North Shore Swimsuit

How many swimsuits does one land-locked Midwesterner need? Don't answer that.

The theme for May's Fabric Fairy Promo team is "self-care". To me, that means "sew stuff you like". I LOVE making swimsuits. I have way more than anyone "needs". Somewhere along the way I had to give myself permission to sew them because I like it, not because I need them. I try to limit myself to one per year, but that usually turns into two or three #sorrynotsorry

This year, I went with a new pattern, the North Shore Swimsuit from Greenstyle Creations. There are a TON of options in this pattern, I won't even try to list them. I've had a similar swimsuit pinned for a century and the North Shore seemed like the closest match I could find. I made the Deep V Full Cup Front, with a Pullover U Back. I cut the mid-rise bottoms but used wider elastic, so mine are not a great representation of the accurate mid-rise. My bust is 33" and I made the top in XS. My hips are 38" and I started with a medium, but they were too big. I cut them down to a small and they fit great.

This print is called Abstract Monarch. The last two years, my kids and I have raised monarch butterflies. It's fun and this suit reminds me of that. I like how it's abstract though, you might not know it's an homage to monarchs at first glance. I completely forgot to order any lining fabric, so I made due with some black and green solids leftover from last year's swimsuits (here and here). Construction was done with my sewing machine and I topstitched the elastic with my coverstitch.

I ordered my swim elastic from The Fabric Fairy as well. This was my first time trying "rubber swim elastic". It was a lot like sewing a rubber band. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing! We'll see how it holds up over time, but I did think it felt sturdier than the Dritz stuff I usually buy at Jo-Ann's.

I think this suit is super cute and turned out how I envisioned. The pattern directions were great and I could even recommend this as a first-time swim project. Now if we could get the leak in our hot tub fixed...

Athletic Lace Hoodie

I am SO excited about today's post! It's been so fun to be a part of The Fabric Fairy blogger team. The group is very creative and I'm always inspired. A few months back, Sarah from Sewing With Sarah posted about a new fabric, a super cool stretch mesh/lace suitable for athletic wear (it also comes in black!!). She used it as an accent to a top and leggings. I wanted to try the fabric myself, but to mix it up and not directly copy Sarah. I settled on a hoodie and I think I've got a pretty cool piece!

The texture of this fabric is great, and since it's a mesh, it allows air to flow through it. It's 80/20 poly/lycra, so a stable stretch and recovery. To make the hoodie, I used the Sloane pattern from Love Notions. It's a basic pattern that easily transforms depending on your fabric. This is View A, with a slim fit and and shirttail hem. My bust is 33" and I made the XS. I made the S once before and felt it was a little baggy for the look I wanted here.

I did a lot of test sewing before I started working with this fabric. The seam allowance is only 3/8", so my ideal choice of French seams wasn't an option. I would have used my serger but didn't have four matching cones of purple thread (it's not a color I wear often). I ended up using a zig-zag stitch and a walking foot for most of the construction. The exception was the hem, where I used a slightly longer straight stitch. There is clear elastic sewn into the shoulder seams for stability. I lightly pressed all seams with a press cloth on low heat.

I hemmed the front of the hoodie a little more narrow than the pattern suggested, which meant I had some extra length that I could transform into a crossover hood. I also took advantage of the cool pointed motif that runs along the selvedge, and created a pointed cuff on the sleeves.

This is the most accurate color depiction

To make that work, I did narrow the sleeve from the elbow to the wrist. I cut around the pointed motif, and essentially faced it with scraps of the mesh, also cut from the selvedge. I wasn't able to sew the cuff into a complete circle, so instead I butted the edges together and basted them before sewing the cuff to the sleeve.

I love the cool superhero vibe of the pointed cuff! I made sure to sew a Kylie and the Machine label into the side seam so everyone would know it's one of a kind.

Some mornings, you want to throw on a hoodie but not be too warm or sloppy-looking. This hoodie fits the bill perfectly. I also ordered a swatch of fleece-backed knit to see how well it coordinated color-wise. I wish I would've just gone ahead and ordered yardage, because it's a great match for the mesh and it's warm and luxe. I predict a matching pair of leggings in my future!

I received a credit from The Fabric Fairy in exchange for this review. Fabric and project choice were my own, I purchased the pattern. All opinions are my own. 

Reversible Cottesloe Swimsuit

Reversible Swimsuit!? What? Yes, it’s true. Just when you thought I didn’t need any more swimsuits, now I have two in one!

When I was a kid, I had a swimsuit that was reversible. It was all black on one side and all white on the other. I thought it was so awesome that I could pack one suit, take it to camp for a week, and essentially have two suits. Probably no one noticed. But it was still my favorite anyway.

A few months ago, The Fabric Fairy expanded their team of sewists and I was one of the lucky ones they picked. If you’ve been reading long at all, you know TFF is hands-down my number one choice for swim fabrics. I’ve also used their French terry, jersey, etc. over the years. When it came time to choose fabric for my first Fabric Fairy project, I tried desperately to avoid more swimwear. How many suits does one person need?? I usually make one every year, and I’d already done that! But I’m like a helpless baby. Especially when I hit on the idea to make a reversible suit!

One side of the suit is this Supernatural Nylon Spandex Swim. The other is Classic Black Nylon Spandex Swim. Pro tip: when in doubt about the success of a swimsuit, use black. Any wonky stitching will disappear. I adore the print, but let me tell you, the black is one of the highest quality swim knits I’ve ever used. Highly recommend!

The pattern I used for this suit is the Megan Nielsen Cottesloe. As far as I know, this is the first MN patten I’ve used. True story, I’m in love with this pattern. Lately, I’ve developed an intense bond with super simple patterns done really well, and the Cottesloe falls into that category. The cut is perfect.

My measurements put me at a size 2-8-8. The last time I tried to make a one piece suit, it ended up too short in the torso and got chopped into a two piece. Given my drastic grading and past issues with one pieces, I made a quick muslin of the Cottesloe. It fit, but after comparing the stretch of my muslin and final fabric, I decided to add 1/2” of length to the bodice. I have a long torso and this is a common adjustment. Especially considering that I have two different fabrics stretching together, I'm really glad I added the extra length. The fit is amazing! My muslin was the low-back version, but it felt like my shoulder straps could easily get pulled off, so I went with View B.

I went with the Cottesloe because of its simplicity, which is necessary for a reversible suit. The pattern simply has elastic sewn to the edges and then turned down. To make it reversible, instead the edges are finished in the same way you would use double-fold bias tape, except that there is also elastic inside. I chose a solid black and a black and white print so that I could use one of them as the binding, and it would work with both fabrics.

To make a reversible swimsuit, cut a front and back from both fabrics. Construct them as usual and then insert one into the other, WRONG sides together.

The seam allowance on the Cottesloe is 1/4" (side note--I generally hate this SA on a swimsuit. 3/8" is much easier to work with and where I am 3/8" swim elastic is easier to find). The method I used means that the finished edge of the suit will be the same as the cut edge. So, the seam allowance needed to be removed for the suit to fit as intended. The easiest way to do this is to serge your pieces together along all the openings, cutting off 1/4". That way, you can both baste your pieces AND remove the seam allowance in one quick pass. I was pretty lazy with my suit and I only did this step on the leg openings. It didn't matter to me if the other openings were slightly larger, but nobody wants an extra-large crotch amiright? Additionally, I did use 3/8" elastic instead of 1/4" as directed, so it came out smaller anyway. Too much maths.

Next, I used a flexible ruler to measure the length of the openings. I cut 2" fabric strips in this length. The Cottesloe gives tons of details on lengths for the elastic but I have enough experience with swimwear that I can figure it out by feel. If you do not, then use the pattern measurements, or the length of the opening minus a little.

Sew your 2" binding strips along the short ends so that they make a loop. Do the same with your elastic. Quarter and pin in this order: swimsuit right side (either right side) touching binding right side, elastic touching binding wrong side. Go slowly, making sure you're catching all the layers and that they all line up along the raw edges. I used a zig-zag on my regular machine to make sure I didn't screw up this step. Sew straight down the middle of the elastic or to the side furthest from the raw edge. You'll be stretching the binding and elastic slightly to ensure a snug fit.

Next, you will wrap the binding around the elastic to the other side of the suit, tucking the raw edge under and thus covering all the finishings. This is the part that is similar to double-fold bias tape. The difference is that cotton bias tape is easily pressed into submission, and swim knit is not. Be careful not to roll the elastic out of place, or to let the raw edge of the binding slip out. Use lots of Wonderclips if you have them! Topstitch the binding down using a zig-zag stitch. Normally, I would use my coverstitch to topstitch swim, but remember that the stitching will be visible on both sides of the suit. A zig-zag is better in this case. Repeat this process with all of the openings and viola, a swimsuit that is completely finished no matter which side is out!

Questions? Comments? Drop them below!

I received this fabric for free in exchange for a review. I purchased the pattern. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links have been used in this post. Thank you for supporting this blog!