"Jammers" and Bathing Suits

He has a pair of "Jammers" and likes them.  I found some lycra and I wanted to experiment with serging and sewing with lycra, so I tried to copy them.

This is the store-bought pair

They had used a triple cover stitch for the center front and back seams, as well as as the inseam.  They used a 3-thread flatlock stitch for the side seams, and cover stitches for the elastics.

Here is my not-so-nicely trimmed triple cover stitch.  The machine wanted to eat it UP, so I broke the rules and used a little square (maybe 1-1/4") of stabalizer on the serger to get the seam started--worked like a charm!  

(I'm pretty sure they told us we could NOT use stabalizer in a serger...  I won't push my luck, but it worked and I think it would have been ruined without it--it was just stitching in place a bazillion stitches--trust me, that's NO fun to get out!)

Inside/outside

Comfort panel like the store-bought pair had  (Narrow 3-thread cover stitch around the panel and also for the side seams)

I used a 4-thread overlock stitch and the elastic foot for all elastic and it was hard to getting it properly adjusted for inserting just the right amount of elastic, but the tie can be used if they are not snug enough.  (Yes, I made two button holes and pushed the strap through...)

I did not do the hem and the elastic in one step with a cover stitch.  I just used a knit stitch on the sewing machine and turned them up after applying the elastic.

Jammers!

His sister LOVES to wear his, so I will make her a pair as well.  On hers I will insert the elastic in the normal way and save myself at least a couple of hours of changing the feet and thread set-up on the serger every five minutes to do each different part!

I did do the triple cover stitch as I did on his--front and back seams and in-seam.  It helped when I tried to carefully straighten the jagged cuts on the seams before sewing--it looks good now.  It went pretty fast when I decided to insert the elastic in the normal manner, plus it is adjustable!  

I lined both the back and the front of Little Miss Sensitive Skin's Jammers.

I stitched both sides to the bathing suit at the crotch using the "lightening stitch"--should hold in place nicely.

Then I decided to make her a top (and I truly hope it fits!).  I used the shirred elastic belt loop maker foot for the shoulder straps and I can't wait to fit them.

Back of top

Then I decided to copy her Speedo's so she'd have options (and I had enough fabric to do it for both of them).

Fully lined

Cute!

Here's the outfit with Jammers

And with Speedos

I will make his Speedos as soon as I can get my hands on his real ones to get the size right.

One of my reasons for persisting with these articles is to get in some real practice in changing the feet and thread path to keep going back and forth between the 3-thread flatlock, triple cover, and elastic inserting foot, plus the lightening stitch on my sewing machine.  It slows one down, but does create a nice end result and the more I practice the better I get at it.