Ellie & Mac Sew along

Cape Cod Swimsuit

I’ve been sitting on this pattern a little too long but im so glad i finally took the plunge! the Cape Cod Sewing pattern by Ellie and Mac is a perfect summer suit for your kiddos, i love the full coverage it has and it fits my daughter beauitfully.

This pattern requires very little fabric, one yard of swimsuit fabric is all it takes for up to size 14!

I used a beautiful orange ribbed swimsuit fabric and a white swimsuit lining fabric.

• Swimsuit fabric
• Swimsuit lining fabric
• 1/4″ elastic

Grab the pattern here! —— >>   Click here

Please check out the full video tutorial if your not a photos learner.

Tools i like to use

• Cord turner
• Coverstitch Sewing machine 
• Brother serger machine

There isnt very many pieces to this suit, cutting out each pattern piece with 1 lining and 1 outer fabric. and then a tie for the neck.

Starting with the back, placing the lining on the wrong side of the outer fabric.

find the centre of the fabric and centre of the elastic, pin into place. Pin the ends of the elastic to both ends of the top of the back piece. sew into place by stretching the elastic to match the size of the top of the back piece. use a stretch stitch on your preferred machine.

fold the elastic down 1/2″ and sew a top stitch to hide the elastic on the inside of the suit. I like to use my coverstitch for this step.

Then we will put the right sides of the swimsuit front up on your table and place your lining on top. line up all the top pieces evently.  now we will serge along the arm holes and up and down all the sides of the little neck pieces. where i place a clip we will not be sewing. 

making sure we used a stretch stitch, flip the piece right sides out pocking out each of the little neck pieces. 

fold down each neck piece towards the lining 1.2″ sew them down allowing for a channel for the neck tie.

Now we will take the right sides of the outer fabric and line up the crotch, they will be curved against each other so carefully line up the curves together. use lots of clips and pins!

Then we will bring the lining together and place the “right sides” of the crotch together. you want to make sure the lining crotch seam is facing away from the outer fabric crotch seam. 

Then we will flip the lining over the outer fabric.  place the side seams together with the bathing suit “inside out” we will line up 4 layers of fabric and sew up the side seams.  make sure you use pins and it can be slippery!

I also serged the leg holes after sewing the side seams.

now we will prepare the elastic by sewing it into a loop.

finding the quarter points of the elastic and quarterpoints of the leg hole, line up the 4 points. sew with a stretch stitch and stretch the elastic while sewing to fit the leg hole.

Finish off the leg holes with the coverstitch folding in the elastic.

finish up with the neck tie, sew down length ways and flip right sides out.

thread the cord through the neck pieces and put a few knots of the ends of the ties and then your done!

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