DIBY Amelia Swimsuit

Pattern Stats: Amelia Swimsuit

Pattern designer: DoItBetterYourself.club

Pattern level: 3/10

Time start to finish: 2.5 hours

Suggested fabrics: Swim knit and lining, optional cups

My fabric: Geo swim, white lining and thin cups all from Mily Mae Fabrics

Options: High, mid or low necklines, high mid or low back, optional skirt

Price: On sale for $11 through April 26, 2019 then $12.99

I remember purchasing a one piece swimsuit when I was 2 months postpartum with my last kiddo. I desperately wanted to get in my best friends hot tub but my bikinis didn't cover enough to make me feel comfortable in my awkward body. I bought the correct size yet it was so uncomfortable! I didn't realize until recently that it was because I have a long trunk. Not only can adjust for that when I make my own but DIBY has detailed instructions for all adjustments. That's why I love my first swimsuit from them, the Amelia.

I signed up for this pattern test because I know how exceptional the fit of DIBY patterns ends up. I've never loved one-piece suits though. Even if they fit well, I just never found the look flattering on me. Then I saw a tester make the low back. I HAD to try it. For testing, we were asked to stick with certain neckline/back combinations which meant if I wanted to make a low back, I needed to use the high neckline. I fought it the whole way. Since my bust is small, I was afraid that the higher neckline would make me look smaller. I should have just trusted Jessica's vision because that was definitely not the case. 

The dramatic low back is definitely my favorite. It's sexy without being too much and stays on surprisingly well. It does have optional ties for the upper back but I opted for the open back to avoid extra tan lines. I realized when I tried it on for a quick fit check that this high neckline is going to make this the perfect suit for swimming with my kids. In the past, I've had them pull down my tops while they are trying to hold onto me which can't happen with this neckline. 

Now let's talk about what adjustment's I made to this Amelia. In all honesty, there were quite a few but that's the point since my goal is for a custom fit. What's great though is that the DIBY tutorial has detailed steps all the way through. First, I measured a size 6 upper bust, 10 full bust, 10 waist and 8 hip. I printed sizes 6, 8, 10 and graded accordingly but left the bust at size 6 as I needed to do an FBA. Next, I completed the Full Bust Adjustment guide to adjust 0.8 inches. The reason I need an FBA is that my full bust size does not fall into the same range as my upper bust. On a lot of knit patterns I can get away without the FBA but on something as form fitted as a swim suit, it would have been noticeable. The FBA added a second dart to the bust as seen above. Then, I went through the process of lengthening for my trunk. I needed to adjust 1.625 inches which should be split evenly. I ended up doing 7/8 for just below the notch and 3/4 for lower. I made sure to add the length so it wouldn't alter the back lines or need changes to the elastic lengths. 

Cups from the wrong side

Cups from the right side

Once I had my darts sewn up on both the lining and main pieces, I chose to add in thin cups to the lining. I find that I need a bit of thin coverage to avoid nipping in the water. These cups were just sewn in which I did from the wrong side of the swim lining using a zig zag stitch. One thing to note, I also have a very wide space between my breasts so that is why my cups are so far apart. I held up the lining piece to myself to see where the cups needed to be placed and made sure they were centered on the darts. Once the cups were attached, I continued through the directions by attaching all of the lining pieces together with right sides together. 

The swim fabric I used is a hot pink geo that I picked up from Mily Mae Fabrics last year. The fabric has since sold out but it's definitely one of my favorites. The weight is heavy so it's easier to work with than some of the thinner swim knits. The lining is from Mily Mae Fabrics as well and a really great quality too. I've purchased some lining from Joann in the past and hated working with it. This one was easy to use. The cups I used are a thin formed cup with no padding. I prefer them to any others I've tried as they sewed onto the lining really well and didn't add extra bulk to the bust area. If you plan on making your own swim suits, I'd highly recommend buying the swim elastic in bulk. I've used this 3/8" Dritz elastic I purchased on Amazon for over 2 years in over 10 swimsuits and still have some left. This pattern calls for using 1/4" swim elastic for the misses and 3/8" for the plus sizes but I didn't realize that and used the 3/8" for all of mine. 

The Amelia is on sale for $11 through April 26, 2019 plus if you purchase it, you get 50% off one additional pattern of your choice. No code is needed for either promotion, just add both to your cart and checkout. The regular price of this pattern is $12.99 and worth EVERY PENNY. 

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