Jalie 3350 Swimsuit Pattern Review + Swim Cups

Today I’m updating this blog post from August 2017.  I have added/clarified the information in this review in the hopes that it will help you sew this pattern. I finally took some proper pictures at Folly Beach!  This is my second Jalie 3350 swimsuit! I love it just as much as the day I made it.

If you’re new to sewing swimwear, be sure to check out my post, The 10 Best Secrets for Sewing Swimwear.

 This is the first swimsuit I’ve worn (in my life!) that actually made me feel pretty!  My whole life I dreaded the dressing room because if a swimsuit fit my bust, it was too tight in the waist.  I am so grateful for the ability to sew a great fitting suit that I feel confident in!

I made View A, which has the same neckline as View B, without the twist.  Here’s the patten envelope pictures so you can see the difference between the 2 views:

 I found this pattern to be very true to size.  I HIGHLY recommend Jalie swimwear patterns.  The same pattern fits little girls all the way up to plus sizes. Score!

The paisley swim fabric from Boho Fabrics is absolutely gorgeous! It’s a nice sturdy weight with good recovery.

I’ve seen these same cups at several other big name shops online.  They are great for a little bit of light coverage as they are very thin.

Unfortunately, I had some trouble with the under bust seam.  At the bust, the pattern calls for one layer of fabric and two layers of lining.  I used a medium weight lining, which IMO is too bulky for this application.  A swim lining that is lightweight and see through would be much easier to sew.

Also, if you’re planning on using foam cups, you really do not need 2 lining layers at the bust.  Have 2 linings caused me a lot of unnecessary frustration.  If you look closely (see below) at the left side of the under bust seam, the gathers slipped as I stitched them.

This causes the seam to not lay flat and created a weird pucker that can be seen of my modeled pic below.  There is no reason to line the cup area twice if you are using foam cups!

Despite a couple of issues, I am really happy with it.  This fits so much better than RTW ever would.  If you’ve never made swimwear before, I would strongly encourage you to give it a try!I can hardly believe it’s been 5 1/2 years since I made my very first swimsuit. I was TERRIFIED, but look how good my first suit turned out! (And I made the entire thing on my sewing machine, no serger required.)

I have worn this suit to the splash pad, the beach and the pool and the fabric still looks brand new! (My daughter is wearing the Lainey pattern.)

What swimwear patterns have you tried and loved? Which patterns are on your wish list?