Indigo one piece swimming suit (PDF)

I made the fully lined view B version with shelf bra in size 16 tall.
The proportions are perfect and it fits like a dream.
I found the instructions a bit confusing, so many versions and sizes to flip between. Also struggled with the elastic join between the front panel and straps, will sew the neck elastic all in one piece in future.
I left out the keyhole in the back, thanks to a hack on the fb group.
As with all the Sinclair patterns I have made, this one is well draughted and true to size. Love it!

I had hoped to print, assemble and sew this pdf, but the pattern layout and description of pieces is inconsistent. Why are the pieces labeled with numbers in one place, and another on the pattern layout? I cannot figure out what I actually need for a full bust, contoured suit with ruching. I give up.

I tried three versions and loved all of them.

I made a Tall Contoured Front Plain Tummy version, fully lined with a shelf bra, in black with contrast teal for the centre front panels and the shoulder straps. I am 5'9" with a long torso so I cut a size 16 widthwise and an 18 lengthwise. The fit is very good and it is comfortable - I wore it to the pool for the first time today and swam my lengths as normal.

I found the instructions a little confusing. I had to look very closely at the cutting layouts to work out which pattern pieces to use for the main fabric and the lining - they are different. A table or list would have been helpful.

Generally I find instructions with drawings rather than photos easier to interpret - these have photos and some of the fabric used is patterned - why?

The trickiest bit of actual sewing was the neck opening. I have no idea why the elastic across the front is sewn in 2 pieces??? I also found it tricky to get the right angled corners to look nice. I got there in the end but there was quite a bit of swearing and unpicking.

I had the pattern printed A0 including the sheet with the elastic measurements on it. The lengths to cut are also in a table on p 12 of the instructions so you don't really need to print that sheet at all. Especially as I could not for the life of me get the marked points on the elastic to line up with the notches on the armholes and legholes of the suit as instructed - so ended up quartering the elastic and the openings and everything came out fine. I won't bother trying to use those marks again. Something is adrift somewhere - at one point the length of the elastic was longer than the part of the hole it was to be attached to which cannot be right.

Definitely not a beginner pattern. However as the end result is so good I plan to make more - I have some navy blue fabric already cut out to make a solid coloured one next and another time, if fabric in the stash permits, I plan to try out the ruched front panel.

I think the Indigo is a style that will look good on many sizes (5’1” and old here). I made the unlined tank with the shelf bra to test for fit and had great results. After finding my base size the only modification needed was some grading at the hip. The directions were good. Thanks!!!