AUGUST 3, 2022
SEWING WITH SWIM - WORKING WITH SEERSUCKER
by Heather Pennie
My teen is very active and sporty, and she has very exacting needs of her wardrobe. As well, she has very broad, square shoulders, extremely long arms, and has a terrible time finding RTW that fits and functions properly.
She is very partial to custom-sewn swimwear and bra tops, and I make them to her specifications.
She is a swim instructor and will be spending long days at the beach. The first item requested was a rashguard. She selected this Knockout Pink Seersucker Swim fabric for two reasons. The first reason is the texture. She is body-conscious and was happy to have a fabric that wouldn’t cling as closely to the skin as regular swim fabric, especially when wet. The second reason is the neon pink, which she likes for visibility and the fact that neon colours are trending.
I sewed up the Jalie Marie Claude top (her favourite raglan of all time) and added extra length to the sleeves.
Because of the seersucker texture, this fabric is a bit “thick” compared to regular swim. In order to keep the bulk down on the cuffs and next binding, I clipped the seam in the center along the fold line.
Clip up to, but not through, the stitching of the seam line. This allows the serged seam allowance to lay on each side when folded, so it lays flatter.
The next tip I actually learned years ago from bag making. When sewing activewear and knit patterns, the seam allowances are often much smaller than that of woven patterns; typically, they are ¼” or ⅜” . This means that it is too easy to accidentally clip into the seam allowance too far. Rather than making a snip INTO the seam allowance when marking halves for adding binding or elastic, clip a tiny triangle with the fabric folded. Ta da! Easy way to mark and ensures you won’t clip too far with a slip of the scissors.
Ready for lots of sun and swimming!
