Hi everyone!
I just got my gorgeous little 60s bikini pattern in the mail
I’m so excited and can’t wait to start stitching! I’ll be making the bikini and a ‘cover up’, and probably a matching head scarf so I can really rock the retro look.
The only problem is I’m having trouble finding a fabric worthy of this gorgeous pattern. Do you have any online sources, or really anything, that you could suggest? I’ve searched etsy and couldn’t find anything that felt ‘right’.
Feel free to comment here or on my blog Curves, Patterns and Pins where there are more photos and possible fabrics.
Thanks in advance!
Reana Louise x
This post was written by...
Reana Louise – who has written 8 posts on WeSewRetro.com.
Reana Louise is an Art History student who likes creamy pasta, curly hair, infectious laughs, and her sewing machine.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Since spandex loses its stretch as it ages, actual vintage swimwear fabric may not be your best bet. i bet Spandex World has some cute retro prints. Cute pattern!
A lot of the suits from that era were made from woven cottons – like chambray, dotted swiss and pique.
That's an adorable pattern!!
Oh a cotton! Wouldn't that make it a bit… saggy in the water? But then just think of all of the fabric options I would have!
Well,there are some that have zippers, facings and linings and are quite fitted. And there are others that were designed with elastic casings and I find them to be a bit saggy.(I have several patterns for the elastic-waist type and I keep searching for a cute fitted/zipper pattern.)
I know that I am dating myself, but I confess to having worn cotton bikinis when I was a young teen. One was a sweet dotted swiss over a yellow base fabric and another was a very Mod yellow floral. They were a firm cotton, lined and zippered and took forever to dry!
I am not familiar with your pattern and don't know what fabrics it recommends or how it is constructed.
If it was designed for a stretch fabric, we are fortunate that there are some wonderful swimwear fabrics available, these days.
Thanks for the tip!
I don't know about the bikini, but I think the cover-up looks like it'd look great in a quality seersucker print or pique like Jennyslash suggested. You can usually find some nice ones at Joannes this early in the season. And rickrack, like middle illustration, is totally vintage evocative.