Sewing a Queenie x Vernazza swimsuit • #6

Logic continuation of the bra: sewing a swimsuit. Except that in fact, for me, it was more of a prequel: I bought the Vernazza Two Piece swimsuit pattern (Friday Pattern) and the fabric last summer before beginning to sew bras. It seemed easier … well … In the end, I ended up with a Queenie x Vernazza swimsuit.

Retrouve les autres épisodes

#1 • Harriet bra & bra Master Class with Marie Poisson (Cloth Habit)
#2 • Watson bra (Cloth Habit)
#3 • Marcus bra (Petit Patron)
#4 • Darcey bra (Evie La Luve)
#5 • Queenie bralette (Evie La Luve)

Sewing the Vernazza swimsuit

When I saw the Vernazza pattern coming out, I thought it seemed quite doable. And then the end of summer arrived without me sewing it (other people with the same concern?)). Meanwhile, I begun on my lingerie master classes, and then my different bras. In May, the holiday prospective in front of me, I was suddenly pushed into sewing this swimsuit.

Vernazza swimsuit top

After having watched many Vernazzas on Instagram, I found that the straps were often a little big, with some wrinkles. I studied all this, the measurement charts and everything, and I decided to make a size XS.

Then sewing it was clearly more complicated than I thought. The proposed technique (very standard technique from what I saw elsewhere) did not please me. So I tried to improvise my technique where the elastic is sandwitched inside between the 2 layers. Well, it works but it was not really a pleasure to make …

To finish, I tried it and … too small :_( Oh, I can slither in it but I have to make a choice between wearing it or breathing in. Note, at least, the straps doesn’t wrinkles!

In the end, I offered it to a friend of smaller caliber ¯_(ツ)_/¯ and I went on vacation with my old swimsuit … and worse, I had bad weather so no swimsuit.

Vernazza swimsuit bottom

Nevertheless, I had already cut the pieces in size L for the bottom … A few weeks later, I pushed myself into action again to sew the panties. As long as I was there, I persisted with my “super” method of assembly still as laborious but allowing me to have no raw hem inside.

The Vernazza swimsuit pattern is nice, well explained and illustrated. The elastic lengths are specified for each opening and the method to sew it is detailed. But I do not really like the final finish, which seems to me a little tinkered with … however, it can be a view of my mind because I saw this finish proposed on other patterns and even in retail swimsuits.

Hack the Queenie in a bikini

Still several weeks later, new holidays arriving, I am re-motivated to make another swimsuit top. However, I did not really 1. want to sew the Vernazza pattern again, 2. had enough fabric for the Vernazza anyway.

As I had just finished the Queenie bra, this boss suddenly became a great candidate for my project. I started by watching Evie La Luve’s videos explaining how to hack the Queenie pattern into a bikini and how to make swimsuit straps.

Besides the fact that the mint fabric was slipping like crazy, the sewing went well as long as I followed the tutorial. But of course, I still have my great ideas and I wanted to make 2 changes. The tutorial features straps tied behind the neck and the underbust band also tied at the back. But I’m not a fan of the straps around the neck (cuckoo cervical hernia) and the knotted back band (that I spend my time tightening, loosening, untie because the knot gets me back, etc.).

In addition, I did not quite have the necessary supplies: my elastic for the under-chest band is 2 cm instead of 1 cm (like sewing values).

Modification 1 : closed underbust band

This is the simplest modification, just create a circle with your underbust band and sew it to the cups of the shirt as shown in the video about the bikini hack. My difficulty was in the width of my elastic which asked me 2 tries to position it correctly.

Modification 2 : regular crossed straps in the back

For this change, I started by creating straps by following the 2nd video of Evie La Luve. Again, I got it to try it twice because I did not manage to tame the minty UV jersey, too slippery. With the other, it was no problem.

Then I sewed them as for the bra, which involves inserting them into the underbust band before closing them with the second seam. And, little extra touch, I crossed them in the back.

Last words on the Queenie x Vernazza swimsuit

In the end, I am very proud of my swimsuit. It was not easy but mainly because of the very slippery mint jersey knit and my obstinacy in trying to improvise my own sewing methods.

However, even if the Vernazza Two Pieces pattern is very pro, I think I’m more comfortable to turn to a specialized designer in lingerie / swimsuit. I was more comfortable with Evie La Luve’s hack explanations for my make. And, in the end, many lingerie patterns can be adapted in swimsuits!