Sew a Bathing Suit! Summer Intensive

About this experience

Have you ever wanted to make your own swimwear, but feel daunted by the fabric, fit and construction? Join this fun class to make your first swimsuit full of demonstrations and guidance. Learn how to better handle technical knit/stretch fabrics, work with elastic and create beautiful edges using a regular sewing machine as well as a serger. 

PLEASE READ ALL INFO BELOW BEFORE SIGNING UP TO THIS CLASS- It's a longer than usual description, but that's for very good reason! We want to ensure greatest success of all our students and community teachers by making sure the class is the right fit and you have everything you need!

Skill Level: Intermediate - Advanced

Skills Experienced: 

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  Intermediate Sewing or equivalent + (AGE 16+)

  
  


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  A confident sewer who has made many garments, is comfortable with using trickier fabrics, and has some experience with fitting and minor alterations to patterns.

  
  


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  Experience successfully completing several sewing projects. This class will not cover basic sewing machine operation such as threading a needle, switching needles, how to adjust stitch length, locking stitches, reverse stitching, pivoting corners, winding bobbins etc. Students should be capable of performing these procedures without assistance.

  
  


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  Experience sewing with knits, applying elastics, making underwear and bralettes

  
  

Must be aged 16+

Learning outcomes:

You will learn step-by-step how to make your swimsuit. We will cover everything you need to know to make a professional looking swimsuit using a sewing machine and serger. Here's what we'll cover:

• Learn the basic properties of nylon and spandex swim fabrics


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  Learn about the different types of swim elastic 

  
  


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  How to construct seams

  
  


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  Hemming specific to swimwear

  
  


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  Creating details like ruching and ruffles

  
  


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  How to line your swimsuit 

  
  


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  Working with a twin needle/cover stitch machine

  
  


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  What stitches to use when using a regular sewing machine only

  
  


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  How to apply swim elastic 

  
  


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  Adding hooks and eyes

  
  


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  Making adjustable straps

  
  

Please note: This is a beginner swimwear class. It will provide a good starting point for you to make swimwear for yourself, but please note that as with any sewing pattern, you may need additional alterations to achieve a perfect fit for future makes. We will take you as far as we can with those alterations inside of this course.

What we provide:

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  12 hours of instruction time (July 19th and 20th) 

  
  

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  3 hours of group consultation to go over your fabrics and elastics and plan out any fit changes with your pattern (July 18th) 

  
  


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  The use of our class sewing machines and tools - though we strongly recommend bringing your own machine/s (Regular and Serger), so you can find the best setting for home use.

  
  

What you Bring:

** You will need to bring or purchase the following before the start of  this class**

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  Swimsuit pattern of your choice *

  
  

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  Nylon/spandex blend - see your pattern for quantities **

  
  

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  Swimsuit lining - see your pattern for requirements and quantities ***

  
  

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  Powermesh  - see your pattern for requirements (not always required) 

  
  

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  Swimsuit elastic - see your pattern for widths and quantities ****

  
  

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  Findings - (eg. hooks and eyes etc.)  - see your pattern for requirements

  
  

* Closet Core, Jalie, any of the big 4 patterns (McCall's, Simplicity, Vogue and New Look) will give you options to choose from for swim patterns to name a few. The Spool also carries a few patterns. 

** Look for a knit with four-way stretch of at least 50% in order to make most swimwear patterns work. Beyond that, the fibre content is also very important when making a suit that will stand up to chlorine and salt. You are looking for either nylon or polyester with a minimum of 8% spandex. Discovery Fabrics, Blackbird Fabrics and Core Fabrics are three Canadian companies we recommend!

*** There are a few options when it comes to lining a swimsuit. For a lightweight, "invisible" option, look for a nylon lining designed specifically for swimwear. Generally 100% nylon, usually comes in black, white or tan options in nylon. You can also use swim fabric for a lining, but note that this will add a bit more bulk. Places to purchase your fabric, to name a few: Gala Fabrics, Blackbird, Core Fabrics

**** The two most common options for elastic are a cotton/poly swimwear elastic blend and natural rubber. I usually recommend the cotton/poly swimwear elastic blend (cotton braided elastic). They come in different widths, ¼”, ½” and ¾”. Depending on your pattern, it will tell what width you need. 

IMPORTANT - Please come to the 3 hour group consultation on July 18th with your pattern, fabric and findings. These items will be discussed during this time. So you have a few options to choose from and not sure what to pick, this is the time to figure that out.  If you have questions beforehand you can email Tanya at classes@thegreenthimble.ca 

*Also note: This truly is a learning journey, with a teacher guiding each of you towards your sewing goals. It's a small group class, and people work at their own pace. Students who prefer to take a little more time, or who miss a class may need to work on homework between classes, or book in for Open Sew time. We have Supported Open Sew on a regular schedule, as well as non-instructional Sewcials and Your Studio time that can be booked if you don't have a sewing machine at home. We do our best to encourage and support you in finishing your project, but make no guarantee of completion if students miss classes or need extra time. We are all individuals in learning style! 

Because of the nature and small size of our classes, we are happy to switch you to another session or offer a refund with a minimum of two weeks notice.

Within 14 days of your starting class, we are happy to transfer your seat to a friend, but there are no refunds available- FINAL SALE. No shows are not eligible for refunds.

If you are a shift worker (or partnered with one, affecting your ability to plan) or have irregular ability to plan for other reasons, saving your registration for when you are certain about your availability reduces the stress for everyone- and if a class sells out before you get in, reach out to be added to a waitlist or to see if we can squeeze you in. We can often accommodate a last minute extra person, especially if you've been in touch in advance.