Sew & Swim

It can be difficult to find a swimsuit that you not only like the colour of but that is a good fit and suits your body shape – so why not make your own with a good sewing pattern and some practical sewing tips.

Fabrics

A fabric suitable for making swimsuits needs to have the right stretch and be comfortable for swimming (and sunbathing). Pick a fourway stretch fabric (you can use a two-way stretch for a bikini). This fabric type is man-made fibres and made up from 80 to 90% nylon and the rest from Elastane or Spandex, making it durable and water-resistant.

A poor choice of fabric could absorb water, and worse of all, become transparent when wet!

Suitable fabrics include:

• At the Beach Collection from Hamburger Liebe – hantex.page.link/ahatb

• Modelo do a wide range of swimwear fabrics including patterned and solid colours – hantex.page.link/maw

Pattern cutting

A swimwear pattern is usually designed with negative ease, which means that the finished garment measurements are smaller than the body measurements because it has been drafted to work with a stretch fabric. Place pattern pieces on the fabric in the direction of greater stretch and make sure all your pattern pieces are on grain before cutting.

Cutting slippery fabrics for swimwear can be quite a challenge so use a rotary cutter, pattern weights and always cut fabric in single layers.

If the fabric has a large pattern, cut with the right side facing up and watch your print placement.

Linings

Although it is never on show – the swimsuit lining is an integral part of a well-made swimsuit and should be lightweight, breathable and not susceptible to laddering when sewn. The lining affects how comfortable the garment is, as well as prolonging the life of your swimsuit. I would recommend choosing a skin-coloured lining for the best results.

Elastic

The elastic holds the garment close to your body and finishes the edges neatly and also needs to stand up to the affects of salt water, chlorine and the sun.

Swimwear elastic is made of cotton and woven with rubber to give it extra strength and stretch. The best method of applying your elastic is the sewn and turned method. This is where the plastic is pinned to the wrong side of the raw edge, stitched and then turned towards the wrong side of the garment and topstitched in place with a three-step zigzag stitch.

Support

Getting the right support for your bust is an important factor and retaining your modesty in a wet swimsuit! Read the pattern to see what is recommended.

If you’re looking for a light support you can use foam cups but make sure they are designed for swimwear rather than lingerie. If you’re looking for a more reliable support – choose an underwire.

SEWING TIPS

- Use a ballpoint needle

- Use an overlocker to sew your seams (You can use a regular sewing machine – use a wide but short zigzag stitch). Test your stitch on a scrap piece of fabric first)

- A polyester thread is the best choice as threads can weaken with excessive exposure to salt water and chlorine such as the new Scanfil polyester range. To find out more – hantex.page.link/su

- Use a transparent, seamless elastic PU tape for shoulder seams, top edges, seams, armholes, and creative accents like Vlieseline’s Framilastic. To view – hantex.page.link/v