SwimAlong 2013: Fabric for swimwear and where to find it

Swimwear fabric has a pretty specific job to accomplish. It has to be sturdy enough to withstand constant stretching and movement, not to mention the effects of chlorine, sand and sun.

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It also has to be soft and stretchy, with great recovery so that it will fit well and not sag or bag with wear. Ideally, it should also be attractive, in a print or color that flatters you.

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Fortunately for us, we live in the age of Lycra. Blended with other fibers, we can have that perfect fabric; soft, stretchy and with great recovery. Add to that the synthetic fiber, Nylon and you also have a chlorine resistant, color-fast fiber that is perfect for swimwear. You'll generally find it labelled "Spandex" even though in actual fact the spandex (the generic name for Lycra) content of the fabric is probably between 10 and 20%.

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When you are shopping for your spandex fabric for swimwear, there are a few things you want to look for. Not all fabrics that contain spandex will be suitable for swimwear. Ideal swimwear fabric should be a blend of nylon and spandex (lycra) and should stretch in all directions. This last part is tricky as some vendors will label this 4-way stretch and others will say 2-way stretch. When in doubt, call or do not buy. Fabric that only stretches in the horizontal direction will not make a comfortable swimsuit.

Like this print? Get it here.

I thought it might help to peek at a screenshot from a common spandex fabric vendor, just to see what we're looking for. Click the picture to biggify. The arrow points to all the vital information about this fabric. The fiber content is 80% nylon and 20% spandex, which is great. You can go as low as 10% spandex and still have a suit that fits and moves with you. The next line shows the fabric weight. The bigger the number, the thicker and heavier the fabric is. Personally, I find that heavier fabrics are a bit easier to sew since they're more stable and curl less, so if you're new to sewing spandex, go for an 8 oz weight. Anything less than about 5 oz weight is likely to be sheer, so be cautious of the lower numbers. The final thing to check is to be sure that the fabric stretches in all directions. You can see that Spandex World specifies that this fabric has 4-way stretch, so I can purchase with confidence.

If you are on Twitter and would like to chat with fellow sewists (including me) about swimwear fabrics, we'll be having a chat on Friday, May 31st at 4PM Eastern Time. Get all the info (including how to join us) here.

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So, now that you know what you are looking for, where do you go? There are quite a few online vendors that specialize in swim and activewear fabric, so I'll introduce you around. I haven't shopped at ALL of these vendors, but I'll let you know my experience with those I have.
Spandex World/Spandex House - I lump these together because they really are very similar. Both are located in the garment district, and both carry a whole lot of good quality spandex fabric at reasonable prices. I personally do my business at Spandex World, so I can tell you that I have always had a good experience shopping with them, but Spandex House customers say the same.
SpandexByYard.com - This company specializes in commercial sales of sporting grade spandex, but they do sell by the yard to the home sewist as well.
Designer Alley Fabrics - This West Coast based company specializes in selling stretch fabrics to the small designer. They have lots of interesting prints and stretch trims.
These are just a few of the numerous other online vendors that specialize in spandex fabrics. A google search for "spandex fabric" may turn up something that suits you as well. Be sure you type in the word "fabric" if you search though. A search for just "spandex" may be more educational that you want...

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Specialty vendors aren't your only option though. Many of the larger online vendors also offer swimwear fabric, but you do have to be more cautious about checking to be sure it is the quality you are looking for. When in doubt, call or don't buy. A few vendors that are worth checking are:
Fabric.com - Their prices for basic spandex are a little higher than the speciality places, but the free shipping can even things out. One down side is that they don't generally publish fabric weights, so you may not be getting what you think, and they can be hard to contact, so you may not be able to ask.
The Fabric Fairy - This vendor specializes in stretch fabrics, but has a nicely curated selection of swimwear fabrics, including microfiber fabric for board shorts, which is notoriously tricky to find. Their customer service is top notch.
Cali Fabrics - This is a relative newcomer to the online scene and their selection of swimwear fabrics is small, but of good quality and the customer service is very personal.
Chez Ami - For those who have never heard of them, Chez Ami specializes in personalized, boutique style children's clothing, but also offer their fabrics for sale. Their Knit Tactel Jersey is one of my absolute favorite swim fabrics to sew. It has almost no curl, is not as slick as typical spandex and is heavier weight. The down side is that they only sell their fabrics in 2 yard cuts, and the prints skew toward the more juvenile. Worth checking though, as their prices are excellent for the fabric quality.
Michael Levine AKA Low Price Fabric - This LA institution has a large variety of fabrics, including an excellent selection of swimwear. There isn't as much information on their website as I might like, but their customer service is great, so just give them a call if you are in doubt.

Obviously, this list is no where near comprehensive, particularly for those who are not in the US. I'd love it if you would include your favorite source for swim fabrics in the comments, particularly if you are overseas. We always need more places to buy fabric, right??

2-in-1 Sew-A-Long: Fabric

I really appreciate all of the input about on the post about fabric for my dress. I'd been leaning pretty strongly toward the animal print, but you all got me thinking more about the floral. I really love bold, abstract florals, and I had pretty much decided that was the way I was going to go. Then I was perusing my closet and realized that I already have a floral dress with a wrap bodice.

This is the Fantasia dress by Sew Chic Patterns. I made it a few years ago (and posted about it here), but I haven't worn it much, as it isn't nursing friendly. Laura posted on her blog about wearing hers to the grocery store and it reminded me of how much I love mine. I do love this dress, but really how many shiny satin abstract floral wrap dresses does one girl need in her wardrobe??

So, I was starting to lean back in the direction of the animal print, when a big box from fabric.com arrived, and in it was the most perfect polka dot rayon in the world.

It might be love.

2-in-1 Sew-A-Long: Dreaming...

I know I'm deep in the wedding dress sewing, but I'm daydreaming of my next project.

I won't be able to sew a long with the group, but I will need a dress of my own for the wedding, and I love the pattern that Sunni picked for the SAL.

I don't know how I missed this one when it came out. It has great lines! I'm planning to do the wrap version. I love a good wrap dress. I'm thinking for the fabric that I want something soft and draping. I rummaged through the stash and pulled out these four.

The three on the right are billed as charmeuse (although the solid has a more matte finish that your garden variety charmeuse), and the ikat on the left is a peachskin. I like them all for different reasons...

The ikat peachskin is fun and bright. It also happens to mirror the bride's wedding colors of purple and teal. But, it's got a somewhat more casual vibe than the others. And I'm afraid I'll look blurry in all of the pictures.

I love the vibrant colors and abstract-ish print of the floral. But the print is a pretty large scale, and I'm afraid it will get lost in the details of the gathered, wrap bodice and back yoke. I'm also not sure I have quite enough yardage, particularly since I know I'm going to have to lengthen the skirt.

This animal print wasn't even on my radar, until I saw Sunni's wrap dress inspiration post. The last dress is the same color scheme in a similar animal print! And I love it!! But is it too much for a wedding?

Finally we have the solid. I'm not very good about sewing solids, but I wear them a lot, so I know this would be a useful dress in my wardrobe. The fabric is a lovely color, with a very subtle sheen. But it isn't quite as much fun as the prints.

What do you think? Which one is your favorite, and why? Dish, ladies! Help me daydream!

Stash

Lately, I've been trying to keep better track of my fabric Ins and Outs. I created a spreadsheet to record fabric purchased and fabric sewn up, and it really has been helping me keep my fabric buying in better control. Like Carolyn, I don't feel particularly guilty about my fabric buying habits - it's cheaper than therapy, right? But, I do have limited space, and I do want to make sure that my collection is full of fabrics that I love, not just purchases I made because they were a "great deal".

The wall 'o fabric

This morning I started tracing Vogue 1050, which I have been planning to make for some time. When I bought the pattern (at least 3 years ago), I also bought some navy and teal peachskin to make it up. I often purchase fabric for one project and then end up using it for something else, but this time I actually am using the fabric purchased for these pants to make them. As I started to put them into my spreadsheet, my cursor hovered over the "stash" box. Is this stash fabric? I've had it at least three years. But I bought it specifically to make these pants, and here I am, actually using them for the purpose intended. I usually define stash fabric as something I bought without a specific pattern or use in mind, ie just for the stash, but this fabric has been with me a while. When does it cease to be dedicated and become stash? What do you think? Is it stash or not?

Happy Birthday to me!

Today I am 34. 30 was a pretty tough birthday for me, but now that I am firmly entrenched in my thirties, I'm actually pretty OK with it. My 30s have been great so far and I expect them to just get better. Anyway, since we are here in a new city, I've been planning to check out the local fabric scene today. Mitch told me to get some things just for me. Here in Salt Lake, there is one street with 4 fabric stores, including Yellow Bird, which I have been itching to go to since Sunni talked about it on her blog.

If you are itching to go yourself (and you should be) I have to warn you that it is not an easy place to find. It is in the former location of "Fashion Affair" and Google Maps can't seem to get them straight. It is a wee shop hidden in the same parking lot as a frame shop. Adorable and cozy. Also, most. gorgeous. fabric. ever. I couldn't stop touching - silk, linen, wool, rayon - all beautiful. And so much silk! Two rooms full!

Here is a small corner full of linen with silk on the bolts next door. I love her inspiration board. You'll also see on several bolts photos of garments you could create with the fabric. Cute and inspirational!

Here are a couple of little rolls of brocade next to a few remnants. This one is on sale! Her prices were not bargain basement, but they were quite good for the quality of fabric in the shop. She also carries Decades of Style, Folkwear and OOP Butterick (which were only $3!) patterns as well as a small selection of hard to find notions. The proprietress is helpful and friendly, but not at all intrusive. Overall it was a wonderful experience to shop there.

While I could have easily spent a small (or even large) fortune there on lovely fabric, I picked out just one yummy sateen to make a dress, and also got this Butterick wardrobe pattern. Look past the scary orange and pink cover art and the jacket and blouse are very cute.

After Yellow Bird, I popped in to a local quilt shop (why do I ever bother??), then checked out JoAnn (where I bought duckie buttons and nothing else) and then Hancock. At JAs, it was the usual story. Long lines, grumpy customers and not enough sales help. I really don't know why anyone shops there. After that, I went to Hancock's. They were not busy and the sales help were all friendly and welcoming. I found some pique and lining for a jacket as well as some knit remnants for the kids. After that, I was planning to head home, but on a whim stopped in at a thrift store. Now I don't have the kind of luck at thrift stores that you all read about on Mary Nanna and Kristy's blogs. But today I did great!

They had patterns and fabric!!! Now, most of the fabric there was of the scary polyester variety, I did score some lightweight purple stuff that may have some natural fiber in it. It has a linen-y feel. I also got the striped velour for PJs for the kids. The patterns are mostly from the 80s, but there were two (in my size even!) great wardrobe patterns from the 70s as well as a cute little girl's dress pattern from the same era. There was also a mail order Marian Martin pattern!! It's a little big for me and the pieces are cut, but how fun is that? Anyone know anything about dating these patterns? The postmark is 1980, so I guess that tells the story? I didn't realize they were still being produced that late. Guess I have some homework to do but first, dinner out with my family and some cake and ice cream! And in a few days, there will be a package from Gorgeous Fabrics to admire. Thanks, Mom!

Help! What am I?

Well fellow fabric fiends, I got another haul from FabricMart, and got another amazing mystery bundle.  In it were a couple of fab knits, some khaki twill, an amazing piece of Italian linen, and a yard and a half of suiting weight twill.  I'm not sure what it is though, so I thought I'd see if any of y'all can help.

This is an unedited photo taken in natural light.  It's a bit overcast today, so the colors IRL are more vibrant.  What appear to be the warp threads are olive green.  The weft threads vary from light cream to dark beige. It does feel a tiny bit itchy, but has a sheen. The yardage is only 46 inches wide.  I burn tested it (my first time!) and it smelled like hair, was difficult to light and extinguished when the flame was removed.  It burned orange and left a crumbly ash.  My initial thought was that it was wool, but it isn't all that itchy, and it has a silk-like sheen. Perhaps it is a wool-silk blend?  Or do I just need to buy more high quality wools so that I recognize one when it crosses my cutting table?  What do you think?

Fabric P0rn

It is the 10th of the month and I have not sewn a single stitch.  I'm getting seriously crazy, but since I can't sew, you all know what I've been doing instead...

Like I need more stash.

Oh, but I do!!  FabricMart AND Fabric.com tempted me with sales!  What's a sewing deprived sewist to do?

From Fabric Mart, a couple of acetate lining fabrics in olive and pink, black lace yardage, black poly satin (perhaps to underline the lace?) and some pink seersucker.  I also tossed a mystery bundle into the cart.

If you're unfamiliar with the Fabric Mart mystery bundle (as I was) please go rectify that oversight at once.  The deal is that you get 10 yards of their choice for 15 bucks.  Even if they all sucked, 1.50 a yard is still good for muslin fabric, so what have you got to lose.  But these are all awesome fabrics!!  I got a heavy black satin, purple and green printed voile, periwinkle ponte knit (yum!!), dark purple sateen (enough for a dress, double yum!!) and some tan tropical wool suiting.  And each piece was over 2 yards, so this was much more than 10 yards total.  What a deal!

During fabric.com's extra 30% off clearance sale, I picked up these lovelies.  Tan poly suiting, pink stretch pique, blue check cotton shirting, lavender ottoman knit and some dark burgundy stretch gabardine.  I also got a skein of Berrocco Sox yarn so that I can attempt my first pair of socks.  Stay tuned for that!

Then fabric.com had the audacity to have a sale on knits!!  I cannot resist knits, as you may know.  More than half my stash is knit fabrics and I love to sew them.  These are a border print stretch peachskin, a polka dot crinkle knit, a couple of lengths of slinky in lavender and turquoise, some pink matte jersey and a cool black lightweight jersey with lurex stripes.

I also picked up the scarf collar top pattern from Jalie.  All these new stretch fabrics deserve a new Jalie pattern!!

The total damage was about 50 yards of fabric.  It sure adds up fast!  I'm not really sure when I'm going to get a chance to start sewing up some of these yummy fabrics.

My sewing room looks like this, and I have a bridesmaid dress to alter and a bolero to make before I can get to the fun stuff.  At least I can still knit...

Wow!!

I have an amazing friend, who I have known, in a way since birth.  We were BFFs in High School.  Life has separated us a few times, but we have managed to reconnect.  Although it is more years since those days than I care to admit, we are still good friends, and as adults, both have discovered sewing as a hobby.  Britta is much more accomplished than I at fiber arts.  She recently destashed and asked if I would like some of her knit fabrics.  You all know how much I love to sew knits, so naturally I was excited to adopt them!  Today two boxes arrived!!!

Wow!!!!  The back row is all knits - interlock, pointelle, jersey and rib knit.  That mulberry interlock on the left is going to become a burda style turtleneck before the week is out...  The other two rows are an amazing assortment of silk, velvet, eyelet, linen, satin, seersucker and a few other things.  And the little gold tin?  Full of homemade fudge!  Yum!!  See what I mean?  She's amazing!

Now, I must get to my machine!

Acquisitions and some progress

While I may not be sewing, that doesn't mean that I don't need new fabric!!  For my birthday, my sainted mother let me go a bit crazy at Thai Silks.  Mmmm, silk.  Here is my haul.

This is a black crepe de chine with an equivalent length of habotai, which shall be a lining.  I'm planning the wide leg pants from NL 6816.  I should be able to wear these now, but I'll have to get cracking!

This is a bronze-y gold silk taffeta, which will become McCall's 3830, the perfect pencil skirt.  This one will wait until after the baby is born.  I'll also need some lining.  Contrast or match?  I've still got some time to decide!

Last we have an unbelievably gorgeous doupioni.  The photo just doesn't do it justice, so you'll all just have to come over and touch it.  It is a richly saturated purple with an almost hot pink sheen.  Amazing!  I think that I am going to make the jacket from Vogue 1064, although there are also a couple of burda jackets I'm also considering.  I do love the clean lines of the Anne Klein, though.   This one will also have to wait until after baby.

I've also been making some progress on the Red Riding Hood cape for Myra.

This represents some serious knitting for me!  I'm thinking that if I can get it done by Halloween, it would make an adorable costume!!  Toward that end, I needed some gingham and eyelet for a dress.

Hancock obliged by having eyelet 50% off!  So I got some of this pretty border eyelet and used my coupon to get some gingham.  I'm planning to make Butterick 4054 to go with the cape.

Of course, with eyelet on sale, Myra had to have the pink, too.  She wants me to make her an Aurora dress...  We'll have to see about that.

How do you shop?

I did something today that I very seldom do.  I went to the fabric store (OK, I do that all the time - wait for it...), and purchased supplies for a specific project.

My McCall's 6024 dress for Easter.  I didn't have anything in my stash that made me happy for it, so I had to get something new.  Pattern in hand, I trotted over to Hancock's, got my fabric - the precise yardage called for, notions and thread all in one fell swoop.  Like I said, I never do this.  Usually I see a drool-worthy fabric and get enough for what I think I might want to make, then figure out exactly what it will become later - sometimes MUCH later.

What about you, are you a stasher, like I usually am?  Or are you project oriented?

Lust

Have you ever had a piece of fabric just grab you and make you take it home?

It happened to me today.  I've been eying this piece of wool coating at Hancock for many months now.  I'd walk by every time I was in the store and stroke it, imagining the beautiful jacket it kept whispering to me that it wanted to become.  I was there today for Vogue patterns (3.99!) and thread (Metrosene was 50% off) and I spotted it on the clearance table for 50% off.  I couldn't leave it there.  I think I'll spend this afternoon poring over my burdas to decide which jacket it will become.  In my head it is boxy with simple lines, but maybe it wants to be more tailored?  What do you think?
I picked up a couple of Vogues too, of course.

I love the sleeve on that Badgley Mischka jacket.  It says crisp cotton Spring jacket to me.

Fabric!!

My friend Beth had to run an errand in Waco today, and she invited me to tag along so that we could go to Joann together. Woo-hoo! Thanks, Beth!

Flannel was 2.49 a yard!! Hello! I got a few pieces for jammies for the kids, although the ones that I got for Myra are so cute, they might end up as dresses...
I also got a couple of things for me!
The denim is planned for BWOF 07/2009-104. I've been looking for just the right weight of denim to make this dress, and I think I finally found it!

The grey pinstripe suiting will become either Vogue 8157 or 8131. Which one do you like??

The fabric on top is a red (I know, my camera makes it look orange!) poly interlock that I think I will use for BWOF 04/2009-110B. My April issue is in French, so I haven't yet made anything from it, but this top is pretty simple, so maybe my high school French is up to the challenge...

The dress - update

Bet you're wondering what's going on with that wedding dress I'm supposed to be making, huh? Well, Thursday night my saint of a husband forced my protesting body into the car so that I could go wedding shopping without my usual two helpers. It was pure bliss to wander down the aisles of one of my favorite places - without the usual worries about grubby fingers touching the silks and tearing up patterns. I came home with many yards of beautiful white fabrics in all sorts of weights and types. We have satin, organza, taffeta - so wonderful!Here is some of the haul.
And here is the organza overskirt, draped over my ironing board. Isn't it sparkly!? I decided to start with the overskirt construction, since it was only 3 seams and the cheapest to replace if I completely futzed it up.
I can't get over how lovely this fabric is. I like sparkly things. Here is one of the french seams. Nice, eh? Since the fabric is so sheer (as you can see from the hand on the other side!), french seams are a must. It is also terribly slippery and ravels like crazy. I figure once I get done with this - the hard part is done. Satin won't be so bad!!

Fabric fun

My mother came up this weekend for Logan's birthday, and brought me up some fabric that she had appropriated from her quilt club's yard sale. The quilters didn't want it, since it is all apparel fabric and these pieces were too small (or too odd) for Mom to use so she brought them to me.Pretty awesome, hey?
This one is my favorite! Isn't it cute?! It is a baby cord. I love all the cute little vintage-y animals prancing all over it!! Myra will be getting a jumper out of this. I'll be on the search for some knit in one of those colors to make her a shirt to wear under it. So fun!!

All of the fabrics have that old attic smell. Although I suspect that they come by it honestly, it doesn't appeal, so they are headed for the wash now.

Why...

I can't say no to more fabric.

When this sweet faced boy grabs a bolt off the sale table and says, "Mommy! Red soccer ball fabric! Shirt for Logan!", I just have to buy it.
Could you say no to that face??
After I washed the length, they played sweetly with it all morning.

So pretty...

It's not every day that my laundry pile is this lovely.I finally gave in and washed my Lecien and Free Spirit that I have been staring at for weeks. Now what to do with it?? I think that the blue Woodland Friends mushroom print (on the right next to the cherries) is going to be the inside pleat on the Mini Mod dress from Kitschy Coo. I am thinking that I need some pink linen the color of the mushroom caps for the body of the dress, though. Hee hee. Must buy fabric...

Knits, according to me

Since I have had Beth's serger visiting me, I've been sewing a lot of knits. I LOVE knits. They are a pleasure to wear, and to sew. I know that a lot of people are intimidated by knit/stretchy fabrics, and they are very different to work with than the woven fabrics that we are all used to. It is many of the properties that make them different that also make them well worth getting to know! After all, what is more comfortable than your favorite tee and yoga pants on a lazy Saturday?

So, first - the tools. There are a few things that you will want to do differently when you are sewing with a stretchy fabric. First, when you are cutting out your fabric, be aware that it does stretch. As such, use caution as you cut that you are not stretching it out as you go. Although I haven't tried it, I have heard that a rotary cutter can give you better control of this, but if you don't have one already, don't worry about it. I do fine with my shears, but do be sure that they are nice and sharp. Nothing stretches out fabric like dull shears. You also want to use care when you are laying out your pattern that the fabric isn't draping off your cutting table, as this can stretch it out, too.
Pins and needles should all be ball-point. Since knits are well, knitted, you don't want sharp points breaking individual threads in your fabric. This can lead to runs and a ruined garment. Look for the words "ball point" or "Stretch" on both your pins and your needles.

(from Sandra Betzina's More Fabric Savvy)

Sewing - For me, the best case scenario would be to serge every seam I can. A serged seam stretches with your fabric. Doesn't it look nice here on this tee shirt? A second choice for those of you who, like me, don't have a serger is to use a stretch or narrow zigzag stitch.

See, they stretch a bit.
Don't use a straight stitch and stretch the fabric. You will create ripples like the ones you see below. There is no blocking or pressing those out, folks. They're here to stay.

For a nice clean, professional hem, a twin needle is your best friend. This one is also bound with FOE (my new best friend!), but you can see the twin needle stitching. I once was afraid of these babies, but no more! They couldn't be easier and you get an amazing looking result! Go get one and play around with it. You'll love it!!On the back it looks like a zigzag, and it has all of the friendly properties of one.

Check out that stretch!Another option, if you have the appropriate machine, is to do a coverstitched hem. Looks wonderful and stretches like a dream!As you can see, it "covers" the raw edge for you as well. Nice!So, I hope I have convinced you to at least give knits a chance! They are such versatile and wonderful fabrics. You can make anything from a classic DVF style wrap dress. (This one is Vogue 8379.)
To your hubby and kiddos favorite tees - and everything in between!!