Sew Easy Swimsuits by Laura Keith
The workshop went swimmingly—to use a very bad pun. Laura Keith has written articles for Threads magazine on swimsuit making as well as other sewing articles for Sew News. The Portland/Vancouver area seems very ripe with sewing talent.
The workshop was held in a conference room at Comfort Suites near the Vancouver Mall on April 18. In the morning Laura talked about fabric selection, sizing the suit, and construction techniques—including application of elastic and how to put in a shelf or cup bra. The workshop included Laura’s swimsuit pattern, swimsuit fabric and lining, and a box lunch. Because the room had its own bathroom, we were able to try on suits of various sizes to determine which size suit to make.
At the end of the day, most of the suits were done. And to the shock and pleasure of the participants, they actually fit! At the end of the workshop Laura also showed us how to make a short skirt cover-up to match our suits. When I wore my suit the other day at the gym my husband complimented me, saying “That looks great!”—before he realized I had made it! No more frustrating shopping trips trying on swimsuits! Once you have the technique and pattern down, a suit can be cut and sewn in a couple of hours.
Things to keep in mind when purchasing fabric:
1. Determine if the fabric pattern is “run thru”, or surface printed, which tend to fade with stretching.
- Swimsuit fabric typically stretches more in one direction. Maximum stretch is typically across the body.
- It is important to get a fabric with “good recovery”—it stretches and returns quickly to its original size.
- Lining will tend to make a swimsuit smaller and/or tighter, so a swimsuit that is only front lined can be cut smaller than a suit that has full lining.
- Wooly nylon in both the upper and lower loopers of your serger and bobbin of your regular machine help keep seams elastic and strong.
Laura has a new swimsuit pattern coming out, and is considering having another workshop. We’ll keep you “in the swim”!
Attendees included Patty Hudson, Leenie Risser, Karen Lyles, Deanna Erickson and me from Columbia River Sewing, along with another sewing enthusiast.
Barbara Ferruzzi
