Today, Shelley, the ever-popular pattern innovator, is back with an exciting tutorial for creating beachwear. When Shelley sent me the pictures for this post, I was absolutely thrilled! Her knack for cleverly tweaking our patterns never ceases to amaze me, and I hope this inspires you to give it a try as the temperatures rise and it's time to think about what your kids will wear to the beach. Don't miss her tips on buying (recycled!) swim fabric, which will also come in handy if you're considering sewing the two new Lisette swimsuits. Over to you, Shelley!
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Hello again! For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope you're starting to feel the warmth of summer approaching. Down here in Australia, things are cooling off, but I wanted to keep the summer vibes alive by sharing some of my seasonal sewing projects.
During our beach holiday in March, I realized my kids needed more swimwear—specifically, some swim trunks for my son and a "rashie," which is essentially a long-sleeved swim shirt designed to protect his skin from the sun and prevent chafing while he rides his "boogie board." (Forgive the occasional Aussie slang—I'm channeling Crocodile Dundee here!)
After searching far and wide for the perfect boys' swim trunk pattern, it hit me that I already had the ideal one: the incredibly versatile Nature Walk Pants. All you need to transform these yoga pants into swim trunks is to size them down and shorten them! I went two sizes smaller than my son’s measurements and adjusted the inseam to about 1 inch.
The only pattern piece you'll need to modify is the pants piece (number 12). Start by tracing the pattern and cutting straight across the leg, perpendicular to the grain line arrow. For a 1-inch finished inseam, you’ll need to add ¼ inch for the seam allowance and approximately ¾ inch for the leg hem. Therefore, cut your traced pattern piece 2 inches below the point where the leg meets the crotch.
I also decided to split the pattern piece to add some color blocking. On the front half of the pants pattern piece, draw two vertical lines 2 inches apart and divide the piece into three sections. Offset the blocked panel toward the front, but you could place it on the side or wherever you prefer.
Once you've split the pattern piece, label them carefully to remember their placement and orientation. Then, add a ¼-inch seam allowance to each side of the vertical sections.
Sew the two pants panels together and follow the pattern instructions to assemble the swim trunks. They’re super quick to sew!
For the "rashie," I used the Field Trip Raglan T-shirt pattern and sized it down by two sizes. I added a ½-inch to the neckband to ensure it fit snugly. After sizing down, don’t forget to extend the sleeve and hem lengths to provide adequate coverage and sun protection.
Thinking about it, I decided a girl's version would look adorable too.
To create the girl’s version, I followed the same plan as the boy’s rashie but added some ruching to the shorts for a girlish touch. After shortening the Nature Walk Pants pattern piece as described earlier, I extended the length slightly, focusing most of the extra length on the side point.
Cut two 2-inch-wide strips of fabric to match the length of the shorts at the side point. Attach each strip to the wrong side of the shorts by sewing two vertical channels, similar to the casing in this Onstage Tutu tutorial. There’s no need to finish the edges since Lycra doesn’t fray. Trim the edges close to the stitching after sewing. Make sure to stop the casing just above where the leg hem will be to avoid accidentally sealing it shut during hemming.
The drawstrings were created by sewing strips of fabric into ¼-inch tubes and turning them right side out. Since Lycra doesn’t fray, you could simply use raw-edge strips of Lycra fabric if you don’t mind the wrong side showing a bit.
In the week after I finished these swim shorts, the new Lisette for Butterick swimsuit patterns were released. Imagine my delight when I saw a ruched swimsuit pattern for us!
I’ve been using Lycra Spandex from my local fabric stores to make my kids’ beachwear. It’s amazing how little fabric is needed for children’s swimwear—most of my pieces come from the remnant bins. It’s often labeled as dancewear, Lycra, Spandex, or has no label but feels right with four-way stretch.
After a year of washing, sun exposure, and chlorinated pools, the prints on previous swimsuits have faded. However, the kids usually outgrow their swimwear before it wears out. While there are Lycra fabrics with UV protection and chlorine resistance, they’re mostly sold wholesale and by the roll. With the small amounts I need, there’s no way I’ll buy a whole roll!
I hope this shows you that if you can sew a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, you can make beachwear for your kids—and maybe, like me, you already have the perfect patterns.
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After publishing this post, I’ve been exploring Fashion Revolution and asking, “Who made my fabric?†(I know who made my clothes—they were me!) One textile manufacturer stood out as a great source of sustainable swimsuit fabric. Aquafil produces Econyl, a 100% recycled nylon made from discarded fishing nets and ocean plastic.
Manufacturers like Carvico use Econyl to create eco-friendly activewear fabrics, including swimsuit materials that are chlorine-resistant and offer high UV protection. It turns out one of my favorite fabric stores carries Carvico’s Vita Lycra.
Next time I shop for Lycra swimwear fabrics, I’ll ask which ones are made from recycled materials. Wouldn’t it be incredible to know your swimsuit helps reduce ocean pollution?
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Since writing this post, I’ve been diving deeper into the world of sustainable fashion and asking, "Who made my fabric?" I know who made my clothes—they were me! One textile manufacturer caught my attention as a fantastic source of eco-friendly swimsuit fabric. Aquafil creates Econyl, a 100% recycled nylon sourced from discarded fishing nets and ocean plastic.
Carvico, an Italian manufacturer, uses Econyl to produce a wide range of eco-conscious activewear fabrics, including swimsuits that resist chlorine, offer high UV protection, and are made from recycled nylon. Following the online trail, I discovered one of my favorite fabric shops stocks Carvico’s Vita Lycra.
The next time I browse the selection of Lycra swimwear fabrics, I’ll inquire about which options are made from recycled materials. It would be incredible to enjoy a day at the beach knowing my swimsuit is one less discarded fishing net polluting our oceans.
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Since writing this post, I’ve been exploring Fashion Revolution and asking, “Who made my fabric?†I know who made my clothes—they were me! One textile manufacturer stood out as a great source of sustainable swimsuit fabric. Aquafil creates Econyl, a 100% recycled nylon made from discarded fishing nets and ocean plastic.
Carvico, an Italian manufacturer, uses Econyl to produce a variety of eco-friendly activewear fabrics, including swimsuits that resist chlorine, offer high UV protection, and are made from recycled nylon. After researching further, I found out one of my favorite fabric stores carries Carvico’s Vita Lycra.
The next time I shop for Lycra swimwear fabrics, I’ll be curious to learn which options are made from recycled materials. It would be amazing to know my swimsuit helps reduce ocean pollution.
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(If you enjoyed this tutorial, let me know in the comments below!)
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