Adding Removable Swim Cups To Your Suit

I have sewn my fair share of swimsuits over the last few years and I keep making more! (Check out some of my Maternity Swimsuits here!) With all my swim sewing, I’ve decided that I prefer removable swim cups more so than sewn in cups. (I get all my swim cups here) My main reason is because I tend to sew my cups on slightly too high (it’s hard to get them just right when everything isn’t all sewn together!). They always seem just right and then I finish making the suit, and bam! Too high. So maybe I need to just sew them in slightly lower than I think…Anyway, removable cups are easiest when you are making a bikini top or any suit with a shelf bra.

You will start off by cutting out two bikini front lining pieces. On one of the front lining pieces, you will need to cut a little semicircle about 1.5” deep. Fold the lining in half so you can cut both sides at the same time. You can either do it on the side seam like I did below, or you can cut it out of the armscye. (I’ve done it either way and both works just fine, but the opening in the armscye makes it easier to adjust the cups while wearing.)

Place your front lining piece with the cutouts on top of your uncut front lining, wrong-side of your cut lining facing the right-side of the uncut, or both sides facing up. (See below) Now sew your two lining pieces together, down the center, with a zigzag stitch on your sewing machine.

Treat this as one piece for the remainder of the instructions for your specific bikini top.