swimsuit alteration

 My sister has a cute swim suit that she really liked, (I do too, I've borrowed it more than once!) but she was a little uncomfortable with how revealing it was on top.  She asked me if I could add a little something to bring the neckline up a bit.  Well, I've done several suits for people before, mostly a band or panel, but I wanted this to not just cover a little more, but to actually add something to the suit.  I was thinking something a little soft and feminine.  I'll have to say I'm charmed by the way it came out!  I'm looking for one for myself that I can alter...

What do you think?

Before - cute

After - really cute!

How I did it:

I cut two strips of a coordinating chiffon (it comes in every color imaginable; perfect for matching the colors of a piece of clothing) and played around with it to see how wide I wanted the ruffle and how far up the neckline.  I decided on 1 1/2" width, tapering to nothing right about the collar bone.  I took the length (about 8" I think) and doubled it for the gathering, and cut a strip 16" long.  I folded this in half lengthwise, with the fold forming the top edge of the ruffle, and then cut it tapering from 1/2" at one end to 2" at the other (which allowed for a 1/2" seam allowance).  I sewed a double row of gathering stitches and gathered in down to the length I wanted, pinned it in place just behind the edge of the neckline, and sewed it down!  (being sure to use a stretch stitch and ball point needle).  I followed the line of top stitching already on the suit, and then put in another just below it to cover the raw edge.
The bottom was even simpler -- just measured the length of the hem, doubled it, folded it, and cut a piece 2" wide.  I gathered this and sewed it down just like the ruffle at the neck.
A quick trim along the second stitch line for both ruffles to get rid of the messy edges and it was done! 

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