……………Swim Fabrics Aren’t Just For Bathing Suits!!
DISCLAIMER: If you’re expecting to see cute swimsuits sewn up in beautiful Raspberry Creek Fabric swim fabrics- you won’t find them here. (ok~ maybe at the very end.) BUT– you will see some other ways you can use this awesome swim fabric from RCF! Hopefully my blog post today will inspire you to grab some of these awesome swim fabrics and make something other than a swimsuit! Because we all know swim fabric isn’t just for bathing suits anymore!!! The fact that Raspberry Creek Swim fabric is UPF 50+ makes it great for any day/activity out in the sun.
Project #1 ~ Pullover ( my ‘Lilly P” dupe)
So what did I make this year? The first thing I sew up EVERY year is a new pullover! I LOVE the UPF50+ pullovers sold by Lilly Pulitzer. I love the bright colors and prints, but I don’t love the price tag on them or how they fit me. I’ve made a new one every year, for the past few years and I wear them more than I ever imagined! We live on the North East Coast, so our mornings and evenings are cool. We also spend a lot of time out on the water, so wearing UPF50+ clothing is a must! Therefore I can always use another one! They also go on all my bike rides all summer long as the sun protection and wind/breeze protection make them the perfect choice!
So naturally I knew I would be making another one this year. As a member of the Raspberry Creek Promo team I get to see all the new prints before they are released. The second I saw the Ocean Collection by Brittney Laidlaw I knew I needed the Minimal Navy Lobster print. Every single design from this collection is to die for! I’m sure I’ll be ordering up a few more of these prints. My first Constellation is swim is pictured below~ it has always remained by favorite, but I think this years might take over!!
I was even able to find a source for a zipper exactly like the ones LP uses! Downside ~ I had to purchase 10 yards of zipper~ but I’m sure I’ll eventually use it all! Upside~ the zipper for one Constellation wound up costing $1.18!
Note~ All of my new swim makes this year are from the Ocean Collection by Brittney Laidlaw simply because these prints are all “me”. Brittney admitted that she did think of me when she was designing me!!!
A Few Tips About This Project
- Before attaching the zipper to the upper front, place a strip of tricot interfacing along the front edges to stabilize the edge. This will help prevent the fabric from stretching out while basting on the zipper.
- When using swim fabric, it would be best to interface both the main collar and the collar lining with tricot interfacing. This will help the collar lay a bit nicer, yet it won’t be too stiff.
- Tighten the cuff just a tad, so if worn for any water activities, it will prevent water from running down your arm. I wear this over a kayak dress sometimes (keep reading) and if the cuffs are too loose, the water will run down the paddle and down my arm.
Inspiration Pics…
The pullover below is from the Lilly Pulitzer 2026 collection. The pullover is made with fabric very similar to RCF swim fabric. It retails for $98. The Constellation Pullover I made would cost someone just $45 to make!!! (even less if you already own a pullover pattern)
Project #2 ~ Kayaking Dress
Another one of my favorite things to make with RCF swim fabric are my kayak dresses. I use these dresses for kayaking, but they are also perfect for play dates at the water park! I make a new one every year and while we are away it always handy to have 4 or 5 clean and ready to go! For this year’s version I chose the Navy Periwinkle Blue Ocean Life print also from the Ocean Collection by Brittney Laidlaw. I just love the classic navy prints that are so perfect for living and vacationing at the seaside.
A little background about me: My husband and I both grew up and spent all of our lives on the Atlantic Coast(me in NJ and him in RI), therefore we love the water! We spend much of our summer (and vacations) on and in the water. One activity we love doing together is kayaking. The Atlantic is pretty chilly in New England(even in August!).
My husband and I spend a lot of time in Mystic, CT. We have been known to kayak down the Mystic River at 7:00AM , pull our boats up onto the dock at a local marina and grab breakfast at Kitchen Little. Or sometimes we take an afternoon paddle for lobster rolls at Fords in Noank. This little kayak dress so comfortable to kayak in- yet looks cute when we go on our little excursions! I can’t tell you how many people ask where I get them! I’ve even had Kayak shop owners ask me if I want to sell them in their shops. (But then sewing isn’t fun for me!)
Above are a few of the kayak dresses I have made over the years in action!
A Made for Mermaid Jordan dress makes a perfect dress to wear kayaking when shortened to tunic length! I made 3/4 length sleeves for sun protection when out on the water. The only change I made was to tighten the sleeve so that water doesn’t run from the paddle down inside my sleeve (did I mention how cold the Altantic is in New England?).
You can read more about the M4M Jordan dress pattern on this blog post.
Project #3 ~ Skort
I LOVE sewing up the Love Notions Tinley Skort in swim fabric! When the Tinley pattern first released 3 years ago I made one during testing from swim. I wore that one so much that I immediately sewed up a second one. The next year, 2 simply were NOT enough so I quickly made 4 more!. I purchased some super cute “Lilly” like prints from Etsy and uploaded them to the RCF website. I can’t tell you enough how much I loved wearing these for bike riding, hiking and site seeing on vacation. Last year, I began wearing these skorts for my daily beach walks along with bike rides and all my other activities while at home and on vacation. So…..I made even more. I do have a few new ones planned for this summer (sadly some of my older ones no longer fit me well and I honestly rather make new ones than alter the old ones~ which I know some of you will totally understand!)
I selected another print from the Ocean Collection, the Navy Periwinkle Seaweed. (I like to call them Sea Fans)
Below are a few of my older versions (all made in RCF swim knit) in action that were taken on vacation in Maine and Newport, RI. Best thing about packing garments made in swim knit is that they don’t wrinkle!!!
Bar Harbor Maine ~ 2024
You can read more about the Tinley Skort pattern from Love Notions on these blog posts~
- Let’s Go For A Ride With The Tinley~ includes a waistband hack
- Closet Full of Tinley’s~ discusses various fabrics to make the Tinley in
- The New Tinley Takes Over ~ basic info on the Tinley pattern
And Of Course You Can Make Bathing Suits!!!!!
Two years ago when Love Notions Pattern released their first ever bathing suit essentials pattern, I thought why not? I already LOVE to sew with RCF swim fabric so I figured I would give it a try. Guess what?!?!?!? I LOVE my swim dresses. Both of these prints are not available at retail pricing. The Navy Vine Floral is from the 2024 collection and the Navy Shell Print was a custom print. However you are able to custom print any design from the Designer Library onto swim fabric. Be sure to sign up for RCF’s newsletter, as the have custom printing sales ALL the time!!
What Else Do I Sew With Swim?
Swing Dresses
Another thing I love making in RCF swim knit is the popular Laundry Day Tee Dress from Love Notions. (This pattern is always just $5!). It’s cool, it’s comfy and who cares if it gets wet! It’s perfect for beachcombing or splash pads for you moms of young kids. I have lost count of how many of these I have made.
For this dress I made a sleeveless version (not the tank version) by adjusting the shoulder width. I wanted a bit more sun protection for my shoulders and this also assured me my bra straps would be covered.
This dress is perfect anytime I need to be cool or those times I might get wet! Every morning I do water all of my flowers and plants wearing one of these dresses, somehow I always manage to get wet doing this. However, my favorite time to wear this dress is for morning walks on the beach. I don’t have to worry about the waves and I can leave the beach and run errands or do lunch with my friends without worrying about what I have on! I love throwing on a denim jacket on top of these dresses! I have also used these dresses as coverups, especially when I am going someplace after the beach. I also wear them when visiting my little great nephew and niece .They live across town and I watch them at their pool often. Getting wet always happens!
Below are a few of my older Laundry Day Tee dresses made in RCF swim knit fabric.
Did you know that there are many dress boutiques in the coastal towns of New England that sell simple swing and shift dresses made from swim fabric? And did you know they cost $212.00 and up?? WHAT!?!? Check out the Sailor Sailor clothing line- all swim knit! I’ve tried these dresses on and I’ve fallen in love with them- but even if I was willing to spend the $$$- many are shift dresses and aren’t made to fit us curvy girls! This is where I got the idea of using RCF swim fabric for making my own. dresses. Not only do my dresses fit me better than RTW ones but they cost me less than $30. (2 yards of fabric @ $14.70 per yard =$29.40! )
All About RCF Swim Fabric
Now that we’ve talked about what I’ve made, let’s talk a lil more about this awesome RCF FABRIC!
Raspberry Creek Fabrics Swim is high quality and UPF 50+. It’s the perfect weight for tops and dresses and isn’t too clingy. And of course- it’s perfect for swimsuits! The best thing about RCF Swim is that it is available in the cutest prints with coordinating checks, stripes, polka dots and solids! I also find RCF swim easy to sew with. It’s thick enough that the edges don’t roll and isn’t too slippery.
I often get asked if clothing made from swim fabrics is hot to wear. First, off, I live on the coast and I spend a lot of time in and on the water. Early mornings and evenings almost always require a jacket or sweatshirt~ hence my new pullover will be perfect!
When out on the water it’s important to wear UPF50+ clothing, and for me 3/4 length or long sleeves are a must. Would I wear longer sleeves during the day? Probably not.
However, during the day I LIVE in my sleeveless LDT dresses. I actually find them cool to the touch. I wear them for walks on the beach, out to lunch and taking care of my flowers and gardens. I kinda even wear them as loungewear/house dresses. After a day on the beach or on the water, I love coming home and putting one on.
I have these swim knits on the way right now and I can’t wait to sew these up too! The first will be another LN Constellation and the two blue prints will be more LN Tinley Skorts.
Sewing Tips For Sewing With Swim
I could write a whole other blog post on sewing with swim fabrics….but I won’t. My friend Whitney of Sew Whit Designs has written one of the best posts I’ve ever read. It’s got all the details you may need to know. You can read this over on the Raspberry Creek Fabrics Blog. READ ME!
If you’d like to see all the other things I’ve made in the past with RCF swim fabric, you can visit these blog posts from past RCF Swim Tours. The exact prints shown here are not available retail, but many of them are available as custom order.
Sew Mary Mac 2023 Swim Blog Post
Sew Mary Mac 2025 Swim Blog Post
Thanks for stopping by! I truly appreciate all of you that visit! If you enjoyed this blog post, consider subscribing to my blog to stay up to date with all my posts!
Mary Anne 🙂
Be sure to follow me over on Instagram @sewmarymac to keep up with my retirement wardrobe.
You can also follow my Facebook Page~ Sew Mary Mac. On this page you will find information on my makes from all pattern companies. If I know of any good sales(pattern or fabric) I will also feature this information. I have had many of my loyal followers send me friend requests on Facebook. I do post in the Love Notions group under Mary Anne MacLean, however this Facebook account is private. There is no sewing content on that Facebook Account.
As a member of the Raspberry Creek Fabrics Promo Team, these fabrics were given to me in return for posting pictures of my makes on Social Media. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post on my personal blog. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own
Fabric Links
Raspberry Creek 2026 Swim Fabrics
Ocean~ Navy Periwinkle Blue Ocean Life
Ocean~ Navy Periwinkle Blue Sea Fan
Pattern Links
Made For Mermaids Jordan Dress
Love Notions Tinley Skirt, Skort and Shorts
Love Notions Clearwater Swim Essentials
Love Notions Laundry Day Tee Dress
Zipper Resources
Gold Metallic Nylon zipper~ sold by the roll from Amazon. Can be purchases HERE.
sewmarymac.com 