Here’s My Full Guide to the Best Swimsuit Fabric & Notions
I spent months testing different kinds of swimsuit fabric and notions, unfortunately with a lot of fails along the way. That’s why I’ve put together a guide list so you don’t have to waste time and money like I did.
This guide includes a list of the best stores for swimsuit fabric and lining. It also details all of my favorite go-to tools and notions that I always use when making swimwear.
Don’t forget to save this guide as a resource to come back to for your next swimwear project! Everything you’ll need to make the process easier — and to make swimwear that’s both durable and cute — is outlined right here.
Each title is linked to the corresponding fabric/notion. Also, I’m not an affiliate of these companies…these are just the products I personally use when sewing swimwear!
Now, let’s get started with the most important and fun part: the fabric.
Best Places to Find Swimsuit Fabric & Lining:
When I’m planning a new collection of swimsuits, this is my one-stop shop for all of the fabric. It’s also my favorite place to buy swimsuit fabric for a few reasons:
- There are soooooo many choices.
- It’s extremely reasonably-priced and there isn’t much variation in price between solid and printed fabrics. So, you don’t have to choose between a fun print and a decent price…you get both in one!
- The fabric is super high quality. It’s stretchy without being see-through and has a very soft feel to it.
- New styles and patterns are always being added to the mix.
Basically, I can’t rave about this place enough! I absolutely love every last fabric I’ve gotten from there. From plain solid colors to snakeskin to pineapple-patterned fabric, The Fabric Fairy has it all.
They also have a few different colors of lining fabric, which is nice if you want it to match your fabric. However, I normally buy my lining fabric in bulk from Joann Fabric, and you’ll see why below.
P.S. – If you want to know how to make a bandeau tie-front bikini top like the snakeskin one above, check out the tutorial for it here.
Fabric.com is another great place to buy swimwear fabric. They might not have as many options as The Fabric Fairy, but their high-quality fabrics make up for that fact. This is generally where I buy all of my other fabrics for clothes, and then I’ll throw in a swimsuit fabric that I like too.
This tie-dye fabric was really stretchy and smooth, and super easy to work with. I’d definitely recommend Fabric.com, especially if you’re looking to buy other fabrics as well.
Joann Fabric (or whatever your local fabric store is) may not have many options when it comes to swimsuit fabric. But, the options they do have are generally pretty good quality.
And the best part about Joann’s is that they always have deals going on! Download the app before going and you’ll save tons of money. That cheetah fabric, for example, only cost me $5.60 for a whole yard. (Check out this tutorial to see how to make a swimsuit like it.)
I couldn’t find many swimsuit fabrics on their website, so the best way is to just go in and see what you can find. Lining fabric is one thing that will most likely always be there though.
And, especially considering all of the deals constantly going on, this is my go-to spot to get lots of lining fabric in bulk at a low price. I generally get a few yards of nude, white and black lining because they work with most fabrics.
So don’t forget about your local fabric store! You might end up finding gems like these.
Sustainable Swimsuit Fabric:
I haven’t tried any of these fabrics out yet, but here’s what I was able to track down in terms of sustainable swimsuit fabrics. They were not easy to find! But they definitely seem like they’re worth trying out and will be the next fabrics I buy.
These swimwear fabrics are made of Carvico Italian Nylon Lycra, which is a recycled nylon fabric. Not only that, but it’s “engineered to be ultra chlorine and sunblock/oil resistant and to provide UV protection.” Can’t wait to try one of these out!
Fabric.com also has a small amount of sustainable swimsuit fabrics made from 100% recycled materials! They’re made of Repreve® recycled polyester spandex tricot knit fabric, which is one of the most certified, earth-friendly fibers in the world.
Swimsuit thread:
You can get swimsuit thread at any fabric store. All you need is 100% polyester thread! It’s durable and won’t break when your fabric stretches as you get in and out of swimwear.
Tools for cutting swimsuit fabric:
This is absolutely essential in my opinion (for any sewing project)! I have an 18″ by 24″ cutting mat, but I’ve linked a larger one because it would work so much better. I’m constantly in a battle with mine when trying to cut my fabric while also moving the mat since it isn’t large enough.
If you’re not looking to spend much though and just want something to get started with, an 18″ by 24″ cutting mat will work.
This isn’t the exact rotary cutter that I have, but it’s really similar. Again, this is pretty much essential for every sewing project. It’s so much faster and easier to use than regular scissors!
An acrylic ruler like this one will help you to cut perfectly straight lines. I use mine all the time, especially when cutting fabric for swimsuit straps.
If you’re just getting started and don’t want to spend much money, a starter kit like this one is perfect! I’m actually still using mine and it works just fine. A larger cutting mat is a good investment though if you’re planning on sewing regularly.
Materials Needed to make Straps:
With all the swimwear I make, this is something I ALWAYS have on hand. 3/8″ elastic like the one I’ve linked above is the perfect size for most all straps.
I generally just stock up on elastic when going to my local fabric store, but you can buy the same one I use here on Amazon.
In my opinion, this is one of the most essential materials for making swimwear. It’s just a time/life-saver! This is what you use to turn straps right-side-out after sewing them. (I used to use bobby pins, but it takes SO much longer. Save yourself the trouble with a loop turner like this one.)
You won’t regret spending the $9 on this once you’ve tried it. Trust me!
Clasps & Padded Inserts:
Here you can buy the little hooks that you use to clasp the back of your swimsuit top together.
Padded Inserts
I’ve linked the same padding that I use in most of my swimsuits. There’s a good amount of padding to them though, so here’s another option in case you want something with less thickness to it.
And That sums up my favorite places to find swimsuit fabric & notions!
These are all materials that I use on almost every swimsuit I make. It took lots of trial and error to find them, so learn from me and get these from the start to make the swimsuits you’ve been dreaming about.
Where do you go for swimsuit fabrics and notions? Did I leave anything out?
Let me know in the comments below!
Thanks for reading and see you next time.
Love,
Emily