In order to try and move this thread back onto swimwear I thought I'd start it all afresh. I'd like to draw peoples' attention to my website on stretch pattern making ....
I'm still trying to add some fabric sites for swimwear related fabrics to my Fabric List. I'm particularly looking for Europe based manufacturers and supplies, but mainly suppliers who will sell their stuff to retail customers. I can get the type of nylon/Lycra used for dance wear easily and cheaply, but I can't find a reliable source of the better quality chlorine resistent stuff, or any of the UV resistent and protective stuff. Between your site and some of the commercial patterns sites, patters are quite readily available for swimwear of both the briefest and the more well covered varieties, but getting hold of decent fabrics is a pain. This is one reason I haven't pushed my cozzy project further up the list of Things To Do When I Get Time.
I'm also interested in making things like swimming shorts and rash vests for The Giant Mutant Ninja Teenager... Some of the Outdoor related places do sell some of this stuff, but seem geared (oops!) more towards the ultra-light weight end of things than UV protection. As the GMNT is very fair skinned, this is of greater concern to me. He's MOSTLY OK in England, but trips to both Kandersteg and Biaritz over the last two summers crisped him somewhat. His very blond cousin has an 'iffy' mole removed a couple or three years ago as a prevention measure (t'lad was about 13 at the time), and with cancer elsewhere in the family and friends group, it's something I'm very conscious of...
Without a doubt the best quality chlorine resistant lycra in the world is Carvico (carvico.it). You need to find a supplier for it locally to you ... being the largest manufacturer in the world as well means that shouldn't be too difficult ... unfortunately I am unfamiliar with UK retailers.
I've just added a kids section to the site ... the basic leotard/ bodice is up and the sleeves/legs will be added shortly. The same theory for making ladies tank tops still applies to kids, there's just no dart involved ... easy for someone like yourself. Skin cancer is the biggest health issue where i live here in the tropics so I hear you loud and clear ... my little guy has essentially a lycra catsuit (more commonly called stingersuit up here). I made it with little shark teeth around the hood opening and with a fin on his back and he was ecstatic (he's 3.5)
James is now 14 and 5'11"! Not sure he'd go for one like that, but it sounds like fun.
In the past, I've made my own dance-wear (very similar to swimwear) and the one thing that I found helpful, was my zig-zag stitch setting. All my seams were done with that. At the time, I didn't have a stretch stitch setting on my machine. I do now.
I still use the zz over the stretch stitches on an 'ordinary' machine. It works much better. For seams I try to use the serger where possible, but it isn't always the best answer.
You can make swimwear or dance wear with a zig-zag, specialty stretch stitches or even a prestretched straight stitch, but an unlocked (3 thread only) overlocker is the best by far for maximum resistance to breakage. A 3 thread overlocked seam has up to 4 times the stretch and around 7 times the breaking strain (based on using the same thread type).
I think many people miss the concept of breaking strain especially when it comes to performance garments made from stretch. Non stretch fabrics take considerable load off the seam, whereas, say leotards for example, apply all the load to the seam before applying it to the fabric ... sounds counter intuitive but a non stretch fabric relays the strain evenly across the seam, like a zip, whereas the in stretch seam the breakage occurs where the highest loading meets the weakest part of the thread. Not sure I'm explaining that very well but the message is that the strength of the seam is more critical in a garment where the fabric can stretch further than the seam can.
If you rarely if ever make something out of lycra then you may get away without owning an overlocker, however any serious sewist should own at least one.
Ok may I suggest a 'colour blocked' rashie (top half of a leotard with sleeves) that resembles more of a wetsuit style as far as pattern pieces go ... if you do it out of 240gsm or heavier lycra it'll also be a bit more manly ... add simple board shorts like all the kids wear nowadays as they go all the way to the knees and you're even fashionable.
I'll have the full leotard block for men up sometime in the next fortnight so you'll be able to use that for rashie's, just drop the negative ease down to around 8%.
Stuart
Thanks, love. Sounds brilliant. Board shorts it is, unless he suddenly takes up racing! (I think that he had 'the most efficient stroke' when he got to swimming lessons at school last summer, and was third fastest in his year group, has more to do with three years of weekly one-to-one swimming lessons and an hour guddling about in the pool than any particular effort on his part! But he likes swimming... )
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