I had a little bit of left over watermelon swim fabric from making my daughter’s swimsuit. I decided to make a swim top for me so we can twin in the same fabric at the beach this summer!
I wanted to try a new pattern and stumbled across the Cordia High-Waisted Swimsuit from Mood. It’s a free pattern, and the first pattern from Mood I have sewn.
The pattern was simple to print and put together but it doesn’t not have layers like most PDF pattern companies do. I’m okay with that since it’s a free pattern! I had a hard time deciding which size to print as my bust fell between sizes 2 and 4 but the pattern was only sized for 0/2 and 4/6. The under bust measurements were not listed and I was worried a size 2 would be too tight so I went with the 4/6 size.
The pattern pieces were perfect for the scrap, as they didn’t require big pieces. I did not have enough fabric to cut the straps to the length of the pattern so I took off about 6 inches and tie straps are still plenty long enough to tie in the back.
There are no official instructions included with the PDF pattern, just a tutorial, which should be find for most sewers who have sewn swimwear before. The instructions weren’t super descriptive so it may be a little challenging for a beginner.
The only real problem I had with the pattern was that the waist piece was several inches too big for the rest of the top, even though I double checked to make sure I cut the right size. I chopped off the extra fabric at the sides and it was fine. It may just be an error in the pattern for that piece, as the rest of the pattern went together without a problem.
After trying on the completed top, I could have sized down to the 0/2 as it is a little big. I do like it and especially like that it didn’t require any elastic, as I don’t have much left from making masks! If you have a larger chest, I would recommend power mesh for the lining and using elastic at the bottom band for extra support.
The pattern was perfect for my scrap fabric and I love being able to match my daughter! For the bottoms I used one of my favorites, Take the Plunge from Patterns for Pirates. Check out Mood Sewciety for more free patterns!
