Intro to Sewing Swimwear

Sew beautiful swimwear you can feel confident in with our detailed masterclass. It may seem like a daunting project, but with the guidance of our expert teachers, you’ll be able to create something you feel great in, ready to enjoy a dip in the pool!

Our brand new Zahra Swimsuit & Bikini sewing pattern is exclusively available as part of this class and includes different variations, so you can make swimwear that’s perfect for you. Make Zahra as a one or two-piece to suit your style. Both versions come with the option to add foam cups for coverage and elastic under the bust for extra support. If you’re making the Bikini, you can also pick between a narrow or wide band to finish the top and bottoms.

In the masterclass we’ll show you how to add strap adjusters to achieve the best fit, but you can decide to omit them by following a simplified version included in the written instructions.

What’s in the class?
In this invaluable masterclass, we’ll guide you through every step of making the Zahra Swimsuit & Bikini: picking the right fabric and supplies, selecting your size, making a toile and any necessary adjustments, and of course, all the techniques involved in sewing your swimwear from start to finish. We’ll help you troubleshoot any needle/thread/fabric/lining issues. We’ll chat about the types of elastic you can use – if you can’t get your hands on swimwear elastic, we’ve got you covered – and show you different ways to sew it in.

Sewing Level
The Zahra Swimsuit & Bikini pattern is aimed at Intermediate sewists, but with the help of this class, we believe Confident Beginners looking for a challenge can tackle this project.

Fabric Suggestions
Light to medium weight swimwear fabrics such as 4-way stretch Lycra or polyamide with 50% cross-wise stretch, as well as swimwear lining (ideally 100% nylon). You will also need 8mm
wide rubber swimwear elastic. If you want to add elastic into the waistbands, you’ll need 12mm swimwear elastic. You will need a set of 20mm plastic/coated metal strap adjusters (bare
metal may rust in chlorine) if making version 1.

Sizing & Fabric Requirements
The Zahra Swimsuit & Bikini pattern comes in our full range of sizes UK 6-30 and is split into two different blocks: sizes 6-20 are drafted for a B cup, sizes 18-30 are drafted for a D cup. Refer to the size charts for details on fabric requirements. Like all our patterns, the sizes are nested to make it easier to grade between the sizes, depending on your measurements.

*Zahra Bikini – Size Chart 6-20
*Zahra Bikini – Size Chart 18-30
*Zahra Swimsuit – Size Chart 6-20
*Zahra Swimsuit – Size Chart 18-30

What will I receive?
The downloadable pattern file contains:
* printable pattern (in both tiled print-at-home and copyshop format) in all sizes
* fully-illustrated printable instruction booklet
* copyshop permission letter

The Zahra Bikini sewing pattern is either 40 A4/US letter pages or 2 A0 copyshop pages (sizes 6-20), or 45 A4/US letter pages, or 3 A0 copyshop pages (size 18-30).

The Zahra Swimsuit sewing pattern is either 37 A4 pages, 40 US letter pages or 3 A0 copyshop pages (sizes 6-20), or 52 A4 pages, 54 US letter pages, or 3 A0 copyshop pages (size 18-30).