Swim SewAlong Day 2: Cutting Fabric & Edgewater Tegan Pattern Review
Hello friends! I’m back with Day 2 of the Swim SewAlong!
Every day this week, I will be walking you through the construction of the Greenstyle Cami Tank and the Jalie Gigi Swim Bottoms, through video tutorials, blog posts and support in the Fabric Fairy Facebook Group. You can use any patterns you’d like, but those are the two I’ve chosen to demonstrate through video, because they include alot of techniques common to many swim patterns.
I also have some prizes to offer at the end, and some BONUS video tutorials for using your cover stitch and serger.
If you need fabric and supplies, you can get 10% off through 3/27/22 with the code “MarchSAL” at the Fabric Fairy.
Sew-Along Schedule
- YouTube Video link HERE
Day 2: Assemble Pattern and Cut Fabric (YOU ARE HERE), bonus Edgewater Tegan Pattern Review
Day 3: Sew Main and Lining, Sewing Binding
Day 4: Inserting Swim Elastic
Day 5: Hemming/Topstitching
Assembling Pattern & Cutting Fabric
Today, we have light work, just assembling our pattern and cutting out our fabric. I share a couple tips in the video for how to cut swim fabric, which tends to be a bit shiftier than standard knits, so you’ll want to check those out!
If you’re making any modifications to your pattern, such as adding in an extra lining layer, cups, powermesh etc you’ll want to cut that out and prep for that as well today.
I did not show the process of folding over my fabric in the video, but you’ll want to make sure that any pieces you cut on the fold are on grain. If your fabric is off grain, it will twist and not sit right on your body. You can find a tutorial on finding the grainline in knits HERE.
I start cutting the Gigi bottoms at timestamp 7:04, and the Cami Tank and timestamp 14:29, in case you want to skip forward to just one of those options.
The blog post I referenced in the video on how I store my patterns can be found here
Helpful Tools and Notions
The pattern tracing paper I use is either medical exam paper (great for folding up small, but tends to tear with repeated use), or swedish tracing paper (so nice because it creates a little electrostatic charge to the fabric, and doesn’t shift around when you’re trying to cut around it!)
Pattern weights are another helpful tool- you can make your own out of washers, or buy some cute ones on etsy!
Finally, a rotary cutter is another must for cutting swim- be sure to change out your blades frequently!
If you’ve got a new serger or coverstitch machine you’re learning how to use, you might find my threading videos helpful:
- Brother 1034D Serger threading video (I’ve had this for two years and its still going strong!)
- Coverstitch (Babylock BLCS 2) threading video
Edgewater Tegan Pattern Review
One of the swim tops I made in preparation for this SewAlong is the Edgewater Avenue Tegan top. Edgewater is a new pattern company to me, and I was immediately drawn in by their on-trend styles, which run the gamut from revealing to sporty.
I chose the Tegan because it seemed like it struck a good balance between the two- I spend alot of time at the pool or the beach chasing kiddos or doing active sports like paddle boarding, so I needed a top that looked fun while still staying in place for all that movement.
I selected the Peach Jungle swim print from the Fabric Fairy, and sewed a coordinating pair of Jalie Gigi bottoms in the Olive Green Kira fabric. The top is self lined, and I used rubber swim elastic for the straps and under bust.
What I love:
I love the clean finish of the self lining, and the simplicity of construction (Edgewater has video tutorials for most of their patterns as well, in case you need them). The back ties don’t create crazy tan lines, and its easy to throw on when we’re ready to go.
What I want to change:
I did find that the top tends to creep up a bit if I take a big dive or reach my arms up high. I think adding some length to the front, and possibly using a wider elastic in the bottom will help with this issue, and I do plan to make it again someday. I purchased the Rae and the Becca top at the same time, and I’m looking forward to making those next!
Wrapping Up Day 2
Well, that’s it for today! I’m really enjoying interacting with ya’ll in the group, and look forward to seeing all those patterns cut out and ready to sew, so please post progress photos! If you’re catching this later, you’re always welcome to drop me a line letting me know what you’re sewing- I love hearing about new patterns and answering questions!
I’d d also love it if you took the time to subscribe to my blog and my YouTube Channel– that way you’ll stay up on any new posts or videos, and I can connect with you on those platforms to answer any questions!
Note: This post contains affiliate links. I sew and share my tips for the joy of the craft, but a little extra affiliate encouragement goes a long way to helping fund these projects, so I really appreciate when you use them!