Supplies:
- Halter Leotard
- 4 Way Stretch Sheer Mesh
- Matching Threads
- Pins, Safety Pins Optional
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
- Rhinestones or lace, optional
Directions:
- Choosing Your Materials
The first choice, of course, is the halter leotard. As far as the sheer mesh, you can choose from a mesh that matches the leotard, contrasts the leotard or is a nude mesh. This is your choice depending on the look you want. You will also want to use rhinestones, or some other decorations, to cover the sides of the mesh “V”
- Cutting the Mesh “V”
Cut the sheer mesh into a “V” shape to fit the front of the leotard. At this point, an estimate of the size is fine.
- Pinning the mesh “V” to the leotard
The first thing we will do is have the girl don the leotard and tie the neck ties comfortably at the back of her neck so that the leotard is fitting properly. The reason we want the girl to be wearing the leotard, is that the leotard will stretch the leotard when she puts it on and it is impossible to place the “V” properly if the leotard is not stretched. If you just cut a “V” down the center of the leotard, when she puts it on, it will probably pull the leotard apart and then the “V” will be too wide for you. It will make it impossible to put the mesh “V” on the leotard.
You can mark the “V” with the tailors’ chalk on the leotard where you want the “V” to be. But it is my recommendation, especially if you are new at this is, to have the girl wear the leotard while we pin the “V” mesh strip to it. Now, remember, since you are pinning the mesh “V” to the leotard while she is wearing it, you need to use safety pins and you need to put your hand behind the leotard wherever possible to prevent poking the girl with the pins.
So, I have previously cut out a mesh “V” for the front. If I put this in here now, it is really going to cut into the boobs. I believe this is the perfect width for the “V” put I do not know if I+ like the length. So, I would measure how wide I want the “V” to be and then recut the mesh. In this case, I can cut down the “V” that I already have. So, I am just going to go ahead and cut some of this away. I like the length. So, I am just going to fold the mesh “V” in half vertically and trim it down. Once the piece is trimmed down, I will place it against the leotard again. Okay, this looks perfect.
- Pinning the Mesh “V” to the Leotard
To place the “V” properly, there are two things to consider – that the mesh “V” is centered on the leotard and that it is placed high enough on the leotard. I am going to fold the “V” in half lengthwise to determine the center points at the top and the bottom of the “V.” Then, I am going to find the center of the leotard by folding it in half vertically. Place the center of the top of the “V” to the center of the leotard’s neckline matching up the two centers and pin the mesh in place. The other placement to consider is how high the mesh sits on the leotard. If you notice, the “V” is straight across the top and the neckline of the leotard curves. So, I am moving the top corners of the “V” up until they are slightly above the neckline. The corners of the mesh “V” need to be an equal distance above the neckline. I am going to turn the top edge of the mesh “V” under so that when I go in and sew it later, I can sew it straight across horizontally. I am then going to pin the bottom point of the “V” to the center fold of the leotard. Next, I need to hold the leotard up and take a look at the placement of the “V.” It is really important that the tip of the “V” points directly down to the center of the crotch because when the girl puts it on again, we do not want the point of the “V” going off to one side or another unless that is the look we want.
We need to make sure that we use a lot of pins because the mesh “V” will move when the girl takes the leotard off and once the leotard is removed, it will be hard to tell where you are going to sew the “V.” It is important to make sure that everything remains taut. I am planning on sewing slightly in from the edge of the “V” and then cutting away the leotard behind the mesh “V.” So, it is really important to think about it while the leotard is on the girl. You still have time to change what you want to do at this point. Keep pinning the “V” up and down both sides and be really careful not to poke anybody.
Now that the “V” is pinned in place, the girl needs to carefully take the leotard off. To make sure that everything is even, I am going to put the edge of the ties together and fold the leotard in half lengthwise. This way I can check to see if the top corners of the “V” are exactly the same distance from the sides. Next, I am going to take the center of the crotch and fold the leotard in half and match the side seams. This will give me the center of the crotch again. As you can see, the bottom of the “V” is slightly off. This is the perfect time to adjust the “V” because it is super important that this bottom point is in the center and is equidistant from the two side seams. Since I will need to adjust that center point of the “V,” I will also need to adjust both the left and right sides of the “V” to match. If the girl needs a little bit of extra room on her butt, this is a good time to allow for that. You would just have a little looseness where she needs it so that when you cut away, you will have a little extra room.
- Sewing the Mesh “V” to the Leotard
First, I will need to put my machine on stretch stitch or zigzag stitch as you prefer. On the video, I am using pink thread so that you can see the zigzag stitch. It will be a lot easier to sew if you make sure the neck is no longer tied before you sew. I prefer to sew with the leotard inside out.
Start sewing the “V” to the leotard beginning at the neckline with a back stitch. Stitch down one side of the mesh “V” just inside the mesh . Stitch down the “V” on one side and if the fabric starts to bunch up, lift the pressure foot and restart the stitching. Keep stitching until you get to the point of the “V.” With the needle still in the fabric at the point of the “V” turn the leotard and stitch up the other side of the “V” starting with a quick backstitch. Make sure to reinforce the point of the mesh by backstitching on both sides of the “V.“ Sew to the neckline and backstitch again. Sometimes I will sew from the top to the bottom on one side, backstitch and end the stitching and then start again from the top on the other side to the point. If you do it that way, make sure that that the two sides overlap at the bottom so there is no gap.
Make sure that both the fabric and the leotard remain taut. If at any time it seems off and the material is not tight, stop and correct it. If they do not remain taut, there will be a problem when the leotard is cut away behind the mesh. If the thread breaks like it just did here, start again making sure to overlap the stitching to catch the ends of the thread.
- Cutting Away the Leotard
To prevent cutting the mesh, put your hand between the mesh and the leotard. It is important to cut the leotard close to the zigzag stitches but make sure not to cut them. Again, when you get to the point, be very careful not to cut too close to the stitches. Once you have cut the one side, you can just fold the leotard over and cut the other side.
Finish Off the Neck
At this point, turn the top of the mesh under and pin it in place. This is a place where it is wise to pin it so that it stays straight across the neckline. Next, zigzag across the neckline.
As you can see, we now have a sheer mesh front.
You can either leave the leotard as it is or cover the stitches with rhinestones. You could also sew a lace or ribbon to cover the stitches using a stretch or zigzag stitch. If you use a Just be sure to a stretch the leotard slightly when sewing lace or ribbon over the stitches.
So, if you are looking for a glamorous, open look front, this just might be the video for you.
