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.

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing Summery ITY

Hi sewing friends! I’m dropping in to share a few makes sewn with ITY fabrics and inspire you to try out this slinky, cool-to-the-touch fabric for hot weather if you haven’t yet, or to recommend some patterns that work fabulously if you already love it. This is by far my favorite knit to wear in summer. Since it moves easily there’s lots of airflow, and it just skims the body. More often than not, it has a four-way stretch that doesn’t grow when worn, so it works great for loads of styles. ITY stands for Interlock Twist Yarn and the knit gives it some wonderful drape and stretch. There are lots of different weights and even some differing textures. Because it’s so fluid, the fabric really resists most wrinkling. I’ve sewn three different weights and prints here to show off just what ITY can do! This white floral is a lighter weight and features a slightly crepe-textured finish, and I think that combined with the large and spread-out floral makes it quite elegant and eye-cat...

Made By A Fabricista: Effortless ITY

Clothing made from ITY (Interlock Twist Yarn) fabric is effortless, almost like wearing secret pajamas. It is silky and cool to the touch, with a beautiful drape and amazing stretch. ITY fabric is incredibly versatile, and some of the best dresses, skirts, and athletic wear I’ve owned are made from it. Thanks to Fabric Mart’s recent influx of unique ITY fabrics, I was inspired to add some additional ITY items to my wardrobe. I found two beautiful ITY fabrics on the Fabric Mart site that stopped me in my tracks. The first fabric I loved was a funky off-white and multi-color flora and fauna print from a New York Designer. I ordered two yards of this print with a top in mind. Next, I saw a beautiful ITY fabric panel featuring off-white and blue floral print. I’m usually hesitant to buy fabric panels without a plan of how to use them, but I threw caution to the wind this time. I ordered 5 panels, hoping that would give me more than enough fabric to showcase the...

Made By A Fabricista: Basics vs Fun Clothes

Every summer I make flowy, pretty dresses because they are so fun for me to make, wear, and they keep me cool as temperatures rise. But when the days get shorter and autumn rolls around, I’m not always confident on how best to transition my summery dresses into garments that will allow for the seasonal changes. In an effort to be more intentional about maximizing the use of my clothing, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to make for August. It’s been a hot summer in New Jersey. From what I can see, it’s been a hot summer across the US. Looking for clothing that will keep me cool, perhaps hide some sweat stains, and allow me to transition between seasons, I decided to make separates that would pair well with each other and allow me to mix and match with the rest of my wardrobe. For the top, I wanted a basic tank top, something I could layer later on. For the bottoms, I wanted flowy, summery pants that can last into brisker weather or become phenomenally cozy in front of my wint...

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