Hey guys? Quit being amazing.
Last night I posted the Bombshell Swimsuit on Etsy and the avalanche of orders and goodwill and blogger love this morning made me fill up with joy. I’m basically the happiness equivalent of Violet Beauregard in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory after she turns into a giant blueberry, just minus the blue. And the spoiled sense of entitlement. Just a giant inflated ball of joy (this is a really tortured metaphor).
You can read all about the schedule for the Bombshell Sewalong here. If you are interested in participating and want to add a badge to your blog, you can grab it here:
You can read all about the schedule for the Bombshell Sewalong here. If you are interested in participating and want to add a badge to your blog, you can grab it here:
Today I want to discuss the material requirements of the Bombshell Swimsuit. The Sewalong starts a week from Monday so hopefully you will have enough time to gather your supplies in the meantime.
FABRIC
Many vintage style swimsuits use non stretch fabric. The Bombshell is NOT one of them. You really need a lycra fabric that can survive the stresses of salt, sun and chlorine. This suit fits like a second skin and you want a fabric that has enough stretch to get on and off, and will hold it’s shape when wet.
I am calling it “swimwear lycra” but this material is also used to make skating and gymnastics costumes as well. What you want is a fabric blend of spandex and nylon (called lycra even though I believe this is a brand name of spandex, much the way we call tissues “Kleenex”). The ideal ratio is 80-90% nylon and 10-20% spandex. The nylon gives the durability and the spandex provides the stretch. This is the only material I can safely recommend for this particular suit. Unfortunately, natural materials like cotton or rayon knits are not going to work here.
My lycra store (the perks of living in a fashion capitol!) carries two kinds of swimwear lycra – a matte Italian and a “wet look” one. The “wet look” lycra can be used on either side; the “wrong” side has slightly less sheen. I find the lycra with the sheen slightly easier to work with but the matte looks fabulous on, especially in a solid colour. Some examples of the kind of lycra you are looking for can be found here.
As for the lining, you want a stretchy knit lining fabric, again in synthetic fibers like nylon or polyester. I used a nude lining in all of my samples but you can also get a black lining for darker suits. Anyone interested in making a white bombshell should take a look at the HOLY OMG AMAZING miracle that is Carolyn’s make. She lined hers with the same fabric she used on the outside. If you were still feeling nervous about nip slippage, you could do an extra lining at the crotch and bust in nude, just to be one the safe side. An example of lining fabrics can be found here.
A few of my pattern testers lined their fabric in the same material they used on the outside – this is totally a viable option but just keep in mind that the fabric is definitely thicker than the lining and you are adding a little bulk/weight to your suit, especially when it gets wet. But from what I’ve seen, it does not affect the way it looks on whatsoever.
What about prints? For my sample suits I used a solid lycra, but for the sewalong I am using a beautiful floral watercolour-esque print I found in San Francisco. I think the Bombshell works with prints very well. Here are a few I found that could be pretty spectacular:
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| Gold polka dots at Michael Levine! (10% off all their swimwear!) |
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| From Spandex House, this animal print would be pretty classy-trashy. |
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| Also from Spandex House.... THUNDERSTORMS!! AAAHHH! The brain boggles! |
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| Spandex World blows minds with this Galaxy print. |
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| Sixties cheery vibez from Spandex World. |
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| OMBRE!!!! |
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| Pretty abstract print at Michael Levine. |
Internet shopping may be the way to go for many of you, but you should be able to find lycra at any large fabric store. Almost all of my favourite haunts in Montreal carry a few bolts of it.
Here is the amount of fabric you will need to purchase for your suit:
Places to buy fabric
Places to buy fabric
A GREAT post on swimwear fabric from the SwimAlong series can be found here. All lycra questions answered!
I will cover this later but if you want to be totally ready to go, you may want to pre-wash your fabric once it arrives. I say "may" because lycra is one of the few fabrics that rarely shrink. The advantage to not washing it (as I learned from the wise and wonderful Dixie DIY) is that the selvedges do not curl, making it easier to cut out. However, I just heard from one of my pattern testers that she used a cheap lycra that shrank AND bled dye. So maybe a cold wash is best to be on the safe side.
I will cover this later but if you want to be totally ready to go, you may want to pre-wash your fabric once it arrives. I say "may" because lycra is one of the few fabrics that rarely shrink. The advantage to not washing it (as I learned from the wise and wonderful Dixie DIY) is that the selvedges do not curl, making it easier to cut out. However, I just heard from one of my pattern testers that she used a cheap lycra that shrank AND bled dye. So maybe a cold wash is best to be on the safe side.
ELASTIC
The type of elastic you chose to make your suit will have a huge impact on its lifespan. Traditional polyester elastic is not the best choice for swimwear. It breaks down in salt and chlorine and will ultimately not stand the test of time. There are two options for swimwear elastic.
- Rubber. Rubber elastic comes in white or black. The black rubber I used for all of my suits so far has slight ridges on it which make it easier to line up with your fabric edge when sewing it down.
- “Swimwear” elastic. It is also known as “natural” or “cotton” elastic. It is generally made from mostly cotton and about a third of neoprene. I will be using this elastic for the first time during the sewalong, but I believe this is the more common elastic used in swimwear.
I specify 1/4" elastic but I believe the "swimwear" cotton elastic is mostly if not only, available in 3/8". If you use 3/8" you will be fine.
You can purchase elastic at lingerie supply stores like Sew Sassyor Fabric Depot, along with various shops on Etsy. Again, any big sewing store like JoAnn’s or Fabricville should carry it.
You can purchase elastic at lingerie supply stores like Sew Sassyor Fabric Depot, along with various shops on Etsy. Again, any big sewing store like JoAnn’s or Fabricville should carry it.
You will need 4 yds altogether.
THREAD
Pretty simple. You want a high quality 100% polyester thread. I prefer Gutterman’s but whatever floats your boat. You will go through a lot of it, especially with your gathers and topstitching, so I would suggest getting at least 250 yds.
For those with sergers, I know that using wooly nylon thread in your loopers really helps with the stretchiness of your seams, but I haven’t tried it yet. I may give it a whirl for the Sewalong suit.
NEEDLES
Anyone who has sewn stretchy knits on a traditional sewing machine has probably experienced the rage of skipped stitches. Last year when I first started sewing swimsuits I almost threw my machine out the window. Nothing was working.
You really, really need the right needle for this project. You want a needle with a ballpoint so it goes in between the weave of your fabric and catches the bobbin thread. Sharps are likely to give you a world of headaches. I tried “knit” needles but the only kind that guarantees me a nice even stitch are “Stretch” needles. Elona on a Pattern Review board says it best: “The [stretch needle] has a deeper ‘scarf’, an indentation that allows a longer thread loop to form, increasing the chance that it will be caught by the hook of the sewing machine, and that a stitch will be formed successfully on a difficult, stretchy fabric.”
Thanks Elona. Couldn’t have said it better. Now go get some stretch needles.
MACHINE
You can absolutely make the Bombshell sans serger but your machine must have a zig zag function. My first swimsuit was done using just the zig zag on my old Singer. Obviously, the guts of your suit will look a little less polished, but it can be done. I will provide help on how to do this as cleanly as possible.
CUPS
If you need some support for your big naturals (thank you Sarah Silverman for the best way to describe tatas ever) you should probably pick up some cups. Now, I am a 34D and am TOTALLY fine without support in this suit. The halter version is especially supportive on its own. However, if you want additional boob cradlage or even just nip padding, cups are a good idea. I will be doing a post on how to add them to the two views. You can get these cups at any decent sewing supplies shop or wherever you are getting your elastic.
However, since I have not used these yet, I am going to cede some territory to Dixie DIY who did a great swimsuit sewalong last year. Here is what she has to say about cups:
My faves are these kind that I bought at Sew Sassy but I've also seen them on Etsy and other sites. They're soft and flexible and provide more coverage and gentle shaping than "lift." They come in several sizes.
If your bust is on the larger side you can combine these cups with a shelf bra in the lining (elastic support under the bust with more room for the "ladies") or you can use a bra-style suit or bikini top and use pre-moulded cups or Poly Laminated Foam as an interlining.
If your bust is on the larger side you can combine these cups with a shelf bra in the lining (elastic support under the bust with more room for the "ladies") or you can use a bra-style suit or bikini top and use pre-moulded cups or Poly Laminated Foam as an interlining.
Poly Laminated Foam is often used in swim bras and sometimes regular bras. It is usually a 1/8" to 1/4" thick dense but flexible foam with a soft fabric layer on either side. In normal bras the tricot or power knit fabric provides minimal stretch while still supporting the cups. Although the design may be the same, in swimwear the fabric is way too stretchy to hold in the mounds (know what I'm sayin'?) so the foam gives structure and support without much bulk. You can cut the foam to fit your needs and make your own cups if you want.
Thanks Dixie! You can read her awesome materials post here.
ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES
Scissors or a rotary cutter and mat (I’m a rotary cutter girl myself. SO MUCH FASTER!)
Pins
Measuring tape
A ruler if you need to make modifications
A marking tool
That should do it for supplies! I suggest getting everything by next Monday so you can follow along. I am really excited to get people on the Bombshell bandwagon!
Lastly....
A strange full-circle feeling came over me this morning when I read Casey’s post on yesterday's passing of Esther Williams… She embodied 1940’s and 50's swimsuit glamour like no other. She was a definite inspiration when I drafted this suit and the coincidence of her death and the release of this suit feels weirdly symbolic.
Hope there are pools in heaven, Esther.
(Someone quick - do a metallic lame version!)
Hope there are pools in heaven, Esther.
(Someone quick - do a metallic lame version!)
