How to Sew a Bathing Suit
Sewing your own bathing suit allows you to express your creativity while creating a suit tailored to your body. It also takes away the hassle and pressure of buying a suit in the store. A swimsuit can be made and tried on in your own home, allowing you to change it as you go and come up with a rewarding result. However, sewing a bathing suit can be difficult, since the fabric can be tricky. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Find a pattern in the style and size you want.
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2
Choose a fabric for your bathing suit. Most suits take a knit fabric found in the dancewear section of the fabric store. This kind of fabric can be fickle.
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3
Cut out your pattern pieces.
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Lay out your fabric and pattern pieces, and cut the fabric, pinning frequently. Bathing suit knits will often shift when cutting. Pin your garment in several places to ensure a precise cut.
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Choose a sewing machine needle designed specifically for stretch fabrics, and change your machine's settings to a short stitch length, such as 1 or 1.5. Because knits are slippery and prone to stretching, a tight stitch will make holes smaller and less frequent should the thread snap when the fabric is stretched.
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Serge the edges of your fabric before starting. This will reinforce it.
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Follow the directions on your pattern, making sure to keep your seam allowances at 5/8 inch, unless otherwise noted.
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Tips & Warnings
Pin frequently when sewing. While always true for sewing, it is especially important when sewing a slippery knit, such as those used in bathing suits.
Do not forget to surge your edges. They add another layer of protection against thread breakage. If you do not have a serger, you can also use a finishing zig-zag stitch along the edge of your fabric.
