Browsing Tag

Swimsuit Sew Along

Ginger Sew Along: Cutting your fabric and lining

Uncategorized August 5, 2012

Now that you have transferred your alterations to your pattern you can cut your fabric. Cutting your fabric and lining is easy. 
  1. Cut 2 of the Upper Cup in Self and in Lining
  2. Cut 2 of the Lower Cup in Self and in Lining
  3. Cut 1 on fold of the Centre Front in Self and in Lining
  4. Cut 1 on fold of the Centre Back in Self and in Lining
  5. Cut 2 Side front in Self – optional to cut lining too. I am using a heavy spandex so I didn’t feel I needed a lining.  If you are using a light coloured fabric, or an unstable knit, line it!
  6. Cut 2 Side back in Self – lining here is optional too

Why line a swimsuit if your fabric is opaque?  Lining does a couple of things.  It gives your fabric stability – especially if you are not using a spandex swimsuit fabric.   Fabric clings when they are wet, proudly displaying every nook and cranny that you may not necessarily want on display at the local beach.  Lining gives you that extra layer. Lighter fabrics, as many of us know, lose their opacity when wet. Lining will prevent an unwanted “Surprise” when you emerge from the water.  So, the moral of the story is, it’s very important to line a swimsuit.

Pins are your friend when cutting knits.  When sewing for myself, I am sometimes so excited to get a project underway, that I am skimpy on the pinning.  Properly pinning your fabric will prevent it from sliding, so you’re sure to get exact cuts each time.

**If you are sewing a 2 piece version, you follow these directions exactly, except that you cut along the waist lines** I’ve included a crotch lining gusset piece for people who may want to sew the bottoms as panties, but don’t want a fully lined garment.  You will find that the crotch seam on this garment sits pretty close to the middle of the legs, which slightly off-sets the crotch lining, providing more coverage up front than towards the back.

The Ginger Swimsuit Sew Along + GIVE AWAY! CLOSED!

Uncategorized July 26, 2012

Oh my goodness… I sewed like a mad woman over the last few days, testing my new pattern… and, I think it’s ready to go! So, I am happy to announce that I will be also hosting a sew along for the 1 piece swim suit version of the Ginger Pattern.

Here’s a sneak peek:

The instructions in the digital pattern do not go over things like adding elastic under the bust, or how to sew in the padded cups, so I will be going over all of these things here.  I’ll also be showing how to sew on the elastic and how to make adjustable straps.

You are going to need a few things that might be hard to source if you are from a small town like me.  First, you will need swimsuit fabric.  While Spandex is the best, it is expensive and not always easy to find.  I am using a combination of black Spandex with a polyester knit that I will line.  If you cannot find Spandex, 100% polyester knits are good because they dry quickly.

 This swimsuit will be lined, so you also need swimsuit lining.  Swimsuit lining is often made of nylon or polyester, and is very stretchy.  It is important that all of the fabrics that you use are 4-way stretch fabrics, or you will need to make some major fit adjustments.

Spandex World has a great selection of Swimwear fabrics. Spandex House is also great.

The most important things about the fabric that you choose are: 1) they will be chlorine and water friendly.  Synthetics tend to dry quicker, and fabrics like polyester tend to have good chlorine resistance. 2) They are 4-way stretch knits.

You will need to buy enough fabric to do a mock up and your actual garment.  I recommend buying 1 yard of inexpensive stretchy knit fabric to test the pattern, and 1 yard of “good” fabric for your actual swimsuit. Don’t forget to buy a coordinating swimsuit lining in either white, beige or black!  I can’t stress enough how important the muslin is for 1 piece swimsuits.  In my experience, finding the right length for the swimsuit on your first go is very, very tricky!

You will also need 2 yards of chlorine-friendly 1/4″ – 3/8″ wide elastic to match your fabric, 1/2 yard of soft elastic for a band under the bust, and sew in swimsuit cups.  Optional are bra strap sliders and clear elastic.

Of course, you will also need a pattern.

To Kick off the Sew Along, I’ll be giving away a free copy of the PDF pattern to TWO Lucky winners! Here’s now to enter:

1. Comment here letting me know what kind of embellishments, fabrics, etc, you’ll be using for your swimsuit.
BONUS ENTRIES!
2. “Like” Ohhh Lulu on Facebook.
3. Tweet about the Sew Along on Twitter



I’ll be choosing two winners on August 1st, and will post my first sew along post on Friday August 3rd!