As some of you might know, Bettie Page, queen of the pinups and cult-icon, used to make all her bikini's herself. I've got a body similar to Bettie, except for the tiiiiny waist and I have larger boobs, which makes shopping for a bikini quite hard since I need a small bottom and large top. So I hope to make my own! But I'll need some pointers and I hoped to find them here.

thanks

PS thanks to everyone who posted to my post 'oldfashioned underwear'

augh, I feel your pain. Why is a size large bikini top more like a small? Anyways, I've seen some okay patterns in regular old books at the fabric store but the only swim-suit material they have is quite awful. Does anybody also know of any places where one can find a better selection of material?

i don't know if it will work for you, but i remember an easy bikini thing from 17 magazine in the 80s i think...
you get a basic tank suit and cut in half so you have the top part and the bottom part.
for the bottom, you cut up on either side of the legs (outside of thigh seam). then you knot them together again (1 on top, 1 on bottom).
for the top, you cut up the middle, between the breasts, and then knot that together some how...i don't remember how it looks. you may need to modify a bit...i think i used a leotard...i didn't know the difference at the time...i was, like, 8.

andrea

Thanks, if I had a tank suit I'd definetly try it :o)

I saw a bit in a teen magazine once how to make your own bikini out of those large handkerchiefs. Seems pretty easy, but I'm not really going for that. At the moment I'm making a bikini bottom out of an old shirt, just f***ing about really, maybe it'll even be wearable!

cheers

Gwen

whatever you do, don't try a triangle top. busty, myself, i made the big mistake of trying one on a while back - and unless you want to come out of all sides (it was apparently the "right size", whatever...) and look about twice the size you are now (and not in a *pretty* way) (mega-spillage)...

i would try doing a halter top thing. use a bra as an example, if you cut the straps and tied them behind your neck that way you decrease the risk of sideways escape,and the middle between the cups was sewn higher up (about nipple height or so), and brings 'em together so you feel more supported. make it out of some sort of strong material (denim-esque) so it holds its form when wet.

i hope you can understand that... i'm drawing a picture, but i know it doesn't help! sorry!
good luck!

I made a Bettie Page bikini!

I got a bikini pattern off of Ebay (ca. 1970) The shape was correct, I just decreased the seam allowance along the top of the cups to make it look more Vargas girl, less Boogie Nights.

I used red cotton and white eyelet trim. The briefs are hella cute. Almost boy shorts, but shorter.

Good Luck!

COol! I'll see if I can find some patterns, I actually saw a nice one in the butterick catalog. I finished the bottom of the bikini I was making and it came out the right size only it barely covers my butt. kinda handy if you're going to the nude beach(cause of the tie-straps on the side) or want to get as much a tan as possible without taking it off. he he. but I just think I'll change the pattern and make it slightly higher. It was fun to try it out tough, I've never made my own pattern before.
thanks all!