Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Take the Plunge, Sew a Swimsuit

Sewing a swimsuit is an easy and quick project that can be done in just a few hours. Seriously they are pretty quick to make! If you can sew a zigzag or a straight stitch you can sew a swimsuit. Fabric Mart had an amazing collection of swim and I was so thrilled to get my hands on some. Today I will be reviewing two swim patterns I used.

The first one I made was from Megan Nielsen Patterns, the Cottesloe swimsuit pattern. I mostly stick with one piece swim patterns but support is important to me. This one has a shelf bra and tie back that helps with some support in the front. The pattern itself is pretty straight forward.


There is an option to sew in a lining as well. I did not sew in a lining and I do regret that! The stitches and elastic can get irritating in the gusset area, I think that having a lining MIGHT help to prevent that. If your elastic is at all showing, meaning the fabric doesn’t completely cover the elastic when its folded over, there will probably be irritating rubbing against the skin. So with the second swimsuit I made, I used caution when sewing in the rubber elastic. There is one thing I would adjust for this suit and that is the placement of the back tie. For me they are too low even though it is right in line with the shelf bra. I still feel like the straps on my shoulders might fall down. So I will either adjust the placement or add a second tie; the larger your bust are the more support in the back you will need. If I do that I would make the strap with a loop and hook to secure it. There weren’t any adjustments I had to make in the size either and the length of the suit was good for me, I am about 5’5 in height. There are two views, a one piece and a two piece with either a low or high waist bottom! This pattern is beginner friendly for sure!

Next up is the brand new Closet Core Patterns Faye Swimsuit. It came out right while I was in the middle of making my other swimsuit. The timing was perfect. This swimsuit is hands down my favorite. It is comfortable and the straps hit in the right places. I don’t feel like anything is going to slide or fall down (like straps). The elastic on the butt part does tend to flip out. I messaged Closet Core on Instagram and they said they would be writing a blog post about that and how to work with keeping the elastic from flipping to the outside of the suit. This suit is fully lined and I really do recommend lining it. It keeps the elastic off your skin, that is until you get to the leg openings. There is a way to make this suit reversible and that would keep all the elastic inclosed inside the suit. I will be doing that on the next one. You can find that on the Closet Core blog for instructions on how to make it reversible. The straps have elastic in them to help with support as well. This pattern is also size inclusive and goes from size 0-32! There are 3 views, a one piece, two piece with a higher waist bottom and two piece with a low waist bottom. There is also a variation for the back view on the bra top version. For comfort this will be my go to pattern for swim this year!


With a little bit of swim fabric, a little bit of elastic and a really good pattern you can be sewing swimwear too! Check out my personal blog at ModistraSews.com for more swimsuit reviews and how to’s on sewing swim!

HANNAH   @modistrasews


Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category SWIMWEAR FABRIC.
You can also shop our selection of Megan Nielsen Patterns HERE & Closet Core Patterns HERE.

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Three Methods to Explore Colorblocking

Hey sewing friends! As I pondered what sort of plan to tackle for my next wintry project, a new and glorious array of rainbow Polartec fabrics filled the Fabric Mart site. I’ve enjoyed sewing with this brand’s fabrics for many years now, and I’m all too happy to add some more to my wardrobe.  I picked two of my favorite types, the Power Air Grid Double Knit and the Power Grid Fleece.  Choosing a few colors in matching weights to combine them into something totally me sounded perfect. Look at this stunning heap!  When I’m sewing two different fabrics together, I prefer to use the same weight and type so that they behave similarly and hang well together. Any extra piecing like this also creates topstitching opportunities galore! (You already know I’m all about that available thread matching.) In this case, I opted for three colors in each of the two fabric varieties I mentioned above for the best combining results.  I figured I’d dive in with a brief overview of how y...

Help Our Buyers Shop!

  Comment on this post with what you are looking for right now and our buyers will seek it out!  I am craving wool gabardines and ponte knits in fun autumn colors. What about you?

Made By A Fabricista: Coat Sewing Chronicles

Sewing a coat is not for the faint of heart, or for the sewist looking for a light project. It is possibly the slowest form of apparel sewing that exists. If you’ve made a coat, chances are, you know what I mean. No matter what you do, you can’t rush through it, you can’t skip steps or cut corners, you just have to roll with the punches. One minute you’re flying through assembly thinking “I’ll be finished soon,” and the next you’re running away from your sewing room because you need space. Are you guaranteed to end up with a bespoke wonder in your coat closet, most definitely! But heed my warning, if you are looking for a quick win, it is not a coat!  My coat sewing chronicles began around Christmas when I fell in love with a black-and-white basketweave wool-coating fabric on the Fabric Mart website. I quickly placed an order for 3.75 yards to finally make the Seamwork Bay coat I’ve been dreaming of making for a while. In addition to my Fabric Mart wool, I also ordered Kasha Satin...