Hello Sewing friends! It’s Tamar from Tamar Hope Designs on the blog today to talk about swim lining. I love sewing swim! It’s such a fun summertime activity, and the kids love new swimsuits! When I started sewing swim, I was very confused by lining. Should I or should I not fully line suits? What do I do for older girls? I’ve tried many lining options, and I’m here to tell you what works!
First of all, if you are sewing for younger girls (under 8), don’t worry about any lining other than the gusset of the suit. Lining does add bulk and bulk increases drying time. So, for the younger girls, as long as you can’t see through your swim material when it’s wet, don’t worry about it. When you are choosing lining material for the gusset, choose a lightweight swim lining. If you use regular swim material it will take too long to dry.
If you are sewing for girls over 8, you typically need to start giving them a little more coverage. I like to start with fully lining the front of the suit. I leave the back unlined to allow for quicker dry time. To line the front, simply cut the front pattern piece out of lining material. Baste the lining material to the main and treat it as one piece as you assemble the suit.
Another option as your girls age is to add a shelf lining. This tutorial will walk you through a shelf lining as it is a little more involved. Start by cutting the front and back out of the Orchid Tankini top and sewing the side seams.
Cut elastic to fit the base of the top. Sew the elastic to the bottom of the top using the same method as the pattern uses for the leg elastic. (Note: when you overlap the ends of the elastic to sew it into a loop, it will be slightly smaller than the bottom of the top. This is intentional. Stretch it slightly to fit, matching quarter points.)
Sew the lining to the front of the suit, right side of the lining facing the wrong side of the main.
Attach the elastic to the front following the directions in the Orchid tutorial.
Baste the lining to the main around the remaining part of the back and underarms. 
Attach the elastic following the directions in the Orchid tutorial.
Optional: If you want more coverage and support, you can add bra cups. I like to sew them right to the lining. I find it annoying to wash swimsuits with removable bra cups. Mark the apex of the breast on the outside of the lining, and pin the center of the cup to the apex mark. Then simply sew around the cup to keep it in place.
Modifications: I did lengthen the top as my daughter wanted a full length tank. I also mashed the Monstera Board Shorts with the Orchid Bottoms. This was very simple to do. Just cut out and sew the Orchid bottoms (you won’t need the orchid waistband). Also cut out and sew the crotch seam of the Monstera pattern.
Then stretched the Orchid Bottoms to fit the Monstera bottoms matching quarter points and sew them together.
Finish by attaching the Monstera waistband.
I hope this was helpful for sewing swim for all the girls in your house!
Happy Sewing!
-Tamar