How to Get Started Sewing Swimwear

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Sewing swimwear has always seemed like a daunting task to me. It just seemed so tricky and so fancy. So here I am sharing with you, how to get started sewing swimwear. I’m happy to tell you that it is not as tricky as you think. You do, however, need to have a few special things to get you going.

This post is not to tell you HOW to sew swimwear or tips or tricks to sewing swimwear, but simply how to get started. What do you need before you dive in (pun intended!).

This past summer I started sewing swimwear and I will share with you all the items I needed to prepare. So before you get started, be sure you go through this list on how to get started sewing swimwear.

Fabrics Needed to Get Started Sewing Swimwear

A number of retailers offer swimwear fabric. Typically swimwear fabric has 4-way stretch and contains lycra or spandex. Nylon is often used in swimwear fabric as well. You can also make swimwear from athletic fabric as well.

Consider the purpose of your swimwear as well. Some swimwear may be mainly used for beachwear. If that is the case, you can get away with using some athletic fabrics.

If chlorine is going to come into contact with your swimwear, you’ll want to make sure that there is some polyester content in the fabric as that will not only resist the chlorine but will also help hold the colour in the fabric with repeated contact with chlorine.

You will also need to get something known as swimwear lining. This is the fabric that is on the inside of your garment. Typically swimwear is 2 layers – the outside layer and the inside lining.

Swim lining is typically a lightweight, thin polyester fabric that comes in limited colours like black, white or beige. Since it’s on the inside, they aren’t fancy.

Sewing Machine or Serger?

You will need a sewing machine that is able to sew some alternate stitches. There is a lot of debate on what kind of stitch to use. The most popular choice seems to be the 3 step zig zag, which is a zig-zag stitch made from multiple, little stitches.

There are, however, alternate choices, including the lightning stitch and honeycomb stitch. For more details on stretch stitches on your sewing machine, check out this comprehensive article from Do It Yourself Better.

A serger also works well for swimwear. I use the 4 thread overlock setting on my Babylock Acclaim and it works great. I use the same stitch for assembling the garment, as well as for attaching the elastic.

For topstitching, you have the option of either using a zig-zag stitch on your sewing machine or a coverstitch machine.

Regular polyester thread works perfectly fine for swimwear. You don’t need anything fancy in this regard.

Stretch Needles for Your Sewing Machine or Serger

Due to the lycra content, it is recommended that you use special, stretch needles on your machine. Be sure to make sure you get the correct size, according to the make and model of your machine.

Swimwear Elastic

Since swimwear gets wet and comes into contact with chlorine, it is recommended to use a rubber elastic. This will hold up better than cotton elastic. While there is cotton swimwear elastic, I find that most sewers recommend the rubber elastic.

Rubber swimwear elastic is available from fabric stores, as well as Etsy and sewing suppliers.

Once you have all of these items acquired, you can get started on sewing swimwear.

I started out with an easy swimwear pattern. I started out with the Manhattan Beach Bikini Bottoms from Miko Suit Supplies.

Now just like any of my sewing projects, the first one was the one in which I fumbled along and was my tester. It wasn’t perfect and that’s okay. Think of it as that first pancake. Once that one was done however they were great.

Look at all of them that I sewed! Okay, so I don’t have any tops for them, but I have all these great bottoms.

This past summer I wore them at camp and went both kayaking and paddleboarding in them. They stood up to ocean water with no problem.

Want to remember how to get started sewing swimwear? Be sure to save this to your favourite Pinterest board.