Sophie Swimsuit Pattern

5 reviews

The vintage look really appealed to me. I imagined myself looking quite glamorous in it.

I'm a quite heavily busted lady, so I had to do a couple of changes to make the suit appropriate to be seen wearing in public. To achieve the support I needed I modified and substituted a tried and true, already tested underwired cut & sew foam bra pattern for the pattern’s top and attached that bra to the bottom portion of the one piece. I also made the color block bottoms separately to be worn with a different suit. I had zero difficulties with the directions or assembly of the suits. I wore both suits during a 10 day trip where I had on swimwear from about 10am until 6pm daily.

Why not for me? I found that the vintage styled square shaped leg opening made my legs look quite stout and even shorter than usual. A 10 day trial was sufficient time for them to “grow on me”, but sadly they didn't look any more appealing after I was used to seeing myself in them. Both suits have gone in the trash now that I have re-claimed the parts of the suits I can re-use for other swim projects.

I had been wanting to try this pattern and was so excited to sew it! I'm an expert level sewist, so the instructions are fairly straightforward but the sizing leaves much to be desired. I wish the sizing worked within a usual cup/band formula instead of trying to create a new system. I tried sister sizing and making adjustments within this sizing scheme and ended up with a big mess. The cups are enormous in circumference but very flat. Sewing the bikini top was such a disappointment that I haven't bothered finishing the bottom and am dismantling the top for parts. This pattern seems to work well for others, but definitely not for my small band/large cups body type.

I have made bras before, but was always nervous to incorporate underwires. No more! They are easier than expected and the instructions were thorough.
There are a lot of steps, but I found it to be really worth sewing and a super enjoyable process. I really liked how the steps didn't have to be done by a serger and I really like the cup shape. If I could go back I would make the straps a lil thicker to give it even more of a vintage feel. There are a lot of options for color blocking the pieces and I used an old leopard print bikini top to make the cups! I think I will make the one piece in the future because it reminds me of a swimsuit my mom's old barbie had :) I am a 42 C

I've had my eyes on Sophie for 4 years but was too afraid or to late in my summer sewing list to attempt it.
This year it was my top priority and I've made two. The pattern is well fitted, explanations are so so clear. Next year's already planned and maybe the foam bra version too.

My sewing past mostly involved easy things (like curtains) and mending clothing, so this was far more challenging than I'm used to. I haven't yet finished the project, but I'm about 70% through and have been pleased with the pattern and the instructions and feel quite capable. My only complaint is that editing the pattern for a larger bust has been hard and discouraging. I increased the cups (somewhat) successfully only to later realize that the bands no longer matched up and will need to be redone. The pattern didn't promise to fit my size (F) so I won't hold that against it, however, the whole reason I'm willing to make my own bathing suit, which is an extremely time-consuming and rather expensive pursuit, is because I am not an average size. This is to say, if the pattern doesn't support people of unusual proportions, then who is this pattern for? If I was an average size, I would just buy a bathing suit pre-made. Overall, the pattern is great, just not made with me in mind.