Blog - Patterns for Pirates

5 tips for adding neckbands

June 6, 2017

So you spent an hour picking the perfect fabric, perfect coordinates and matching thread. You’ve sewn your favorite P4P shirt and you only have one step left…the dreaded neckband. That’s when you start panicking and getting nervous about attaching the neckband and finishing your outfit. Fear no more!

Today on the blog I will give you 5 tips that will help you achieve that perfect neckband you are striving for all the time.

1. Choose the right fabric for your neckband!

Neckbands will be stretched when you attach them, they will be stretched when you put on or take off the shirt, so it is very important that fabric you use for the neckband has great stretch and great recovery. My favorite type of materials for neckbands are cotton spandex, rayon spandex, ribbing and rib knit. You can get away with using some brushed poly as long as the recovery is good. Avoid, scuba, french terry and 2 way poly blends.

2. Always cut the neckband cross-grain!

Never cut your neckbands along the grain. Even if your fabric has 4 way stretch (which it should) the vertical stretch is not going to be as much as the horizontal one. If you don’t have enough of the main fabric to cut the neckband is best to use a coordinating fabric than cutting the neckband along the grain.

3. Mark the quarters of your neckband and neck opening!

It’s very important that you find and pin (or clip) the quarter points of the neckband and neck opening. After you have sewn the neckband RTS at the ends so you have a loop, fold it length wise and mark where the seam is. This will be the back of your neck band. The center front of the neckband will be on the opposite side. Now fold it in half bringing the center front and back markings together. The fold will mark your two quarters.

To find the front and back neck opening centers, bring the shoulder seams wrong side together. Where centers will be where the folds are. Mark them with a pin, a clip or a small snip. With the fabric still laying flat, bring the center front and back together. Your quarter marks will be at the folds. Mark them as well. You will see that the side neck opening quarter marks are NOT at the shoulder seam. The front opening is larger than the back opening.

For all you visual learners, here is a video of the process.

4. Use the right stitches!

Avoid using a straight stitch when attaching the neckband. As I mentioned earlier, the neckband will be stretched and pulled so you want to make sure the stitches are up to the job. If you are using only your sewing machine, attach the neckband with either a stretch stitch or a narrow zig zag stitch. I prefer to use my serger for this step but it is not mandatory. Once you attached the neckband, press the seam allowance towards the shirt. You will now be top stitching it down with your coverstitch machine or your sewing machine. You can top stitch with a wide zig zag stitch, a stretch stitch or twin needles. Be sure to check out our Twin Needles tips and tricks blog too.

You can see how I attached the neckbands here:

5. Press, press, and steam some more!

If you’ve followed the tips I gave you and notice a slight waviness, don’t panic. It’s normal when sewing knits especially if they are on the bias (as is part of the neck opening). Go back to your ironing board and give the neckline a good hefty steam press. Most of the times my neckbands are cotton spandex based and I crank up my ironing machine all the way to the “linen” setting. Make sure you test the heat of your iron on a scrap fabric first. If your shirt is poly based you will need a lower ironing temperature, you do not want to melt your fabric 🙂

There you have it! 5 easy to follow steps to achieve a perfect neckband all the time!

Happy sewing, pirates!

P4P University:: Knit Binding 101

May 18, 2017

With our recent release of the Cross my Heart and Heart Breaker Cami patterns, we’ve had some questions and hesitation about the straps… because, well, they look scary! They may look intimidating but they truly are not as bad as they appear. We’re going to show you a few different ways to do knit binding and hopefully help ease those fears.

What is Knit Binding?

There are two main methods to finish a neckline or armhole. Knit bands are an extension of the neckline and probably the most recognizable finishing method for a traditional T-Shirt (rose floral shown below). We’ll dive in to bands on another post ;). Knit binding is done similar to bias tape binding, which is typically used on woven fabrics and encloses the raw edge of the neckline but does not extend above and away from it (ivory floral shown below).

Tools to create successful knit binding:

Use fabric with spandex. You will yield better results with fabric that has great stretch and recovery. Not sure what fabrics to use? Check out our Knit Fabric Cheat Sheet.
Steam iron: One of the best tips to create even and professional looking binding is to press, press and press again. Throughout the entire process of binding your garment, hitting your binding with some steam will help it bounce back to shape and keep a clean, crisp fold which is easier to turn and top-stitch.
Ball Point or Stretch Needles: Whenever using knit fabric, stretch or ball point needles are always recommended. The needle tip slips between the knit fibers and does not break or damage them while sewing. Stretch needles are mostly used with fabrics that have a higher percentage of stretch (think swimwear or athletic fabrics) but most prefer to use them for all types of knits.
Pins or clips: Pinning or clipping your binding, especially when you get to the later steps to turn and top-stitch is a life-saver. Once you become more comfortable with binding, you may not need as many but it’s always best to clip more now than regret it later.
Optional: Blind Hem Foot – this helps keep an even straight line along the edge of your binding when top-stitching.

Both the cami patterns, the Sweetheart and Me Hearties Dress, and Essential Tank use knit binding to finish the necklines, armholes or sleeves but you can apply this method to other tops and skirts in lieu of bands or hemming. Just be sure to take in to account your seam allowances and band heights as they will finish lower or higher if no adjustments are made.

Methods to do knit binding:

Serger: (this method is used in the Cross my Heart and Heart Breaker Cami). Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, the binding is serged to the neckline or armhole with the right side of the binding to the wrong side of the main fabric. The seam allowance is pressed up with binding folded up and over the serged edge and then top-stitched.

Sewing Machine: (this method is used as an option in the Sweetheart and Me Hearties Dress and Essential Tank). The binding is pre-pressed in quarters (double folds). Using a stretch stitch (narrow zigzag, lightening bolt, or triple stretch stitch), with right side of the binding to the wrong side of the main fabric, the binding is stitched along the crease. The seam allowance is pressed up with binding folded up and over the raw edge and then top-stitched.

Serger or Sewing Machine: Using a 1/4″ to 3/8″ seam allowance the binding is stitched with right sides of the binding to the right side of the main fabric. The seam allowance is pressed up and binding folded over the edge to the wrong side of the fabric and then top-stitched. The excess binding is trimmed at the seam-line.

There are multiple options for Top-stitching binding. Here are few of our favorites:

Twin Needle: Double straight stitch on front and zig-zag on back. (Elisabeth walked us through using a twin needle a few posts back and is a great resource for top-stitching the knit binding using a regular sewing machine. In case you missed it, be sure to check it out HERE!)
Coverstitch: single or double needle: straight stitch on the front with a stretch zig-zag stitch on the back.
Narrow Zig-Zag: Gives the appearance of a straight stitch but still has some stretch.
Triple Step Zig-Zag: This is great for swimwear or high stretch areas.

Need more help? Here’s a video of the binding options described above 🙂

Hopefully this answered your questions about knit binding and eased some of your fears. Just remember, press and go slow! As with any new skill, it takes time to master, so keep practicing and you’ll have added another finishing method to your sewing arsenal.

Finished a project using knit binding? Be sure to share in our Facebook Group! We’d love to see it.

Mama Bear Joggers :: Stretch Woven

May 9, 2017

Joggers have been a really popular trend lately. A big reason, aside from the pure comfort, is because they can be dressed down with a pair of sandals or they can be dressed up with some heels for a day out in the city. But did you know? The Patterns for Pirates Mama Bear Joggers (as well as Papa and baby of course) only require 20% stretch! This leaves SO many options to choose from when deciding on fabric to sew your own. Inspired by Judy’s olive poplin version (below), I sewed up a couple joggers for myself in some other fabric options.

While rummaging around for something to use, I discovered some stretch denim that was hiding away in my fabric stash. I just knew it would be perfect! This denim is about 25% stretch and wears incredibly comfortably. I wear these joggers around the house or I like to style them with a pair of heels and a blousey, loose or fitted tank top for a day out. The denim definitely adds some structure to the pants but certainly does not take away from the comfort.

I also found some stretch twill in my stash and knew I HAD to whip up a pair of summer shorts with it! I used the Mama Bear pattern in shorts length, but added about 2.5″ to the bottom hem line in order to do the roll-up hem instead. I love the look of it over the traditional version for this purpose. Some ribbon in my stash was used for the drawstring and really finished off the look. These are just seriously cute and comfortable!

So next time you’re at the fabric store or digging around in your stash at home, break out your stretch ruler (you can find one in Judy’s cheat sheet) and then use those stretch wovens!

::: Written by Kelly Bailey – P4P Blog Contributor :::

Read more about sewing joggers for the entire family here!

Read some easy Bear Jogger hacks here!

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Peg Legs SAL: Day 7 – Recap and winners announcement

May 3, 2017

We made it to the last day of the Peg Legs sew along. You all did an amazing job this past week! I’ve seen so many beautiful pairs of Peg Legs being sewn.

Let’s recap what we did so far:

Day 1: Fabric selection

Day 2: Printing and measuring

Day 3: Cutting the fabric

Day 4: Attach add ons

Day 5: Sew inseam and attach legs

Day 6: Attach waistband

Without further ado…here are our 5 Peg Leg SAL winners

First winner: Sarah Wilkinson

$15 P4P store credit

$50 So Sew English store credit

$50 Stika Fabrics store credit

$50 Midnight Mountain Fabrics store credit

$25 Beanpop store credit

$50 RP Custom Fabrics store credit

Second winner: Erin Cooper

$15 P4P store credit

$50 Aurora Designs store credit

$50 Little Bear Fabric + Trim store credit

$50 Smoogie Custom Fabric store credit

$25 Little Lady Bug Fabrics Gift Card

$30 Store Credit($50 NZD) Levana Fabrics

Third winner: Raven Brown

$15 P4P store credit

$60 Boss Lady Fabric store credit

$50 The Fabric Snob store credit

$50 RockerBye Destash Fabric store credit

$50 Water Tower Textiles Canada store credit

€25 Droomstoffen store credit

Fourth winner: Lorie Peugh Judd

$15 P4P store credit

$50 Made Whimsy/ You Made Something store credit

$25 Star Dust & Moon Beam Textile Company gift card to each store

$50 Pretty Posh Prints store credit

$50 Sash Fabrics store credit

$30 Phat Quarters store credit

Big prize winner: Phillipa Lyes

$50 P4P store credit

$100 Sincerely Rylee store credit

$75 Sew Vagabond store credit

LFRB full of fabric from Sly Fox Fabrics

$50 True North Fabrics store credit

$50 Sweet N Charmed Fabric store credit

Congratulations to all of the winner and all participants! Please contact the shop owners to claim your prizes.

Thank you to the sponsors who made all these amazing prizes possible. Be sure to check out their awesome fabric selections!

Smoogie Fabric and Design

Sitka Fabrics

Star Dust and Moon Beam Textile Company

Levana Fabrics

Midnight Mountain Fabrics

Little Bear Fabric and Trim

Fabricmail Sweet N Charmed

Phat Quarters, Pretty Posh Prints

Little Ladybug Fabrics.

Peg Legs SAL: Day 6 – Attach waistband (with optional pocket)

May 1, 2017

Can’t believe we’re almost at the end of the sew along. Today we’ll be attaching the waistband. Whether you’re doing the high or low rise or the contoured waistband like I did, now is the time to add it to the leggings. This step can also be done with the sewing machine or the serger. If you use a sewing machine, remember to set it for a stretch stitch. A triple stretch stitch will work great!

If you are attaching your waistband with your serger you can either do a regular overlock stitch or you can even do a flat lock stitch. Using a flatlock stitch will eliminate the bulk at the seam that you get with an overlock stitch.

For this sew along I used the new contoured waistband which, let me tell you, is the best thing ever! Best tummy control while still comfortable.

It is very important to cut your fabric along the grain. We have seen some FB comments suggesting to cut the waistbands against the grain for more support. I highly discourage that because your peg legs will loose shape in the wash and will not fit as intended.

TIP: If you are more of a rectangular shape than hourglass, you can add elastic to the top seam of your contoured waistband.

You can see the waistband construction video here.

Don’t forget to post your final picture in the Peg Legs SAL event and hastag it #peglegsSAL before May 3rd 10 pm EST. Be sure to come back on Wednesday for the Sew Along recap and the winners announcement.

Peg Legs SAL: Day 5 – Sew Inseam and attach legs

April 30, 2017

Welcome to day 5 of the Peg Legs Sew Along! Today we will be sewing the inseam, hemming each leg and attaching them. Start by pinning (or clipping) the inseams on each leg, right sides together. You can either serger it or stitch it with your sewing machine. If you use your sewing machine for this step, make sure to use a stretch stitch!

If you’re using your serger, test the stitches on a scrap piece of fabric, preferably the same as the one you used for your pegs. Testing first will give you a chance to see if you need to make any adjustments to the tension or stitch length or width.

Once you’ve sewn the inseams you can either hem or sew the crotch curves. I prefer to hem first because I find it easier to maneuver if the legs are not attached together. When hemming your Peg Legs make sure you steam press before and after you stitch. You can use your coverstitch machine or your sewing machine for this step, just remember to use a stretch stitch.

Last step of the day is sewing the crotch curve. Pin or clip the curve right sides together, matching the inseam and the back and front rise. The easiest way to do this is to turn one of the legs inside out and place the other leg (right side out) inside.

You can see the day 5 video here !

When you’ve finished these steps, don’t forget to post a picture in the Peg Legs SAL Event and hashtag it #pegsalday5.

Peg Legs SAL: Day 4 – Sew add ons (pocket, color block, side strip etc)

April 29, 2017

Hello there! Day 4 is here and we’re starting to sew! Woohoo! Today we’ll be putting the leg pieces together. If you added a pocket, or a side strip, or color blocked the side strip, now is the time to put them together.

I love to work “assembly line style” so I pin…well clip…all pieces together first. Then sew/serge and then topstitch. If you are using a sewing machine make sure you use a stretch stitch like the “thunderbolt” , a triple stretch stitch or a very narrow zig zag. When top stitching with a sewing machine I highly recommend using twin needles. Check out the Twin Needles Blog for some tips and tricks!

For my SAL Peg Legs pair I stitched with my serger and topstitch with the coverstitch machine. You can see how I put together the add ons in the day 4 video here!

If you want to take it up a notch you can use decorative top stitching too. The Decorative stitching blog is an excellent source for all of you who would like to take the Peg Legs up a notch!

Once you’ve assembled your leg pieces post a picture in the Peg Legs SAL Event and hash tag it #pegsalday4. See you back here tomorrow!

Peg Legs SAL: Day 3 – Cutting the fabric

April 28, 2017

Welcome to day 3 of our Peg Leg sew along. So far we have picked the fabric(s) we will use, measured for accurate sizing and printed the pattern. Today we will be cutting the fabric so grab those sharp scissors or rotary cutter and let’s get started.

It is imperative that you cut your fabric following the grain/stretch recommendation. Do not cut your pegs against the grain even if you feel that it may save you some fabric. The final product will not look as nice and you will notice sagging and misshaping.

Don’t forget to cut MIRROR pieces for both your main part and the color block ones! The easiest way to make sure you cut all the fabric correctly is to fold the fabric and make only one cut instead of two mirrored ones. Check out day 3 video here!

TIP: Cut all pieces of the same fabric before cutting the pieces of the coordinating fabrics.

Once you cut your fabric post a picture of the pieces in the Peg Leg SAL Event and hashtag it #pegsalday3. See you back here tomorrow!

Peg Legs SAL: Day 2 – Printing and measuring

April 27, 2017

Today we will be printing the pattern in the size needed. In order to do that it is very important that you take your most accurate measurements. You will need your waist, hips and inseam measurements in order to choose the correct Peg Legs size. P4P has an amazing blog that gives you tip for accurately taking your measurements. You can read all about it here.

If you are like me you may need to grade between sizes. My hips put me in a larger size than my waist….or maybe I should say my waist puts me in a smaller size than my hips? 🙂 Worry not! We have a blog post for easy grading too!

Two things are very important to remember when grading the pattern.

Smooth transitions between sizes!
Grade both the front and the back of the legs.

Now that we established which size(s) we need it’s time to print the pattern. Did you see that the new updated Peg Legs and Add On pack feature layers now? How amazing is that? Save that ink and print just what you need. Haven’t used layers before? Check out this blog before you do so. If you need to grade between sizes you just need to select the sizes needed when you print. Easy peasy.

Day two will not require you to post any pictures in the Peg Leg SAL event. See you all back here tomorrow!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Peg Legs SAL: Day 1 – Choosing the fabric

April 26, 2017

Welcome to day 1 of our big 50K celebration Peg Legs Sew Along! With all the amazing things happening this week it was a given that we would sew together the new updated and FREE Peg Legs and add ons patterns.

Let’s get started by selecting the fabric. This step is very important as choosing the right fabric is extremely important ensure proper fit. Weather you choose, double brushed polyester, cotton spandex or performance knit, it is a must to check the vertical and horizontal stretch. The Peg Legs require the use of fabric with 50% horizontal AND vertical stretch. Typically fabric with 5% spandex or more will work.

Cotton Lycra/spandex (note- Lycra=spandex). Medium weight is usually 10oz or more
Rayon spandex. This is typically thinner so may not be opaque.
Nylon spandex / Supplex – great for performance wear. This usually has a higher content of spandex and will feel tighter, much like compression wear.
Polyester spandex – brushed polyester spandex is what many of the boutique leggings are made from however, it is a slightly harder to find the fabric in retail stores. Be sure to check the vertical stretch percentage as some may be less than the 50% require stretch.
Stretch Fleece – Fabrics such as Polartec Powerstretch are a 4 way stretch fleece. Regular fleece, like blizzard, anti-pill and cuddle fleece found in retail stores are NOT recommended.

Our Peg Leg 101 blog is full of useful information for first time Peg makers and not only so be sure to bookmark it.

Have you decided which add on will you be using? So many choices, right? I will be making the color block option with a pockets for this SAL. Make sure you also check out the awesome hacks we have been showing you this past week.

I decided to use a this Cosmic Thunder nylon spandex and accent it with Lime moisture wicking poly spandex (both from Made Whimsy fabric). If you would like to mix and match fabric types I recommend using fabrics with similar weights and stretch. Remember to always prewash your fabric before cutting it! If you’d like to know more about the various types of knit fabrics out there, be sure to check out Knit Types blog here.

Once you decided which fabric(s) you will be using post a picture of them in the Peg Leg SAL Event and hash tag it #pegsalday1

We could not end day 1’s blog without telling about the awesome prizes. Make sure you sew along with us this week and post your daily pictures in the Peg Legs SAL event because 5 lucky winners will be receiving P4P store credit and fabric from our sponsors.

Thank you:

Smoogie Fabric and Design

Sitka Fabrics

Star Dust and Moon Beam Textile Company

Levana Fabrics

Midnight Mountain Fabrics