Those who know me know that I've been sewing for years. It's been over 30 years actually as my Nan taught me the basics when I was 12, and sewing has been a part of my life ever since.

My last job was also in clothing production, where I worked for 9 and a half years, initially on industrial sewing machines, with occasional pattern making and manual cutting, which in September 2020, evolved in computerised pattern making and cutting, using the Style CAD system as well. 

Outside of work, however, most of my sewing has been for my children. Over the years I've made baby dresses, little boys button ups shirts and pants, christening outfits, dress-up costumes, party dresses, flower girl dresses, graduation suits and the occasional graduation dress. Alongside those were dancing leotards and tutus, and swimwear.

Basically if there was an opportunity to design a garment, we took it. 

Since moving to my new town, I have not advertised any of my work. Online most people know me primarily as a milliner. So yesterday when I took my children to the pool for my sons swimming lesson was a bit of a pleasant surprise. 

One of my daughters was approached by a lovely lady complimenting her swimmers. My youngest daughter looks a lot like me so it didn't take the lady long to realise she was my child and she asked me where I bought them.

Long story short, I told her I made them, my daughter designed them, I bought the fabric online but from within Australia and I made them. She asked if I sold my creations and I said "Not Yet!"

She approached again as she was leaving the pool and told me that if I do venture that way, let her know, she swims there every day and is very interested. 

truthfully, every time I go to the pool, which is every week, I think about making swimwear, not just for myself but for others as well. As adults we buy the pretty swimmers for our little girls but many of us end up wearing fairly  basic one-pieces ourselves. Personally, I actually don't wear women's one-piece swimmers because I am too short, So I tend to make my own two piece designs instead, but my lack of height is a different topic.

What I would  love to address someday, if I do begin creating swimwear for sale, is designing for different heights, different bodies, and different aesthetics.

That conversation at the pool led directly to today's post.

Swimwear might look complicated but it isn't particularly difficult to make once you understand the materials and techniques involved. So today I thought  I'd walk you through the process  I used to research, design and create swimwear for my children.

I'll share some of my favourite patterns for both women and children, my preferred fabrics, and I'll link to some of my favourite creators on YouTube videos if you'd like to make swimwear for yourself. I'll also include a simple costing breakdown for my children's swimsuits so you can see what's involved.

And if you're interested in making leotards, the good news is the same fabrics and techniques apply

So lets jump into how I made my children's swimwear.

The Brief

My daughters and son needed swimwear suitable for swimming lessons and recreational use. The design required a balance of comfort, durability, ease my children of movement, and age-appropriate aesthetics. Communication with my daughters throughout the process ensured their preferences for style, colour, and fit were included, and it guided the final design.

Research and Inspiration

Thankfully, when it came time to begin researching fabrics and techniques, I already had some experience working with stretch fabrics from previously making dance leotards.

I also still had some leftover lycra from those projects, which meant I was already familiar with at least one supplier offering colourful, performance-appropriate fabrics. My first step was revisiting that supplier to see what options were available: Glitter & Dance, a company specialising in fabrics and materials suitable for dancewear and performance garments.

From there, I expanded my research with an online search for other swimwear fabric suppliers and discovered Boo Designs, an Australian company known for swimwear patterns and stretch fabrics. This was around 2018 or 2019.

Because swimwear construction techniques can differ slightly from standard garment sewing, I decided to further develop my skills by participating in one of their swimwear sew-along projects using the Embrace Togs pattern. This allowed me to refine techniques specific to swimwear construction, such as working with stretch fabrics, elastic application, and finishing methods.

However, before starting this, I began with a basic Jalie pattern that I had previously used when making leotards, just to get sizing right. Since leotards and swimsuits use similar fabrics and require similar levels of stretch and movement, this provided a reliable starting point for fitting. I then purchased the sew-along kit from Boo Designs and joined in.

Once the technical side was established, my daughters and I looked through Pinterest for visual inspiration. This helped us explore colour combinations, style ideas, and design details that appealed to them. Including them in this stage made the process collaborative and ensured the final design reflected their personalities.

During the research phase, I also explored pattern options beyond what I already owned. In addition to commercial pattern companies, I looked at independent designers and downloadable patterns on Etsy. Etsy has become a popular platform for independent pattern designers, offering downloadable patterns for a wide variety of garments. While researching swimwear, I found several patterns for boys’ swimming trunks and rashie vests, which helped me explore different construction approaches and design possibilities for my son’s swimwear.

Unfortunately the swim trunks pattern that I used is no longer available, so I can not share that information, but it was from the same place that I bought the rash top pattern from which is linked below.

The Patterns I Used

Concept Development and Collaboration

Once the research phase was complete, I moved on to developing the design concepts for each child’s swimwear.

To begin, I asked each child to help select approximately five potential fabric options, including my son. Presenting multiple options allowed them to participate in the design process while ensuring the fabrics met technical swimwear requirements such as stretch, durability, and chlorine-resistance.

My daughters particularly enjoyed choosing colours and prints, which made the final garments feel personal and reflective of their preferences.

For the base pattern, I used Jalie 3349, which I had previously used for leotards. Because leotards and swimsuits share similar construction requirements and rely on stretch fabrics, this pattern was a reliable starting point for sizing and fit.

Using this base pattern, I drafted individual pattern pieces for each child, adjusting proportions where necessary to accommodate differences in size, comfort, and movement.

Although I did not produce formal fashion sketches for this project, the concept development stage involved selecting fabrics, discussing style preferences with my children, and determining details such as seam placement, lining, and overall silhouette.

My experience participating in the Embrace Togs swimwear sew-along with Boo Designs was particularly helpful here. That project had already introduced me to key swimwear construction techniques, so I could focus more on design decisions and fit refinement rather than learning the technical process from scratch.

This collaborative approach ensured the final designs balanced practical performance requirements — durability, stretch, comfort — with the aesthetic preferences of the children who would be wearing the garments.

I did also research swim fabric from another Australian small business, but as I have forgotten what they were called I can't share that information, but if I do remember they actually sold pre-order fabrics that you could order in knit cotton in various weights, in spandex for swimwear, and in peach skin for board shorts. So if at some stage I remember this information, probably at 3am when I'm half asleep, I'll update this to share that information as well.

Click Here to go to Fabrics from Boo Designs

Some of the inspiration pictures my daughters found on Pinterest.

  • A picture of a swimsuit which was used an inspiration for custom swimwear.
  • A picture of a swimsuit which was used an inspiration for custom swimwear.
  • A picture of a swimsuit which was used an inspiration for custom swimwear.
  • A picture of a swimsuit which was used an inspiration for custom swimwear.
  • A picture of a swimsuit which was used an inspiration for custom swimwear.
  • A picture of a swimsuit which was used an inspiration for custom swimwear.
  • A picture of a swimsuit which was used an inspiration for custom swimwear.
  • A picture of a swimsuit which was used an inspiration for custom swimwear.
  • A picture of a swimsuit which was used an inspiration for custom swimwear.

Prototyping, Fit Testing and Pattern Adaptation

Once the design concepts and fabrics were selected, the next stage was testing the patterns and refining the fit for each child. I used leftover lycra from previous leotard projects to create test garments, which allowed me to experiment with sizing adjustments and construction techniques without risking the final fabrics.

The base pattern was Jalie 3349, which provides clear instructions for adjusting proportions. Using those guidelines, I adapted the pattern for each child individually:


Daughters: One is tall and slim, the other shorter with a different body shape. Small adjustments ensured comfortable fit and full movement.


Son: Drawing on experience from knitting his jumpers as a toddler, I lengthened the torso of his rashie to suit his longer torso and shorter legs. This ensured the rash vest stayed in place during swimming and provided better coverage.

Testing with scrap fabric also allowed me to refine seam placement, check stretch and recovery, and confirm sizing adjustments before cutting into the final fabrics.

Materials and Construction Choices

During the research stage I also explored lining options, as lining can significantly improve comfort and modesty in swimwear.

After comparing several options, a nude from Spotlight and a white from Glitter and Dance. I ultimately decided to use the nude that I had already previously bought from Spotlight for the dance costumes, and then bought the white lining from Glitter & Dance as my new lining going forward. It was softer and I therefore felt it was more appropriate for children's swimwear. The fabric had a very smooth hand feel, which made it comfortable against the skin while still providing the opacity needed for children’s swimwear.

Elastic is another critical component in swimwear construction, as it determines how well the garment stays in place during movement and in water. For this project I sourced elastics from both Booby Traps and Spotlight Stores. While both were usable, my preference is the elastic from Booby Traps, as I find it performs more consistently in swimwear applications.

Materials and Haberdashery

Production, Practical Use, and Durability

Using approximately five new fabrics per child, along with leftover materials from previous projects, I produced multiple swimsuits for each child. In total, each daughter received around eight swimsuits, and 6 sets were made for my son. Producing multiple garments was practical: swimwear fabrics like lycra naturally degrade over time with repeated exposure to sunlight, chlorine, and stretch, so having several pieces extended the lifespan of each individual garment.

This approach also ensured that during the summer holidays—when we often visited the pool daily—clean, dry swimwear was always available without the need to constantly wash and dry the same pieces. Some leftover fabric was even used to make a few bikinis for myself, maximizing material efficiency and minimizing waste.

A few years later, remaining fabrics were used to create replacement swimsuits as the children outgrew their originals. The fabrics and construction methods proved durable: many of the original garments still remain in good condition after years of use, demonstrating the effectiveness of careful fabric selection, pattern adaptation, and quality sewing.

Given the success of this project in terms of both functionality and longevity, I plan to repeat the process as the children continue to grow and their swimwear needs evolve.

Some photos from my first few pieces.

  • A picture of a children's swimsuit.
  • A picture of a children's swimsuit.
  • A picture of a children's swimsuit.
  • A picture of a children's swimsuit.
  • A picture of a children's swimsuit.
  • A picture of a children's swimsuit.
  • A picture of a children's swimsuit.
  • A picture of a children's swimsuit.
  • A picture of a children's swimsuit.

Sourcing Materials

Below is an example of a resources table where I keep track of where I source my supplies from. The link below has a downloadable blank template for your convenience.

All materials were researched and sourced with local and international suppliers.

Shipping, minimum orders, and ethical sourcing were considered when selecting suppliers. Orders were tracked to ensure timely arrival, supporting production schedules.

Resource Table Template Download

Costing Children’s Swimwear: Labour, Materials, and Ethical Considerations

When making small-batch swimwear for children, it’s important to balance:
Material cost – fabrics, linings, elastics

Labour cost – sewing time, skill required, pattern adjustments

Overheads – notions, thread, cutting tools

Ethical/quality value – lining for modesty, high-quality fabrics, durable construction

Below is a useful table that I use to weight up the costs. A downloadable version of this table is also available on the link below.

Costing Table Download

Cost Analysis & Decision

Although producing lined swimsuits requires higher labour and material costs, the quality, comfort, and modesty considerations justify the expense. The additional skill required to insert linings and manage stretch fabrics ensures professional finishes that mass-produced garments often lack.

Small-batch production is also ethical: sourcing high-quality fabrics locally and using careful construction methods reduces waste, ensures child safety, and improves garment longevity.

Additional Pattern and Fabric Resources for Adult Swimwear

While the children’s swimwear in this project was developed using Jalie 3349, I have also experimented with other swimwear and lingerie sewing patterns when making garments for myself.

Some of my personal swimwear patterns come from Evie la Luve, a designer who specialises in lingerie and swimwear patterns. Their designs focus strongly on fit and construction techniques, which makes them particularly useful when learning how to work with stretch fabrics and elastic finishes.

Ohhh Lulu Sews is also one of my favourite lingerie designers and while she doesn't specifically label her designs as swimwear, the certainly can be, Some of her designs are edgy and fun and others are pretty.

I have also sourced specialty fabrics and notions from Emerald Erin. I have used lingerie fabrics purchased from Emerald Erin in previous projects and found them to be exceptionally high quality, which is why I was interested in exploring their swimwear materials as well.

One of the things I particularly enjoy about Emerald Erin’s work is the educational content she shares online. Through platforms such as Instagram, she regularly posts videos demonstrating elements of her patternmaking and sewing process. These behind-the-scenes insights are incredibly helpful for sewists who want to deepen their understanding of garment construction.

And, as an added bonus, her posts occasionally feature her very cute little puppy, which adds a bit of fun to the learning process.

To visit Emerald Erin's Instagram Page and see all her helpful videos

Patterns I Used for My Own Swimwear

More patterns by Evie La Luve

Some videos that you might find helpful from my favourite creators

As I continue developing my swimwear designs, these are some of the more advanced notions and hardware I’m interested in exploring to refine fit, structure, and finish. These are all available from boobytraps.com.au

Specialized Swimwear Components

Reflection

Looking back, this project brought together many different skills that I had developed over the years.

My earlier experience making dance leotards, along with the first swimwear sew-along I participated in, gave me the confidence to approach swimwear construction with a clearer understanding of the fabrics, techniques, and finishing methods involved.

Designing these garments also gave me the opportunity to spend time working with pattern adjustments and fit which is something I particularly enjoy. Adapting patterns to suit each child’s proportions and individual designs allowed me to revisit pattern making skills and refine them in a practical way.

At the same time, creating these pieces for my children made the process collaborative and creative. Their input helped shape the colours, prints, and final designs, while I focused on the technical aspects such as fit, durability, and construction.

The project also reinforced the importance of thoughtful material selection. Choosing good quality fabrics, comfortable linings, and reliable elastics played a significant role in how well the garments performed over time.

Although the original goal was simply to make practical swimwear for my children, the process itself became part of my broader creative journey. It combined research, design, problem solving, pattern adaptation, and garment construction in a way that reflects how I naturally approach textile projects.

Looking back now, this project feels like one small step in an ongoing exploration of design, making, and craftsmanship, and a reminder that some of the most valuable learning experiences often begin with something as simple as making everyday garments for the people we care about.