Bee: FreeSewing's Bee Bikini Top
About Bee
Bee is a bikini top
- 🤯🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵( difficulty = 3/5 )
- 🏷️topsswimwear( 2 tags )
- 🪡hemstretchcurvedSeamprecision( 4 techniques )
- 📐PrudenceRabbit( designer )
- 🧑💻bobgeorgethe3rd( developer )
- 💡Sewing Instructions for Bee
- ✂️Generate a bespoke sewing pattern for Bee
- ❤️#FreeSewingBee( Hashtag for social media )
- Linedrawing
- Measurements
- Design Options
- Design Parts
- Fit
- Show Bella outline
Do you want the pattern to show the outline of the Bella block Bee is based on? - Bottom depth
Controls how far the bikini cup extends downwards - Bust span ease
Controls the bust span ease in the underlying Bella block Bee is based on - Chest ease
Controls the chest ease in the underlying Bella block Bee is based on - Front curve
Controls the curvature of the front of the bikini cup - Full chest reduction (Bella)
Controls the full chest reduction in the underlying Bella block Bee is based on - Shoulder to Shoulder ease (Bella)
Controls the shoulder to shoulder ease in the underlying Bella block Bee is based on - Side curve
Controls the curvature of the side of the bikini cup - Side depth
Controls how far the bikini cup extends towards the side - Top Depth
Controls how far the bikini cup extends upwards - Waist ease
Controls the waist ease in the underlying Bella block Bee is based on
- Show Bella outline
- Style
- Band Length (Cross back ties)
Controls the length of the band around your chest for the cross back ties variation of Bee - Band (chest) tie length
Controls the length of the ties around your chest - Band (chest) tie width
Controls the width of the ties around your chest - Cross back ties
Whether you'd like to use the cross back tie variation of Bee - Duo-colored ties
Enable this option to generate a pattern for bands using two colors instead of one - Neck tie length
Controls the length of the ties around your chest - Neck tie width
Controls the width of the ties around your chest - Pointed tie ends
Enable this options if you prefer tie ends to be pointy, rather than straight - Reversible
Whether you want to make a fully reversible Bee or not - Ties
Whether to includes ties on the pattern
- Band Length (Cross back ties)
- Advanced
- Armhole depth (Bella)
Controls the armhole depth in the underlying Bella block Bee is based on - Back dart height (Bella)
Controls the back dart height in the underlying Bella block Bee is based on - Front armhole pitch depth (Bella)
Controls the front armhole pitch depth in the underlying Bella block Bee is based on - Front shoulder width (Bella)
Controls the front shoulder width in the underlying Bella block Bee is based on - High bust width (Bella)
Controls the high bust width in the underlying Bella block Bee is based on
- Armhole depth (Bella)
| ID | Description |
|---|---|
bee.neckTie | Neck Tie |
bella.back | Back |
bella.frontSideDart | Front |
bee.cup | Cup |
bee.bandTie | Band Tie |
Designer Notes
I made Bee together with Prudencerabbit, as they wanted to make a swimwear pattern that went along with a previous freesewing pattern. It is based on a garment they made and wanted to make available for other people make as well. We worked of FreeSewing's body block Bella as a base, converting it to a single dart block to make the top. During pattern testing one of our contributors TangerineShark made a variant with crossover back ties which we found so cool we added it to Bee! You can get this variation by using option Cross Back Ties. Bee can also be made reversible by using options Reversible & Duo Colours Ties. With the previous pattern being retired you can use Uma to make a matching bikini bottom.
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bobgeorgethe3rd
What You Need
To make Bee, you will need the following:
- Basic sewing supplies
- About 0.5 - 1 metre (0.6 - 1.1 yards) of a suitable fabric (see Bee Fabric options)
- (Optional) About 0.5 - 1 metre (0.6 - 1.1 yards) of lining fabric (see Bee Fabric options)
- (Optional) Ribbons/Tapes/Cords for neck ties and bands, with the same length and width as neck tie and/or band.
The lining fabric is only needed if you want to make this pattern reversible. If you don't, you only need the main fabric. You can use a serger/overlocker to construct this pattern but it is not mandatory. Ribbons/Tapes/Cords can be used instead of making custom ties. Just make sure to get more than you need and that you cut down to size after construction.
Fabric Options
Main and Lining Fabric
The main and lining fabric are the same type of material. Bee is made with swimwear fabrics such as lycras.
You only need lining fabric if you intend to make the pattern reversible or if you want the band for the cross back tie variant to be a contrasting fabric. Otherwise you can cut all the required pieces from your main fabric.
Cutting Instructions
There are three variations of this pattern. One Colour, which is where the bikini top is made out of one colour. Two Colours, where the bikini top is made reversible by using two colours, and Cross Back Tie Variant, where the neck ties tie in the back replacing the band tie.
One Colour (Non-Reversible)
Main fabric
- Cut 4 cup parts.
- Cut 2 neck tie parts.
- Cut 1 band tie part.
Two Colours (Reversible)
Main fabric
- Cut 2 cup parts from main.
- Cut 2 neck tie parts.
- Cut 1 band tie part.
Lining fabric
- Cut 2 cup parts.
- Cut 2 neck tie parts.
- Cut 1 band tie part.
Cross Back Tie Variant.
Main fabric
- Cut 4 cup parts or Cut 2 cups from main and lining if making reversible ties.
- Cut 2 neck tie parts or Cut 2 neck ties from main and lining if making reversible ties.
- Cut 1 band part if making cross back tie variant instead of band tie variant.
This pattern is easily made reversible by buying a similar fabric to the main fabric and using it as contrast. To save confusion on instructions it will be referred to as the lining fabric.