With summer coming, I wanted to talk to you about swimsuits, and swimsuits mean stretch fabrics and lycra... A very specific material that can be intimidating. 

So, let's see together how to tame this material!

What is lycra

Lycra fabric belongs to the knit fabric family like jersey. It is particularly stretchable to fit closely to the body. It follows the body's movements, which is why it is most often used for swimwear but also for leotards, dance bodysuits, yoga pants, leggings... originally, lycra was designed to meet the needs of sportswear. 

Lycra is most often made from synthetic materials (polyester, nylon, polyamide...) and always contains a certain percentage of elastane (spandex); this is the material that provides its stretchability. 

For example, the Lise Tailor lycra selected in the shop is made of 78% recycled polyester and 22% elastane. 

Note that the word lycra is a brand name that categorizes a fabric made from elastane fibers. 

Characteristics of lycra

Prepare your sewing project

Before you start, make sure you have a pattern designed for stretch fabrics. Indeed, patterns made for stretch fabrics are smaller than patterns for woven fabrics (due to the stretch of the fabric); these are therefore patterns reserved for stretch fabrics. This should be clearly indicated on your pattern. 

Before sewing, wash your fabric and iron it using the iron temperature suitable for synthetics. Do not exceed these temperatures to avoid burning your beautiful lycra. 

Once your fabric is ready, identify the direction of the stretch (some lycra is bi-stretch) and make sure you position your pieces in the direction of the stretch; according to the instructions of your pattern.

 Cut your pattern pieces from the lycra

Preferably use fine or even extra-fine pins to pin your pattern. It is also possible to use a washable marker or Japanese chalk to mark the outlines of your pieces on the fabric. 

For cutting, you can use a rotary cutter for more precision. Scissors also work well if you are careful. Do not lift the fabric while cutting to avoid it moving. To do this, always keep the lower blade of the scissors against the cutting table; this will help you be more stable while cutting. 

Sewing lycra

Lycra is preferably sewn with a serger but this is not essential. If your sewing machine has stretch/zigzag stitches, you can manage well without a serger to sew your swimsuit or leggings. Indeed, we will use the same stitches as for sewing jersey.

However, you will need to equip it with a special needle called "stretch" or "special stretch".
These needles have a slightly rounded tip which allows the needle to slip between the stitches of the lycra. This has the advantage of not breaking the stitch or its precious elastane fibers, and also of achieving even stitching. The twin needle also gives excellent results for hems, so don’t hesitate to get one. 

For the thread, choose a quality thread. You can use a polyester thread. If you wish, you can also use a foam thread as bobbin thread, but this is not essential. 

To sew lycra, it is necessary to properly adjust the tension of your machine or serger. To do this, don't hesitate to make plenty of tests on scraps of your fabric. The stitching should be neat, without stretching or puckering. Do not pull on your fabric while sewing but guide it along. 

Other sewing tips and tricks:

• set your machine speed to minimum for better precision
• adjust the machine differential (do some tests)

And there you go, all that's left is to choose your swimsuit pattern and get started! Would you like a review of swimsuit patterns? Let me know in the comments.