Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of use from a pair of swimshorts that I made a couple of years ago using the Jalie 3351 pattern.  I’ve found them good to wear kayaking or for a social swim & BBQ up a the lake.

When I made the first pair, I picked the size based on my hip measurement and they were way to big.  I ended up taking them in the equivalent of about 3 sizes.  I also found that the pocket wasn’t all that secure.

For this pair, I used a size 3 sizes smaller than suggested, which turned out well.  The smaller size was also shorter in length which suits me better too.  The pocket has been switched to the inside, and uses the outer fabric to hold the pocket closed.  The only drawback to this is that the liner prevents getting to the pocket for the waist.  I need to get into the pocket from the hem edge, tennis-player style.  Not very elegant, but at least I won’t run the risk of losing my car key.

The side panels are time-consuming to sew and make hemming the sorts a bit harder to get a good finish.  I think if I made these again, I’d just do a plain side panel without the notched overlap.  I do love how the waistband elastic is put in and the lining.

In other news…

I’ve started on a matching tankini.  The pattern is from Merckwaerdigh MIX5L.  The bras that I’ve made from the pattern have been great to wear and I love the way the back of the tankini looks.  The bra back has a bikini clip that is hidden by the skirt.  I hope to finish it off today, but in the meantime, here is a teaser, with the pieces pinned to Red to see how the print will work.