Blog - Patterns for Pirates

P4P Cardi Week :: Kimono Ruffle Sleeves Hack

January 26, 2017

Cardi Week is well underway and I love seeing all of the inspiration in the Facebook group and here on the blog! Today I have a fun hack to bring up the delicate, vintage vibe of the Summer Kimono to the next level. Side note: if it’s not summer for you (yet), you can totally wear this kimono all year round like with flannel, here. Or look cute and freeze like me here, either way. 😉

First, you’ll want to think about fabric choices. For this one, I used a very flowy lightweight woven chiffon. Due to the ruffles here I would suggest using a decently lightweight fabric like this, since you don’t want the ruffles to be too bulky. If they are, then they won’t lay exactly right and be a little puffy.

Step 1. Once you’ve decided on your fabric, start by assembling the pattern. Cut out your bodice pieces. Assemble the front and back pieces as directed.

Step 2. The first thing you’ll need to do differently is cutting out the bands. Instead of cutting out two 5″x28″ bands, cut out two 10″x38″ bands. This is where you’ll do the ruffles.

Step 3. Now, fold the two bands in half, wrong sides together matching the long edges. Iron the fold and pin/clip along the raw edges.

Step 4. If your fabric frays easily like mine, then you’ll want to do a zigzag (or other finishing stitch) right along the raw edges to stop it from fraying when you’re working with the fabric. Sew together both layers of fabric.

Step 5. Now, you’re going to need to gather the fabric. You can do this however you prefer, but for this project I recommend using basting stitches (straight stitch, loose tension, long stitch length). Sew down the raw edges twice, with the first line of stitching 3/8″ from the edge, the second line 5/8″ from the edge.

Step 6. Grab the bottom (bobbin) threads, and pull gently to gather. You’ll want to do this as evenly as you can, but you can adjust the ruffles as you go along or when you’re done too. Do this until the piece gathers shrinks down to the size of the edge of the sleeve, which will be around 28″.

Step 7. Make sure your ruffles are pretty evenly distributed, as much as possible. Don’t stress too much about this, since they will be hanging on the sleeve when done instead of laying flat on a table. 🙂

Step 8. Lay the ruffle pieces along the raw edges of each sleeve. Make sure the right side of the sleeve fabric is facing up towards you. Pin/clip generously. Trust me, you can’t really overdo it. (I used a different color of fabric for the ruffle in the picture, don’t get confused!)

Step 9. Now sew to attach the ruffles to the each sleeve. Take a 1/2″ seam allowance here; you should stitch right in between your basting stitches. Go slowly to make sure you don’t disrupt the ruffles too much, after you carefully arranged them. Once you’re done and you make sure that you like the way things look, remove the basting stitches.

Step 10. Finish the edges of the ruffles and sleeves. With a sewing machine, sew another zigzag or similar stitch through all three layers of fabric. Or with a serger, just serge through all three layers cutting off 1/4″.

Step 11. Press the seam allowance up towards the sleeve and away from the ruffles. If you didn’t serge the edge, turn the seam allowance down 1/4″, tuck under, pin and iron so that the raw edge is enclosed.

Step 12. Topstitch so that the seam allowance stays flat and pressed up towards the sleeve. Since this is a woven, I just used a regular straight stitch, but you could also use a twin needle for a fancier stitch.

Optional: Lightly press/steam the ruffles down along the sleeve seam and folded edge. Don’t press enough to make creases, but this does help the ruffles lay pretty flat.

Step 13. Complete the rest of the kimono as the pattern instructions dictate. I finished my edges and hem with lace, but you can easily use this same technique to add a ruffle to the hem as well.

All done! I’m totally in love with this look – can you tell I’m ready for spring with this floral print and soft colors?! I also easily styled this ruffle kimono with a gray Layer Me Up tank and my fave stretch denim SOS Pants. Comfy and cute! It can be done, ladies.

Now go out and make your own! Be sure to use the hashtag #P4PCardiWeek when you post in the Facebook group or Instagram!

Pirate-ly Yours,

– Elisabeth

Take a look at our jam-packed schedule of cardigan love!

Saturday, January 21: #P4PCardiWeek Announcement

Sunday, January 22: Cocoon Lace Hems and Butterfly Ruffle

Monday, January 23: Ribbon Tie Closure Hack

Tuesday, January 24: Carefree Cardigan Fringe Hack

Wednesday, January 25: Duster-Length Adjustment

Thursday, January 26: Kimono Ruffle Sleeves

Friday, January 27: Varsity Sweater Style Hack

Saturday, January 28: Carefree Cardigan Flannel + Vest Hack

Monday, January 30: #P4PCardiWeek Winner Announcement

You can follow along on the blog here, or in our Facebook group. Search #P4PCardiWeek to be able to find our posts all over social media. And please feel free to sew-along with us on one or all of the days. The more the merrier!

But wait, there’s more! We wanted to create a friendly pirate-y competition with our P4P Cardi Week!

Between tomorrow and Saturday, January 28, sew up a Patterns for Pirates cardigan using one of our hacks, or by keeping the pattern as-is. Share your photo with us on Instagram or in our Facebook group and use the tag#P4PCardiWeek We will pick our favorite and the winner will win a free P4P pattern of choice AND be featured on this blog. Fun right?

To make it even better we have put all the cardigan patterns in the shop on sale all week (no code needed)!

Now get out there and sew some cardigans, matey!

P4P Cardi Week : Grandpa Cardi in Duster Length

January 25, 2017

After spending way too much time browsing for sewing inspiration online, one of the biggest trends I’ve notice is the amount of long cardigans, also known as the duster length. While the original duster length was worn by the adventurous horsemen of the Wild West, I’ve decided to put a Pirate’s twist on it by using the Grandpa Cardigan. And what’s not to love about the Grandpa Cardi? It’s cozy, the perfect layering accessory, and always stylish! With a few quick and easy mods to the pattern, you too will be ready to join in on one of the hottest trends!

Determining Length
First you will need to determine how long you want your duster. For me, I chose to have it hit right around my mid-calf. I measured from my underarm to mid-calf, which was a distance of 40″ (I’m 5’7″ for reference).

Adding Length to Back and Bodice Pieces
To add my length, I traced the pattern as is, using the tunic cut length. I then placed my tape measure from the bottom of the armcyce to the edge of the tunic cut line on the front bodice piece. For an XS, this measurement was 23″, meaning that I needed to add an additional 17″ in length (you will want to measure this distance if you are using a different size). I then drew a line 17″ down from the tunic cut line, keeping these two lines parallel. Once the line was drawn, I connected the new duster length cut line perpendicular to the original pattern. Repeat this step on the back piece.

Adding Length to Collar
The Grandpa Cardi is very easy adjust the length of the collar. The band is only stretched around the neckline, while there is a 1:1 ratio below the slight V. Since I added 17″ in length, I added this same amount at the end of each collar piece from the tunic cut line. This will not alter the part of the band that needs to be stretched, only add to the section that is 1:1.

Finishing Duster Cardi
Once you have lengthened all pieces (and cut out your sleeves), assemble the pattern as per the tutorial.

And if you needed a little more inspiration, the Duster happens to pair amazingly well with the Boyfriend V-neck! You should probably just grab that one as well if you don’t already have it! Make sure to check out the bottom of the page to read about what the other ladies have in store for you during #P4PCardiWeek. ~ Erinn

Take a look at our jam-packed schedule of cardigan love!

Saturday, January 21: #P4PCardiWeek Announcement

Sunday, January 22: Cocoon / Butterfly Ruffle + Lace Hems

Monday, January 23: Ribbon Tie Closure Hack

Tuesday, January 24: Carefree Cardigan Fringe Hack

Wednesday, January 25: Duster-Length Adjustment

Thursday, January 26: Kimono Ruffle Sleeves + Hem

Friday, January 27: Varsity Sweater Style Hack

Saturday, January 28: Carefree Cardigan Flannel + Vest Hack

Monday, January 30: #P4PCardiWeek Winner Announcement

But wait, there’s more! We wanted to create a friendly pirate-y competition with our P4P Cardi Week!

To make it even better we have put all the cardigan patterns in the shop on sale all week (no code needed)!

Now get out there and sew some cardigans, matey!

P4P Cardi Week :: Carefree Cardigan Fringe Hack

January 24, 2017

So you’ve been perusing Pinterest and you see all of those must have, trendy fringe cardigans. Now you’re looking at your library of sewing patterns and wondering which one can you easily hack into one of those gorgeous cardigans for yourself? Well here is a tutorial to show you how to easily transform the Patterns for Pirates Carefree Cardigan into a DIY fringe cardigan! Follow along to find out how easy this look is to achieve. At the end I have added the option to attach a button closure too!

First things first, which fabric should you use? My favorite knit fabrics to use for this purpose are knit fleece, closed weave brushed hacci sweater knit or a light-medium weight poly rayon spandex french terry. That said, you could do this with pretty much any knit. Be careful of really loose weave sweater knits though (the ones you can see through). They may fall apart on you during the fringe creation.

Step 1: Whatever you do, DON’T SKIP THIS. Before you make your fabric selection and begin cutting out your garment pieces, test out how the fabric is going to look once fringed. To do this make a few ½” wide by 6” deep cuts perpendicular to the selvedge edge. Tie a couple of these strips into a knot together just as it will be done on the finished cardigan. Some knits will stay structured; some will come close to falling apart. It is important to test the fabric to determine if your chosen fabric is going to give you a desired look.

Step 2: Cut out all pieces of your Carefree Cardigan for a ‘neckband only’ version, except for the neckband. For the neckband you are going to cut out a band half the cut chart width plus a seam allowance of 1/2″ for hemming.

Step 3: Assemble your cardigan as directed by the Carefree Cardigan pattern tutorial with the exception of the neckband. You are attaching the neckband without folding it in half to form a closed band. You want an open raw edged band.

Step 4: Using your sewing or coverstitch machine, you will then hem the long exposed edge of the neckband and along the bottom hem. Use a 1/2”” hem width here. You want it thin so that it doesn’t become bulky when you create the fringe. Lastly, hem the sleeves as directed by the pattern.

Step 5: Lay your cardigan out on your cutting mat, lining up the unfinished edge along a straight measurement line on your mat. Decide how wide you would like your fringe to be. Take your scissors and cut strips about 6” deep along the entire length of your cardigan front, every ½-1”. I chose to cut ½” strips. Go back and seam rip the hems on the bottom and top strips that you have now cut into fringe strips. You may want to add some reinforcement stiching to the hem stitches at the beginning and end just before it turns into fringe.

Step 6: The last step is to finish the fringe edge. This is done by tying the base of the strips into knots all down the front. Decide how many strips you would like to be knotted together to create some separation. I chose to knot 2 strips together down the entire length of my cardigan.

If you choose not to add a button closure you are now all finished!

OPTIONAL Button Closure

Step 7: Following Judy’s lead in her Carefree Cardigan Button blog tutorial, I chose to add a button to mine to finish off the look. To do this I put on my cardigan and played with different variations of button placement; to decide how I wanted the cardigan to be styled. I settled on adding a 1” shoulder button.

[center button placement]

[shoulder button placement]

Step 8: Once you have decided on placement, mark it. A lot of the time I like to use dry erase crayons to mark placement. The mark is easily visible on any fabric and it stays put until you throw your garment in the wash. Mark the button location both on the overlapping bodice front and the under lapping bodice front.

[dry erase crayon]

Step 9: Use your sewing machine to create a buttonhole on the overlapping bodice front in the top corner. If you are using an oversized button or do not have an automatic buttonhole presser foot for your machine see Judy Hale’s post HERE. Carefully cut open the buttonhole with your seam ripper.

[automatic buttonhole presser foot]

Step 10: Now attach your button with your sewing machine or by hand on the under lapping bodice shoulder where you have placed a marking. Try it on and adjust button placement if necessary.

All done!

Keep your eyes peeled for some other fun tutorials the ladies at Patterns for Pirates have prepared for you this week! Be sure to read all the way through the end of this post to find out about the contest we have running this week!

-Kelly Bailey

P4P Blog Contributor

Take a look at our jam-packed schedule of cardigan love!

Saturday, January 21: #P4PCardiWeek Announcement

Sunday, January 22: Cocoon Lace Hems and Butterfly Ruffle

Monday, January 23: Ribbon Tie Closure Hack

Tuesday, January 24: Carefree Cardigan Fringe Hack

Wednesday, January 25: Duster-Length Adjustment

Thursday, January 26: Kimono Ruffle Sleeves + Hem

Friday, January 27: Varsity Sweater Style Hack

Saturday, January 28: Carefree Cardigan Flannel + Vest Hack

Monday, January 30: #P4PCardiWeek Winner Announcement

But wait, there’s more! We wanted to create a friendly pirate-y competition with our P4P Cardi Week!

Between tomorrow and Saturday, January 28, sew up a Patterns for Pirates cardigan using one of our hacks, or by keeping the pattern as-is. Share your photo with us on Instagram or in our Facebook group and use the tag #P4PCardiWeek. We will pick our favorite and the winner will win a free P4P pattern of choice AND be featured on this blog. Fun right?

To make it even better we have put all the cardigan patterns in the shop on sale all week (no code needed)!

Now get out there and sew some cardigans, matey!

P4P Cardi Week :: Grandpa + Cpt. Mack Ribbon Tie Closure

January 23, 2017

Today I have for you a simple hack that can be applied to either the Patterns for Pirates women’s Grandpa Cardi or the youth version, the Cpt. Mack’s Cardigan. This mod is simple but it adds so much to the overall look! There are a few different ways that you could approach this; but grab your pattern and follow along the tutorial below to find out how I like to add a ribbon tie closure to the Cpt. Mack and Grandpa Cardigans.

For this tutorial I am using some simple satin and mesh ribbon to coordinate with my rayon spandex lined loose weave sweater knit Cpt. Mack.

Step 1: Sew up your cardigan, stopping just before attachment of the collar.

Step 2: Iron on some interfacing along the inside of the collar where the buttonholes will be stitched. This will provide some stability to your knit and to prevent the holes from being stretched out with use. I know my kids aren’t gentle with their clothes!

Step 3: Now sew your collar onto the cardigan as directed by the pattern tutorial.

Step 4: Mark on the overlapping band (with pins) where you would like your bows to be located. I used two bows for my daughters size 2T tunic length cardigan. The width of the chosen ribbon should be considered when deciding how many bows to use as well. Now mark the corresponding location on the under lapping band.

Step 5: Use your machine to create buttonholes on the overlapping band locations. For this I used my automatic buttonhole presser foot. If you haven’t yet used your buttonhole foot I highly suggest reading your manual or searching YouTube for a quick video. These make it super simple! If you do not have a buttonhole setting and foot option on your machine you can certainly use a zigzag stitch to create one yourself. Follow along Judy’s Carefree Cardigan Button blog post to see how she likes to create a buttonhole in that circumstance. Once the buttonhole is stitched, it’s time to very carefully cut them open with your seam ripper.

Step 6: Next, use your ribbon to tie a bow to the size of your liking. Trim the ribbon tails a little longer than desired to allow for some wiggle room as we construct this. Untie your bow and cut an additional piece equal in length for as many bows as you would like to attach.

Step 7: Find the center of each piece of ribbon and secure it to the under lapping band at the pin locations. Sew a straight stitch vertically down the centerline of the ribbon to attach it to the cardigan. I stitched mine on along the left side of the band. This allows the overlapping band to fully cross over once tied.

Step 8: Pull one end of each ribbon through its corresponding buttonhole and tie into bows once again, closing the cardigan front. Once all of your bows are tied you can trim the tails to the desired lengths. If you prefer these to be permanent bows you can certainly hand stitch them so that they may not come untied.

Step 9: If you have used a ribbon that frays easily, use a lighter to gently melt each ribbon end or some Fray Check to seal the weave. Be careful to use the heat from the flame and not the flame itself. If you mess up, no worries! Simply trim off the tip of the ribbon tail and try again.

There you have it. All done!

Keep your eyes peeled for some other fun tutorials the ladies at Patterns for Pirates have prepared for you this week! Be sure to read all the way to the end of this post to find out how to participate in this week’s sewing contest!

-Kelly Bailey

P4P Blog Contributor

Take a look at our jam-packed schedule of cardigan love!

Saturday, January 21: #P4PCardiWeek Announcement

Sunday, January 22: Cocoon Lace Hems and Butterfly Ruffle

Monday, January 23: Ribbon Tie Closure Hack

Tuesday, January 24: Carefree Cardigan Fringe Hack

Wednesday, January 25: Duster-Length Adjustment

Thursday, January 26: Kimono Ruffle Sleeves + Hem

Friday, January 27: Varsity Sweater Style Hack

Saturday, January 28: Carefree Cardigan Flannel + Vest Hack

Monday, January 30: #P4PCardiWeek Winner Announcement

But wait, there’s more! We wanted to create a friendly pirate-y competition with our P4P Cardi Week!

Between tomorrow and Saturday, January 28, sew up a Patterns for Pirates cardigan using one of our hacks, or by keeping the pattern as-is. Share your photo with us on Instagram or in our Facebook group and use the tag #P4PCardiWeek. We will pick our favorite and the winner will win a free P4P pattern of choice AND be featured on this blog. Fun right?

To make it even better we have put all the cardigan patterns in the shop on sale all week (no code needed)!

Now get out there and sew some cardigans, matey!

P4P Cardi Week:: Butterfly Ruffle

January 22, 2017

Last week we released the Butterfly Cardigan, the mini version of the Cocoon Cardigan and is so cute on the younger girls. In case you missed the round up post, check it out HERE. To add some extra girly details to the Butterfly, we thought why not add a ruffle? We’ve had a similar cardigan pinned as inspiration for awhile so here’s our take on it.

The construction of the main cardigan (body, lower sleeve and cuffs (if chosen) remains the same, however, you will need to cut longer neckbands. You will then ruffle the band and attach in the same manner as you do for the original cardigan. Depending on the thickness of the fabric you are using, you will want to adjust the amount you multiply the band measurements by. I used a thinner rayon French Terry spandex so went with 2.5 times the band measurements listed in the cut chart of the tutorial. Use 2.5 to 3 times the width for thinner fabrics (rayon spandex, cotton lycra, etc) and 2 to 2.5 times the width for thicker fabrics (sweater knits and French Terry).

My original width measurements for a size 2 are as follows: Cropped front band: 31.5″ / Cropped back band: 13″ – Multiply by 2.5
My ruffle width measurements are as follows: Cropped front band: 78.75″ / Cropped back band: 32.5″. Since most knits are only 58″-60″ wide I will need to piece my front band so I chose to divide in half so will have equal pieces. I will now cut 2 front bands 39.5″ (I rounded up for the simplicity of cutting). Use the same length as indicated in the pattern. ( I added 1/2″ to mine but in hindsight should have kept it to the original 4″ for her size. The top neck tends to flop backwards too much with the weight of the extra height and ruffle.)

CREATING THE RUFFLE

1. Stitch short ends of front and back bands, creating a circle.

2. Fold in half lengthwise, wrong sides together and press. Mark the midpoint of front and back bands. This will make it easier to match and attach your ruffle to the cardigan.

3. Stitch a gathering/basting stitch (set your stitch length to the longest possible on your machine) at 3/8″ and 5/8″ from raw edge. Do not skip out on the second row of stitches. I promise, that extra step is worth it! You will have more even gathers and if one line of stitching breaks you have a backup without having to redo them. I also like to gather in shorter sections so will stop and start at each seam of the band. Be sure to leave a thread tail for easy pulling later.

4. Match raw edges and align the side seams of the cardigan to the seam of the band. Pin/Clip in place. Match raw edges and align the seam of the front neckband to center back neckline. Pin/Clip in place.

5. Pull gathering/basting stitch (top threads) to gather band to match the length of the cardigan. *Tip: once your gather reaches desired length, tie off your thread tails. It will help keep the gather in tact while you even them out. Continue gathering each section until your band is completely gathered. Pin/Clip in place.

6. Stitch your band to your cardigan body. Flip down, press and top-stitch (if desired).

If the Butterfly Cardigan wasn’t already cute enough as it is, this surely made it! Now add it to your cart and make your very own Butterfly Cardigan for your little! 😉

Take a look at our jam-packed schedule of cardigan love!

Saturday, January 21: #P4PCardiWeek Announcement

Sunday, January 22: Cocoon Lace Hems and Butterfly Ruffle

Monday, January 23: Ribbon Tie Closure Hack

Tuesday, January 24: Carefree Cardigan Fringe Hack

Wednesday, January 25: Duster-Length Adjustment

Thursday, January 26: Kimono Ruffle Sleeves + Hem

Friday, January 27: Varsity Sweater Style Hack

Saturday, January 28: Carefree Cardigan Flannel + Vest Hack

Monday, January 30: #P4PCardiWeek Winner Announcement

But wait, there’s more! We wanted to create a friendly pirate-y competition with our P4P Cardi Week!

To make it even better we have put all the cardigan patterns in the shop on sale all week (no code needed)!

Now get out there and sew some cardigans, matey!

P4P Cardi Week :: Cocoon Lace Hems

January 22, 2017

I’m sure by now you’ve all browsed Pinterest for cardigan inspiration, I know I have. When I saw a dolman style cardigan with lace trim I knew right away I needed to make myself one so in today’s blog I’ll show you how easy it is to get the look and I’ll also give you some tip for working with lace.

Start by cutting the Cocoon Cardigan pattern pieces. You will not need to cut the the band, we will be replacing it with trim. I made a tunic length, 3/4 hemmed sleeves with no pockets but you can apply this technique to either one of the styles. The fabric and lace I used are both from Hobby Lobby.

Assemble your pattern pieces as per the instruction. I like to leave the band for the end so you now have your cardigan ready to add the lace trim. The pattern band is shorter than the edge circumference and since most lace trims have no stretch we will have to measure the opening. The trim you will need will be equal to this length.

TIP: If your trim comes in 2 yards or less increments you will need to attach two pieces together. To do that I like to use a zig zag stitch and just slightly overlap the ends. Stitch them together with a narrow zig zag stitch. Don’t forget to place a little piece of water soluble stabilizer under your lace when you stitch it.

Pin (or clip) your lace to the cardigan raw edge, right sides together. Yes, there is a right side to the lace trim too! 🙂 Pin all around the edge, making sure you do not stretch the cardigan. When you get to the curved edge pin even closer since that part is not only stretchy but also on the bias.

Once it’s all pinned in place sew the lace around the opening very slowly. I like to use my sewing machine for this step, instead of the serger. A stitch length of 3.5 with a 3.4-3.6 tension should be all you need. All you have to do now is top stitch around the opening, about 1/4-1/8 inch away from the trim and you are all set. See how easy that was?

Take a look at our jam-packed schedule of cardigan love!

Saturday, January 21: #P4PCardiWeek Announcement

Sunday, January 22: Cocoon Lace Hems and Butterfly Ruffle

Monday, January 23: Ribbon Tie Closure Hack

Tuesday, January 24: Carefree Cardigan Fringe Hack

Wednesday, January 25: Duster-Length Adjustment

Thursday, January 26: Kimono Ruffle Sleeves + Hem

Friday, January 27: Varsity Sweater Style Hack

Saturday, January 28: Carefree Cardigan Flannel + Vest Hack

Monday, January 30: #P4PCardiWeek Winner Announcement

But wait, there’s more! We wanted to create a friendly pirate-y competition with our P4P Cardi Week!

To make it even better we have put all the cardigan patterns in the shop on sale all week (no code needed)!

Now get out there and sew some cardigans, matey!

P4P Cardi Week is here!

January 22, 2017

We had so much fun when we ran #P4PRaglanWeek that we decided to do it again. But this time, we are focusing on our favorite layering pieces: Cardigans! That’s right, Pirates! We are asking you to dig out your Grandpa/Cpt Mack, Carefree, and Cocoon/Butterfly Cardigan patterns…and the Kimono pattern too! Let’s get busy sewing!

We are giving you a full week of cardigan sewing, with hacks and add-ons and easy tutorials. This is going to be so much fun!

Take a look at our jam-packed schedule of cardigan love!

Saturday, January 21: #P4PCardiWeek Announcement

Sunday, January 22: Cocoon / Butterfly Ruffle + Lace Hems

Monday, January 23: Ribbon Tie Closure Hack

Tuesday, January 24: Carefree Cardigan Fringe Hack

Wednesday, January 25: Duster-Length Adjustment

Thursday, January 26: Kimono Ruffle Sleeves

Friday, January 27: Varsity Sweater Style Hack

Saturday, January 28: Carefree Cardigan Flannel + Vest Hack

Monday, January 30: #P4PCardiWeek Winner Announcement

To sweeten the deal, we’ve gone through and updated the older patterns to include the layers feature, as well as the international and copy shop files. How do you get the updated copies from previous purchases? That’s easy!

If you purchased from PatternsforPirates.com or Craftsy, log into your accounts and download the updated file. It’s already in there, waiting for you!
If you purchased from Etsy, email a copy of your receipt to help@patternsforpirates.com and the Pirate crew will email you with your updated files.

But wait, there’s more! We wanted to create a friendly pirate-y competition with our P4P Cardi Week!

To make it even better we have put all the cardigan patterns in the shop on sale all week (no code needed)!

Grandpa Cardigan | Cpt. Mack Cardigan | Carefree Cardigan | Cocoon Cardigan
Butterfly Cardigan | Summer Kimono

Now get out there and sew some cardigans, matey!

Butterfly Cardigan :: New Pattern Release!

January 17, 2017

We are celebrating another pattern release day and you’re going to love it! Remember the Cocoon Cardigan that we put out right before the holidays? It’s in mini size now! Meet the Butterfly Cardigan!

The pattern is drafted for girls sizes 3M – 14. It’s a dolman style sleeve, so it’s got a looser fit and is quick to put together, just like other dolman style tops. There are THREE sleeve lengths (short, 3/4 and long — each with multiple band options), TWO hem lengths (cropped or tunic length), TWO neckband options (short or tall), and optional pockets (patch or inseam)! On top of all of that, we have also included a PDF layers feature for printing.

The three different sleeve length options will take your littles from one season to the next. Choose between short sleeve, 3/4 length, and long sleeves and your littles can easily transition between all four seasons.

With two different hem lengths, you’ve got all of your bases covered. Get more coverage with a longer-length tunic…

…or make it in a short and sweet cropped length!

Don’t worry, we made sure to include pockets (!!!) in the Butterfly Cardigan! Who doesn’t love pockets?

Not quite convinced yet? Go check out all of the rest of the adorable tester images in our Facebook group HERE and get inspired!

Can’t take it any longer and need the pattern right now?! Go grab your very own copy of the Butterfly Cardigan and get to sewing! Don’t have the Mama version of the Cocoon Cardigan yet?

Go grab a special bundle pricing for the Butterfly + Cocoon Cardigans HERE. Butterfly and bundle will be on sale (no code needed) through Monday January 23,2017.

And don’t forget to share your gorgeous makes with us over in the Patterns for Pirates Facebook group!

Knit Types

January 13, 2017

We get a lot of questions about knit fabrics since most our patterns are drafted for a stretch knit! We’ve done a few other blog posts trying to answer those questions that get asked most frequently like, What fabric pairs best with this top pattern?” We have our P4P Shirt Fits Explained blog about all the P4P top patterns, their intended fit and what my favorite fabrics are for them. We also have Different Fabric, Different Fit post all about drape, thickness and stretch and how it can affect the fit of your top/dress.

Now I bring you a Knit Fabric Cheat Sheet– this is a printable, quick reference guide to knit fabric types that are popular. I did not encompass every kind of knit fabric available, but I tried to put all the knit fabrics you might see at local stores and what most of us will be ordering online for home apparel sewing.

Sometimes different textile companies like to name/call fabrics by different names as well- so in turn the fabric shop will call it that name. It can get confusing, but often if you ask the shop what it’s most like in terms of a more popular/well known fabric you will be able to find something to compare it to on this list.

For example: Liverpool. Liverpool is something that I personal had never heard of in my years of fabric shopping until about a year ago. It began popping up and becoming popular in LA fabric shops that buy from local textile companies directly and sell in their shops. It is what the textile companies were calling their “textured polyester” (this is what you’re most likely going to see it labeled as at a Joann) and so it’s what the fabric shops were calling it as well. If you walked into a Joann and asked for “Liverpool” they most likely will not be able to point you in the right direction.

So in short, the fabric industry is constantly finding new ways to create fabrics and each textile company is going to name it what they want 🙂 If you learn the most popular knit types, what the fibers feel like and act like (poly, cotton, rayon, ect), terms like stretch percentage, drape and what that means, different ways to tell the weight/thickness of fabric it will be easier for you to order knit fabric online and know exactly what you’re expecting to receive in the mail! I added some notes at the very beginning of the print out about stretch percentages and weights of fabrics to help as well!

I still recommend going to your local stores and feeling as much knit fabric as possible. Here I am walking into a Joann Fabrics and looking through a big chunk of their knits. I tried to grab a variety and talk about them for those who are new to knits:

Same thing at a local Wal-Mart and their knit selection:

I will try to do a few more local stores and maybe some unboxing from online shops one day! 🙂

Here is your printable Knit Fabric Cheat Sheet again. You can save on your phone or computer and pull it up when trying to order online and are feeling unsure or print it out and take it to your local store to make sure you’re getting what you need for a certain project!

I hope this helps everyone out there just beginning to dip their toes into sewing knit garments! I LOVE my knit pieces for myself, kids, even hubs gets some from time to time 😉 They’re more forgiving with fit, quicker to sew, comfortable to wear and usually require no ironing in the morning! 😉 I’ll try to make knit lovers out of all you!!! <3 <3 <3

How to lower or raise a neckline

January 6, 2017

We have seen a lot questions about raising or lowering the neckline of various P4P shirts or dresses. On the blog today I show you how easy it is to alter the neckline to achieve the look you want. For this tutorial I will use the Sweet Tee pattern in a beautiful viscose rayon (dress option lengthen 3.5″) but you can apply this technique to either one of the shirt patterns.

Start by printing and cutting your pattern in the size needed. The only piece we will be altering will be the front of the shirt (or bodice).

For lowering the neckline you will need to mark on the center fold where you would like the new neckline to be. I usually lower my Sweet Tee neckline 1.5 inches. Using a French Curve (or going slowly) draw a curve similar to the original one from your mark to the inner shoulder point.

Cut your fabric using the new front pattern piece. The rest of the pattern pieces will remain the same. The only other change you will need to make is the length of the neckband or binding.

To raise the neckline you will need to grab your front bodice piece and a blank piece of paper. Align the center fold of the front pattern piece with the side of your paper and glue them together.

Mark a point 1-2 inches above the original top center depending on how high you’d like the neckline. Using the French Curve draw a curve from the center point to the inner shoulder point. Cut the new front using this modified pattern piece and the rest of the pieces as in the original pattern.

The only additional modification you will need to make is to adjust the neckband or binding length. You will need to make it longer or shorter depending on the new neckline. I like to calculate the new neckband length after I sew the front and back pieces together at the shoulder. To find out the new neckline circumference lay the neck opening along a ruler and multiple it by 2.

Your new neckband length will be 85% of this circumference plus 1 inch to accommodate the seam allowance. (C * 0.85 +1 ). Cut the new neckband/binding using the new length but keeping the width suggests in the pattern. All you have left to do now is sew the shirt or dress according to the tutorial and you have just made yourself a custom outfit. Easy peasy…right? 🙂

I can’t wait to see your creations in the Pattern for Pirates group.

Happy sewing, pirates!

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