Dive In! Beautiful Bronte Bathers From Three Of Our Fave Pattern Testers

The Peppermint Bronte Bathers, designed in collaboration with Sharon and Justine Cowie of Swim Style Patterns, have certainly made a splash since they hit the scene! With a super comfortable high waist and near-full coverage bottoms, paired with the cutest twist-tie top (or optional bandeau style), this perfect poolside pairing is a dream to wear and a dream to sew. You can even turn them out without an overlocker!

In terms of fabric, the Spoonflower Sport Lycra was the pick of the day – the resounding feedback was that the fabric is wonderfully opaque and has great recovery (read: it doesn’t go see-through when it’s wet and it springs back into shape when it’s been stretched). The colours are vibrant and the fabric performs well in both chlorine and seawater. Just what we want in our swimwear!

From first-time swimwear sewists to seasoned lycra-sewing wizards, our swim squad of pattern testers produced a bevy of beautiful bathers. So, pop on your goggles, grab your boogie board and dive in to see what all the fuss is about!

Mel @melt.stitches

FABRIC CHOICE: Spoonflower Sport Lycra in Abstract Ocean (Electric Blue) by Tara Reed.

“These are a very lovely pair of bathers, the #PeppermintBronteBathers in fact. I was approached by @PeppermintMagazine for this collab and excitedly chose this lycra designed by @TaraNormal, produced by @Spoonflower. 

The quality of the fabric is incredible. It’s a good weight with superb stretch recovery. It could probably be used without a lining. 

I love how these turned out. The pattern was designed by @SwimStylePatterns. I like the fit of the bandeau top (sewed an XS) but decided to hand sew the elastic band up for a seamless finish. Next time I’ll try the burrito method.

The instructions offer a fold finish around the thighs but I really wanted a seamless look. After 2 attempts I nailed a seamless finish on the bottoms using the burrito method!

It’s cool how you can make swimmers entirely on your sewing machine. I made sure to use the @Mettler_Thread Seraflex because it’s just brilliant. I was also pushing for the seamless look because my thread is a leftover hot pink.”

Sophie @sophie.sews

FABRIC CHOICE: Spoonflower Sport Lycra in Atlantis Shells (Blush) by Nouveau Bohemian.

“Peppermint Magazine recently reached out to me to sew up the @SwimStylePatterns Bronte Bathers from the latest issue of Peppermint! Definitely not a stranger to Swimstyle patterns but it was my first time using @Spoonflower fabric – this is the sport lycra and it’s held up really well so far in both chlorine and salt water! Great recovery, opaque (self-lined both top and bottom), UPF 50+ because the sun is no joke. 

I sewed a size S in the top and XS grading to S in the bottoms. I always use rubber elastic for swimwear because the one time I didn’t… my bikini top came out too loose. Notions (rubber elastic and swim sliders) are from @TheRemnantWarehouse.”

Serah @serah.sews

FABRIC CHOICE: Spoonflower Sport Lycra in Purple Red Ti Leaf Jungle by Maliuana.

“Ya girl made her first pair of bathers just in time before summer ends! 

Having never made swimwear before, I was a bit unsure when @PeppermintMagazine first approached me for a collab, however, I’m really glad that I went through with it… super chuffed with the end product. I had a few unpicking moments but the overall process was so much easier than I made it seem in my head. Can confirm that the instructions were pretty clear and straightforward for someone who has never sewn any kind of swimwear before!

The stunning Lycra was designed by @LindaMaliuana and produced by @Spoonflower. Not only was I super pleased with the print but also the quality and stretch recovery of this fabric. The pattern is #PeppermintBronteBathers created in collaboration with @SwimStylePatterns.

For the sizing, I used a size M for the top. I was slightly concerned that it might be a bit small for me but it fit me perfectly. For the bottom, I used a size L at the hips graded to size M at the waist. I also raised the side seams for both the front and back pieces by an inch.”

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