow zigzag stitch. Step eight, stitch front to back right sides together
at side seams. So all you are doing basically your *** are wrong side out and the right
side of the front goes to the right side of the back again.
And you are going to attach them here at the side seam. Now the back is going to be a little
shorter than the front, but thatís fine. I am making sure that it matches up on top.
If the front extends past the back a little bit and that should be fine and you are going
to sew your 5/8ths seam allowance on this side and so the same thing on this side as
well.
Step nine, trim ruffle close to edge along bottom edge using a rotary cutter with the
pinking blade or using pinking shears. Stitch ruffle right sides together at side seam,
pin wrong side of ruffle to right side of waist with raw edges even matching right side
seams and fold on ruffle to left side seam. Baste ruffle to waist edge, stretching waist
edge to fit ruffle. So we are going to be working on the ruffle that's going to be at
the top of the ***.
And you are going to need piece 14, again this is another one that's cut on the fold.
So you can only see half of it, right now. The first thing you need to do is one side
needs to have the pinking design. So either use a rotor cutter with a pinking blade or
I use my pinking shears and just trimmed off the bottom. Again you are just doing it on
the edge, so you are not cutting off too much.
Then you are going to fold the piece in half with right sides together, so the right side
is facing up and fold it in half. Bring these raw edges together down here and you can go
ahead and stitch your 5/8ths seam allowance. Next we are going to baste our ruffle to the
top of our bikini bottom here. So the flat side, this raw edge is going to line up with
this raw edge and you are going to pin all the way around the whole thing.
Now our seam that we have in our ruffle here, this seam is going to line up with the right
side seam of the *** and this left side seam in the *** is going to line up with
this folded in half exactly. So I just put a little mark and this mark is going, I am
just going to line it up with this. So I am going to open up, now this is right side out,
this is right side out.
And slip this through here and I am just going to start with side seam on this side and then
I am going to match up the mark I made here with the side seam on the other side. And
you may have to stretch one of the pieces in order to get it to fit. You are going to
pin all the way around the whole thing and then you are going to baste it. Now your seam
allowance have been basted, it doesn't really matter, because it's just to hold these two
pieces together, so we can do the next step.
Step ten, stitch waist binding, right sides together at side seam and press seam allowance
open. Divide binding and waist into fours and mark. We are going to be dealing with piece
number 15 now. Again this is one cut on the fold, and I have it right side facing up.
You are going to do just the same thing we did with ruffle. You are going to bring it
together at the raw edge, the short raw edge here.
So itís folded in half, right sides again are together. And down here, you can go ahead
and stitch your 5/8ths seam allowance and in this particular case, you are going to
go ahead and press your seam allowances open. Flip your binding right side out and then
you are going to divide it in fours. And I am actually going to do this with straight
pins. So what I am doing is I am marking my seam, my seam line right here with a pin.
Then I am going to fold it in half from this point and then I am going to put a pin at
that halfway point. And then I am going to divide each of these sections now in half
as well and mark it with a straight pin. It's now going to take this point, point to point,
divide it in half and I am not, don't pull it, just gently mark it in half, because we
want it to be accurate.
And then I am going to do the same thing on the other side, so you should end up having
four marks, total. So now I am going to do this side and the halfway point, this is going
to help us evenly put on our binding to the top of our bikini bottom. All right, so once
you have that all marked up, you are then going to do the same thing with the top of
the ***. So you can see my pins are already in here and you are just going to do the same
exact thing.
So you end up with four pins at the top of this as well. Step 11, pin binding to waist,
right sides together, matching seam on binding to right side seam and the remaining marks.
Stitch 3/8ths of an inch from edge using a narrow zigzag stitch stretching binding if necessary
to fit waist. The binding is now going to go on the top half above the ruffle here at
the ***. You are going to make sure that your binding is wrong side out, but this is
still right side out and just like we did with the ruffle, you are going to have the
binding go over it.
And then the top of the bathing suit goes in between. So my side seam here, basically
you are just going to be matching your pins. My side seam and my binding is going to match
the right side seam of the ***. So I can just use more and pin these together and then
I would do the other half as well. So I would like to do half and then half that one.
So now I am going to match up these pins and you are just going to go all the way around,
just like you did with the ruffle. Now in this particular case, you are going to be
sewing a 3/8ths inch seam allowance, while using a narrow zigzag. Now I am going to match
up these ones and you may have to stretch your binding a little bit in order to get
it to fit, which is fine.
As long as you are not stretching it too much and then I am going to do the one in the back
as well. And then I would just add in pins in between just to kind of make sure that
everything, the raw edges are lined up and then you are again going to stitch that 3/8ths
narrow zigzag all the way around the whole piece.
Step 12, cut pieces of 3/8ths of an inch wide swimwear elastic in the following lengths.
For the waist, you are going to cut one depending on your size, thatís going to determine the
length and then for the leg, you need to cut two, again it depends on your size. Label
elastic pieces, overlap ends of each piece of elastic, 3/8ths of an inch and stitch together.
So you are going to take each of your pieces of elastic and you are going to bring the
ends together.
And make sure itís not twisted and you are going to overlap the ends 3/8ths of an inch
and then go ahead and stitch across, I would stitch across a couple of times, because I
really want to make sure that it's not going to come apart and don't forget to label each
pairs. You know which one is for the leg and then which one is for the waist.
Step 13, divide waist elastic and waist into fours with pins, pin elastic to wrong side
of waist matching marks and edge of elastic, even with edge of waist. Stitch on elastic,
stretching elastic if necessary to fit, see elastic in sewing procedures. You are going
to take your waist elastic and you are going to divide it into fours and mark it with pins,
like you see I have done here and do the same thing with the top of your waist.
So my bikini bottom is still right side out, this is the binding that we just sewed on
and what you are going to do is match up the forths again. So I am matching pins to pins
and you are going to pin it all the way around, making sure that the top of the elastic meets
up with the top of the raw edge of the ***. And between the pins, you can go ahead and
do more pins because you may have to stretch the elastic in order for it to fit, like I
am stretching right now in order to get to the next pin.
So you may have to just put in a bunch of pins in order to hold it. Once everything
is pinned, you are then going to do your zigzag stitch right in the middle of that elastic
like we did with our bikini top and that's going to secure the elastic to the top of
our bikini bottom. Continue in on with the step, forward binding over elastic to wrong
side, top stitch on binding close to seam using a medium zigzag with a medium to slightly
shorter stitch length or use a double needle.
Trim excess binding close to stitches. So all you are going to do now is take your binding
and you are going to fold it over the elastic. So now the elastic is going to be covered
and go ahead and pin this like this all the way around. So it's going to have a nice
finished edge, then you can go ahead and top stitch on the right side of the bikini bottom
close to the seam.
We have our seam right here, so probably about right here, you can either do the double needle
or you can do a medium zigzag stitch. Once you finish with that, you are going to turn
it into the inside of the bikini bottom and you are going to see your stitches and you
can just trim off the excess fabric that's hanging over.
Step 14, place leg elastic to wrong side of leg opening with edge of elastic even with
edge of fabric. Pin elastic without stretching to front leg opening between side seam and
notch. Stitch on top of elastic, stretching elastic to fit back leg opening and see elastic
in sewing procedures, turn under elastic to wrong side to form a hem and top stitch using
a double needle stretching the elastic to fit.
This is our last step and all we have to do is attach our last two remaining pieces of
elastic for the leg openings on both sides. Now all you are going to do is just like we
did for the top part, you are going to pin your elastic to the edge, the raw edge of
the bikini bottom. Now between your side seam and the single notch you are not going to
stretch the elastic. You are just going to lay it flat.
From the notch back up to the side seam, so the back portion of the leg, you can go ahead
and stretch the elastic. So from here to here, itís probably going to gather your fabric,
but from the notch upto the side seam, it should lie flat. So I am just going to go
ahead, pin this and after itís pinned, you can go ahead and do your zigzag stitch, right
in the middle of that elastic.
Lastly you are going to take the elastic and you are going to fold it over, so itís still
on the inside of the garment. Now on the right side, you can go ahead and top stitch using
your double needle, on the side that has the gathering, you are going to have to again
stretch it, because you wanted to be smooth and flat as you are sewing over it. I would
just take it in sections, so it's a little bit easier manage. After you finish the top
stitch go ahead and give a quick look at your bathing suit to see if there are any basting
stitches that could be removed.
This has been Kwik Sew 4003, we hope you enjoy your new bathing suit and some summer time
fun.
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