This year, I am going to be majorly pregnant in the throes of a humid East Coast summer. One of my first wardrobe considerations was maternity swimwear! Since I have had success sewing my own swimwear the past two years (see a post about my first handmade swim top here!), I decided to take matters into my own hands. This particular suit was a completely unplanned experiment – but I love it! I’m almost 30 weeks pregnant in these photos.
I made the top as a trial run for a bralette pattern I’ve been SO excited to try, the Mama Bridgette by Made for Mermaids. I made my test muslin out of swim fabric that I grabbed from the remnants bin at JoAnn Fabrics. My hope was that if the fit was off or I made major mistakes, I could at least wear it under a rash guard as a swim bra. I was so happy with the outcome that I figured I may as well use it as a regular swim top! So I whipped up some maternity swim bottoms using the Peg Legs pattern by Patterns for Pirates and another lucky find from my friend the remnants bin–this suit cost me under $10 in fabric thanks to the remnants bin!
Let me tell you about these two patterns. First up, the Mama Bridgette! I made the cross back bralette option, unlined, with 1” fold-over elastic for the edging. I put in two soft foam cups and tacked the crossover closed for coverage.
The pattern comes with detailed sizing instructions, and goes up to a G sewing cup. Your sewing cup size is extremely different from your Ready-to-Wear bra size, so don’t be discouraged if you are over a G cup! I actually preferred measuring and calculating my sewing size to the mental gymnastics RTW sizing requires – especially while pregnant with an ever expanding bust. Here is my current RTW situation: I have a 31″ rib cage and 43″ bust, this puts me in a UK 32H. However, I currently wear a Kris Line Fortuna in 30L with a back extender, Decent Exposures un-bra in 32J, and comfortably squeeze into my Lynx Ladder Back in size 3 Zoom. For some reason, my measured RTW size never seems to work during pregnancy and nursing. I have tried full-busted maternity bras in my size (such as HotMilk and various offerings from Panache) but they usually kill my shoulders within hours, or the cup depth is seriously off. I wish there were more RTW options for full-busted pregnant and nursing women! Anyway, back to the swim suit….
I sewed up a 42G in the Mama Bridgette pattern. I made no fit adjustments, and I love it. I’ve actually taken to wearing this top as an everyday maternity bra (I need to make more!!) and the straps don’t cut into my shoulders or give me backaches even after a full day of wear! My only complaint is that I wish the band were more snug, so I may take it in. It’s currently not difficult to put on or take off at all, so I don’t anticipate a smaller band making that process terribly difficult.
I will definitely keep you posted as I sew up future versions of this bralette. I plan to experiment with power mesh and/or fully lining the bra for additional support and a better shape. I am so happy there is an option for full busted ladies to make cute lace bralettes and nighties with fun backs – and even happier that the pattern can be “hacked” for other uses! I seriously love it as a maternity bra, I think it will be excellent for nursing, and I’ve seen some amazing sport and swim variations in the Made for Mermaids Facebook group.
For the bottoms, Peg Legs are a classic, tight fit legging pattern…and they’re free! You can download the basic legging, and then there are options for additional free add-ons (pockets/side panels/etc and maternity) that you can download. You use the add-ons with the instructions and pattern pieces from the original, so it’s important to have both. I love these leggings! They fit well and are fast to construct. I used the classic leggings pattern cut to shorties length, with the crotch gusset, maternity rise adjustment, and over-belly waistband. I may play with the hem on my next pair of shorties to make them more angled as I find these rolling these up a tad in the front, or maybe adding swim elastic to the hem to hold it in place. Otherwise these are perfect for me. If you prefer under belly maternity bottoms, they have a couple of those waistband options as well!
Unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to really jump in a pool and put these pieces through their paces. I did wear this suit to a full day at the beach though and was pleased with the results. It was a hot, sweaty 80 degree day and I didn’t once worry about falling out or being overexposed! I did need to readjust myself within the cups a few times, but I walked all over, waded in the (still cold) ocean, and played in the sand with my kids all day with no issues. I would expect that firm elastic edging on the cups (like the 1” fold over elastic that I used) and the addition of power mesh would ensure the cups won’t slide down when in the water. The nice thing about sewing your own clothing is that if you find issues, the fix is usually only a few stitches away! The Made for Mermaids and Patterns for Pirates Facebook groups are also great places to get advice and ask questions.
I am currently working on my second maternity suit – a crop top rash guard and more Peg Leg shorties. The rash guard needs some fit adjustments, but I am excited to share it with you when it’s done! Happy swimming and sewing!
