One Piece Swimsuits (3350e) by Jalie Patterns

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Hello, again! It's Jessica of Snickerdoodle Stew, here to kick off our swimsuit sewing week with a review of the Jalie One Piece Swimsuits (3350e)! I'm most definitely a newbie to sewing swimsuits and this is my second one ever, as well as my first Jalie pattern, so I'm glad to be able to share my successes and flubs with you! 

Today I will be reviewing the girl's portion of the pattern.

The first thing I need to draw your attention to with this pattern is the SIZE RANGE!!! It's insane! Not only are you getting 27 sizes in one pattern, you are getting two bodice styles with two back styles PLUS the ability to mix and match the fronts and backs. Lots of bang  for your self-sewing swimwear buck.

Speaking of bang for my buck, this uses such a small amount of fabric! The turquoise fabric is from Girl Charlee (purchased last year, so it's no longer available that I can see), and the pink and red stripes are from Purple Seamstress Fabrics.

There are a lot of instructions on how to get a great fit, which I really appreciate. Miss Lydia was right on a 3 for her girth, but just under a 3 for her chest and hip measurements, so I went with a 3. I think the fit is great, but she normally wears a 4 or 5 in RTW, so really make sure that you measure well and make a muslin if you have to. My only disappointment in the fit is that I wish there was a little more coverage on top. I do like that you have the option to mix and match the front and back, so I went with view A for the front and view B for the back.

There are a few interesting features in this pattern that are different from what you might know in other PDFs. Jalie is a Canadian company, and their pattern instructions are done in columns, one side in English and one side in French. The measurements are in Imperial and Metric, so make sure you keep them straight if you're used to one over the other! Also, all of the instructions have corresponding illustrations. The directions are straightforward and to the point, so beginning seamstresses that are looking for something that's more in depth may have a hard time following along.

My last bit of advice is to play around with your zig zag over the elastic on the topside of the fabric on some scraps. I didn't know exactly where to put mine and for my machine, it worked better to zig zag almost to the inside edge of the elastic, as opposed to being closer to the outside edge of the garment. So I have a funky double zig zag, which actually looks kind of cool. I did my inside seams with a serger and all of my elastic work with my regular machine, and the instructions tell you what to do if you don't have a serger.

Overall, I was pleased with the outcome and while I don't have an overwhelming desire to make all of Miss Lydia's swimsuits from now on, I at least have some great fabric leftover and I have the hang of sewing it so I can make another when she outgrows this one.