Pattern Review: Butterick 6067

Well hello there, readers! I’m back again with another swimsuit!  This one has been sitting in my sewing room with all of the pieces cut out for TWO YEARS.  Yes, it was a UFO, but not any longer!

Why did I wait so long to sew this up?  Well, I had this cut out and planned on sewing it and then I read some  bad reviews and lost interest in sewing this.  It probably would have remained in pieces if it wasn’t for Swimwear Month here on the CSC.  I figured it was finally time to sew this suit up.  I had low expectations and decided that if it was a wadder, I would share it with you regardless.

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Pattern Name:  Butterick 6067

Size Range:  14-22

What size did you make?  20/22

What are your…..

• Measurements:  48-41-52
• Body Shape:  Pear-ish/Spoon
• Height:  5’8
• Bra size:  44D

The white part on the bra in the photo on the left is the selvedge of the fabric. I forgot to cut out those two back pieces and managed to find remnants in my scrap bin.

What adjustments did you make and how long did they take?  Most of my adjustments were to the bra portion of this suit.  This pattern comes in cup sizes up to a D.  I had heard that the bra ran small so I did a lot of basting and careful adjustments in this suit’s infancy to ensure that it fit.  I also originally cut this suit out in a size 26/28 according to my measurements on the pattern’s size chart, but after reading reviews on the sizing and my own experience with another McCall’s swimsuit, I sized down.  I basted the side pieces together and tried this on as I went along to ensure that it was going to fit and used large seam allowances.

What was the construction process like? Did the instructions make sense to you?  Constructing the bra was a lengthy and involved process.  The pattern suggests poly laminate foam which I didn’t have, so I used foam bra cups salvaged from another me-made swimsuit (a wadder).  I attached them to power mesh as a layer between the exterior of the bra and the lining.  One of the bra pieces is mislabeled (I believe that there are two pieces labeled “stay”), so it took me a while to figure out what was going on while I read and re-read the instructions.  Much of my time spent with the construction of the bra was basting and checking for fit.

This pattern is “lined”, but aside from the bra portion, it’s really a swimsuit with a ruched overlayer.  I don’t like naked insides to my suits, so I lined this with power mesh which took a little bit more time to make this, but it’s well worth doing.  The swimwear fabric I used for this suit is also kind of thin, so I was happy to have two layers of it plus the lining.

The bottom pattern pieces are gathered/ruched and constructed before sewing them to the bra.  Everything went together for me well with no issues of how they fit.  I didn’t use the elastic guides and instead cut the elastic pieces to fit me.  The elastic is sewn around the legs and on the back of the suit.  There’s boning sewn into the side pieces for added support.

I didn’t have any problems with the instructions or following them.  With the mislabeled pattern piece I was confused for a bit, but once I figured that out it was smooth sailing.

How did you like the pattern’s fit?  Do you think that the design works well for your body shape?  As I knew what the fitting issues were to this suit before I started on it, I worked on this to get it to fit right.   I would prefer that the outer ruched pieces were longer and that the bra area was a little higher.  As far as the bra goes, that’s how it’s designed.  The outer piece, however, could be a little longer.

I think this silhouette is fine for my body shape.  I’m not sure it would work without considerable alterations on a bustier gal.

Will you make this pattern again?  If so, what fit or design changes will you make?  I have no plans on making this pattern again.   If I did (and this is a BIG if as I don’t plan nor want to make another), I would lengthen the suit pieces by an inch or so, maybe even more with the outer gathered layer.  Otherwise, I would make another in the same way.

Do you have any advice on this pattern for other curvy sewers?  Are there any resources or materials that helped you sew this piece up?  Baste, fit, baste, fit, sew and compare your pattern pieces to the ones diagrammed in the instructions.  This pattern is not for a beginner and I would say that you would need experience with sewing at least one swimsuit before tackling this.  If you’re busty, be ready for considerable alterations to the bra.   Having sewn several swimsuits now, I didn’t use any tutorials or other resources, but Seamstress Erin has a lot of useful advice on her blog.

Pattern Rating (1-5):

• Size range:  3
• Instructions:  4
• Construction process:  4
• Final fit:  4
• Overall rating:  3.75

Overall, I’m pretty happy with the outcome of this suit, especially since I didn’t have high expectations for it.  I imagine that it helps when you know what you’re getting into before starting a project and how you may need to alter a pattern to fit you.  That’s the good thing about reading reviews before you sew something, although you do need to take into account your own body and how it varies from someone else’s, and you may have a different sewing experience.  This suit is not the most comfortable of suits, but it does make me feel good about myself.  It’s more of a lounge by the pool kind of swimsuit than one made for rigorous swimming.  I may make another suit before summer is out as I have a grand plans for one that may (hopefully) be my ideal suit that both looks good and is great to swim in.