Suzie’s had sewing a swimsuit on her bucket list for a while now. And this summer, after being stuck in a rut of making the same old things, she decided to take the plunge and tackle something new. The result is Suzie’s reversible swimsuit. Suzie shares her technique and tips.
Gathering materials
Suzie got the reversible swimsuit PDF pattern from Gigi Patterns on Etsy. PDF patterns are so FAST to find. They’re easy to print and stick together and you can print them multiple times for different sizes.
Gigi reversible swimsuit pattern
The main fabric, an etsy purchase from Bec’s Oh Sew Shop is a light blue swimwear fabric with ladies on beach towels. For the lining Suzie went for a tie dye affect scuba fabric, which in hindsight was a little thick, from Fabric Styles.
She loves variegated thread and thought this Superior Threads Fantastico from Barnyarns was the perfect one to match the blue tones of the background and the blues on the towels and umbrellas!
Variegated Fantastico thread to match
For this project Suzie used the Juki DX7 sewing machine and the Juki MO2000 overlocker. Together they’re the dream team for anyone sewing clothes.
Setting up the Juki DX7 sewing machine
Using the Dx7 for the gathers at the side was the first step. Changing the stitch length to 5 and then NOT using the automatic thread cutter, gave Suzie lots of thread to pull for the gathers.
Using the MO 2000 overlocker
Next Suzie set up the Juki MO 2000 overlocker, choosing the first stitch selection. #1 is the classic 4 thread overlock stitch. One of Suzie’s favourite things about the MO 2000 is the digital screen which tells you all the settings you need to create the stitch you’ve selected!
Suzie loves playing with pretty threads on the overlocker. It’s so much fun to see how the different coloured threads play out on the overlock stitching.
Attaching the elastic
For attaching the elastic Suzie went back to the DX7 and used a zigzag stitch to attach the elastic on top of the overlocked seam. Using the zig zag stitch to house the elastic, enabled it to remain stretchy.
attaching the elastic
the variegated threads look so pretty
Next up was making tubes around the arm holes then repeating on the legs! This involved having a lot of fabric squeezed tight into the tube while sewing it all in shut. Suzie found this part a bit daunting but going slow and steady really helped. The MO-2000 gave her the control that she needed.
Finally it was time to turn it right side out. And ta dah! Suzie’s reversible swimsuit was finished. Double the trouble but definitely twice as nice! Thanks Suzie for sharing your tips on how to stitch a reversible swimsuit. Sew cool to get two totally different looks from one swimsuit!
Suzie graduated from Lincoln University with a degree in fashion. Recently married and living near Boston, she enjoys teaching classes and tutorials. Susie created her own brand of Momma and Mini Me matching outfits. She’s passionate about sustainability and sews her own clothes. You can find Suzie on Instagram @love_suzie and visit her etsy shop for unique outfits.
