Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

2017 Holiday Freebies: Easy Button Cowl

I’m back to gift you the final item for our 2017 Holiday Freebies!  Have you had fun with us so far this week?

In case you’ve missed the last four days, go take a look: Slouchy Headwarmer / Emoji Pillows / Clothing Size Tags / Camera Strap

On the last day of our freebies, we are sharing how to make this super cute, quick, and easy Button Cowl.  We’ve even got two ways for you to wear it.  Are you ready?  Let’s get to it!

 

Materials needed:

  • 2 – 26″ wide x 6″ long pieces of fabric (can be flannel, fleece, sweatshirt fabric, etc. Really anything will work, but obviously the cozier the better.)
  • 2 buttons / snaps
  • Coordinating thread

With fabrics right sides together, stitch around entire outside using 1/2″ seam allowance. Leave 3″ opening for turning.

Trim away bulk, making sure not to snip through seams.

Turn right-sides-out, through the opening.

Tuck in your seam allowance, press.

Top stitch along entire outer edge, making sure to catch your opening in there.

There are two ways you can add buttons/snaps to the cowl to create different ways to wear them.  I created an easy diagram to help you with placement for your buttons and button holes, depending on the style you’re wanting for your cowl.

Here’s a quick peek at what some of our testers made for themselves with this pattern:

As always, we would love if you shared your creations with us!  Head over to the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group and show us what you made!  Happy Holidays, friends!

2017 Holiday Freebies: DIY Camera Strap

What?  We are on day four of the 2017 Holiday Freebies already?  I hope you’re having as much fun as I am!  If you need to back and review the past three days, I can wait!

Here are some links: Slouchy Headwarmer / Emoji Pillows / Clothing Size Tags

Now that we’ve covered that, let’s get to today’s free pattern!  Sewing and photography seem to go hand-in-hand more often, because we want to share what we’ve made with our sewing community!  Why not sew yourself a sweet little strap to wear while you’re using that camera of yours?  It’s super easy to do and way more fun than using what came with your camera originally.  Let’s get to it!

Prep your pieces, you will need:

  • Pattern Piece for Vinyl Ends
  • 36″ L x 12″ W Quilting Cotton
  • 2 – 12″ cuts of nylon webbing (1/2″ or 3/8″ both work) — I used THIS
  • 2 – 1/2″ or 3/8″ sliding adjusters — I used THESE black versions as well as THESE fun colored ones!
  • 36 L x 3″ W Fusible Fleece Interfacing
  • Small scraps of Vinyl/Pleather

**If you can’t find the nylon webbing / sliding adjusters in your local fabric store, a quick trick is to buy a small dog collar from the dollar store.  They tend to have the right width strap, and usually include the adjuster on it as well.

Important: The ends of nylon wedding need to be heat sealed to prevent fraying.  Make sure to do this before sewing it to your strap pieces!

**If your fabric is directional, you will want to cut two pieces for your strap and then stitch them together. Cut two 18.5″ x 12″ pieces from your quilting cotton.

For directional fabric, place your pieces right sides together, and sew along the short edge, using 1/2″ seam allowance.

Press open your seam.

For all straps: Fold your main fabric wrong sides together, meeting the long edges to one another. Press.

Open up your piece and fold one of the raw edges toward the middle crease you just made.

Repeat with the second raw edge. Press.

If you open your piece, you’ll now have 3 creases, spread evenly across four total sections.

On one of the middle sections, following the directions provided by the manufacturer, iron your fusible fleece to your strap piece.

We will be refolding the strap in the same method as before. Take one of the raw edges and fold it toward the middle crease.

Repeat with other raw edge.

Fold along middle crease, meeting both folded edges. All of your raw edges will be fully enclosed now.

Press, press, press.

I like to clip/pin my outer edges together, to make sure they’ll align properly when I go to stitch them. Straight stitch along the entire edge you just pinned, getting as close to the edge as you can.

This part is up to you, and how fancy you want to get with your quilting. I like to run an edge stitch along the other long edge. And then three even lines across the rest of the strap. You can stitch as much or as little as you’d like!

Take your nylon strap and overlap it 1.5″ from the edge of your strap, aligning it directly in the center of the strap.

Pin and repeat for the opposite end.

Using a wide zig zag stitch, secure your nylon strap to the end.

For the vinyl pieces, I recommend to only cut one actual piece — and to have an oversized rectangle for the other. It’s easier than trying to get them to line up perfectly. Especially since vinyl can be fussy to topstitch.

I like to run a line of fabric glue at the top of the vinyl backside. It helps keep it in place when sewing.

Two inches up from the bottom of your strap piece, lay out one of the vinyl pieces. The vinyl should be slightly wider than your strap.

Flip over your strap.

Throw another line of glue on the edge of your vinyl square.

Place it 2″ up from the bottom of your strap.

Flip your piece back over and stitch your vinyl on. This is the path I take and it allows for a continuous stitch. You can take whatever path you want. 

I HIGHLY recommend using a teflon foot for this. Vinyl can be a huge brat. I know they carry them at JoAnn Fabrics, or you can snag one on Amazon.

Finished stitches.

Trim the vinyl to match your other pieces.

Be careful not to cut off your nylon strap. Just tuck it out of the way when you’re trimming.

Take your slider.

Slide it onto your strap.

Put the cord in from the bottom-up on your camera.

Give yourself a little slack.

Run the cord back through the bottom and secure the strap to your camera. Easy peasy!

 

I am SO EXCITED to see your new, stylin’ camera straps!  I’ve been using my me-made strap for years now (so has my hubby) and we get compliments on it all the time.  I’m betting you will too!  Please, if you do make one for yourself, share it with us in the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group!

**Also, as a quick note, there are some affiliate links scattered within this post.  I make a small commission for purchases made through those links, but I only link products that I’ve used and actually recommend myself.

2017 Holiday Freebies :: Size Tags

We are back for more fun with day three of our 2017 Holiday Freebies!  (In case you missed the last two…check out our Slouchy Headwarmer + Emoji Pillows and then come right back!)

One of the only complaints I get in my household about the handmade clothes I make for my husband and son are that there aren’t tags.  Apparently it’s not as easy for everyone as it is for us to find the back of your shirt!  We are helping to change that with these cute clothing size tags, so now the only complaint should be that they don’t have enough of your handiwork hanging in their closets!

I made the “THIS IS THE BACK” tags for my own family’s use a while back and thought I might share it with my P4P friends!  And then we couldn’t leave you with just one (kinda snarky) design, so I whipped up two more styles to go along with it.  I think a favorite with our holiday help were the “Size: Unique” set.  Now you can label your clothing properly with things like: beautiful, sassy, strong, healthy, etc.  Kinda fun, right?

You can go pick up your copy of these designs right HERE.

Don’t own a die cutting machine like a Silhouette or Cricut?  No sweat!  We have included an extra file type (PNG) that will allow you to work with the designs however you’d like.  We even had someone print on fabric using their at-home printer and sewed the labels in that way.  Pretty clever, huh?

Here are some other ideas:

— Go old school and use an iron on transfer paper and your at-home printer.
— Use Heat Transfer Vinyl and your die cutter.
— Try your hand at Freezer Paper Stenciling.  (Dana from Made Everyday has a great tutorial HERE.)

And just as a handy little tip from someone who has been using tags like these for a while now, I like to cut a bunch of tags on my Silhouette, weed them, lay them on a piece of parchment paper and then cut them out. That way, they’re ready to go when I need them. No fuss!

As always, we love to see what you make from our goodies!  Please feel free to share with us over in the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group!  And make sure to come back tomorrow to see what else we’ve cooked up this week for you!  Happy Holidays, Friends!

2017 Holiday Freebies :: Emoji Pillows

We are back for Day 2 of our 2017 Holiday Freebies!  (In case you missed yesterday’s, head here to learn how to make this awesome Slouchy Headwarmer!)

I don’t think you’ve braced yourselves enough for today’s freebie, though.  If you’ve got a kiddo (or a kid at heart!) on your holiday gift list, we just might have the perfect solution for you: EMOJI PILLOWS!

These pillows come out to be 12″ tall.
You will need:
— Emoji Pillow pattern pieces (found HERE)
— small amounts of yellow, red, black, and/or brown fabrics.
— fiberfill (aff link)

Recommended fabrics: flannel, fleece, sweatshirt fleece, kona cotton, quilting cotton, etc.

**Optional, but highly recommended for woven fabrics that can fray (affiliate links):
— If you plan on finishing your face pieces with stitching: Wonder Under Sewable or Heat n Bond Iron-On Sewable Adhesive, etc. are great because they are machine safe and won’t gunk up your needles.
— If you don’t plan on stitching the face pieces to the pillows: Heat ‘N Bond Ultra Hold Iron-On Adhesive, etc. are better since they tend to have a stronger hold.  You just don’t want to stitch through those!

Heart Eye Emoji Pillow:

  • Cut 2 Heart Eyes
  • Cut 1 Mouth
  • Cut 2 Main Pillow Pieces

Poop Emoji Pillow:

  • Cut 2 Outer Eyes
  • Cut 2 Inner Eyes
  • Cut 1 Mouth
  • Cut 2 Main Pillow Pieces

Sleepy Emoji Pillow:

  • Cut 2 Sleepy Eyes
  • Cut 1 Mouth
  • Cut 3 Z’s
  • Cut 2 Main Pillow Pieces

Sunglasses Emoji Pillow

  • Cut 1 Sunglasses
  • Cut 1 Mouth
  • Cut 2 Main Pillow Pieces

ALL MAIN PILLOW PIECES HAVE 1/4″ SEAM ALLOWANCE.
**THERE ARE NO SEAM ALLOWANCES ON THE FACE PIECES, AS THOSE ARE ALL APPLIQUED OR IRONED ON.

Iron pieces to interfacing according to instructions.  If using an iron-on method only, apply your face pieces directly to one main pillow piece.

If using the applique method, pin your face pieces into place and zig zag stitch around pieces, securing them to the pillow piece.

Lay your main pillow body right sides together.

Sew around entire outside, using 1/4″ seam allowance. Leave 3″ opening at the bottom for turning.

Without clipping through seam, trim and clip corners for easy turning.

Turn pillow right-side-out, through opening you’d left in the bottom edge.

I like to use a wooden dowel to push out edges and make sure everything is turned properly.

Grab your fiber fill.

Start filling your pillow, through the opening at the bottom.  I also like to use the wooden dowel to help move the fiber fill around.

Fill the entire pillow, but don’t overstuff.

Pin and hand stitch the opening shut, using your favorite method.

You’re all done!  I cannot wait to see your versions of the Emoji Pillows!  Don’t forget to share your finished projects in the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group!  (I have this strange feeling that my feed is going to be FULL of poop emojis soon, haha!)  Happy Holidays, friends!

2017 Holiday Freebies :: Slouchy Headwarmer

I. Am. So. Excited.

We are kicking off another year of P4P Holiday Freebies and today is the first of FIVE days of freebies.  I hope you love each and every one of them as much as I do.  We brainstormed pretty hard to find things that were unique, quick to make, and totally giftable for people on your holiday lists.  (And if you’re on your own holiday list, we don’t judge at all!)  Today’s freebie is like four-in-one!  It’s a slouchy headwarmer that can convert into a headband, hat, cowl, and messy bun hat!

Suggested fabrics: Brushed Poly, Rayon/Spandex, (some) Sweater Knits, Cotton Lycras, etc.  The fabric has to have a really good stretch and recovery factor.

Cut square: 20” wide x 20” long.
**The average woman’s head size is 21″ in circumference.  If your head measures smaller/larger than this, it’s easy to adjust accordingly.  I also recommend to add an inch or two if you’re using a thicker cotton/lycra blend or something with a high spandex percentage, as it can be extra tight and end up a little uncomfortable if it’s too tight.

Fold in half, right sides together. Stitch with 1/2” allowance.  Turn right side out.

Fold top right corner to meet bottom left corner.

Grab the outer corner (which was top left corner before we folded in the last step) and have it meet the right bottom corner.

Shown folded with the twist.

Grab the top layer of the four raw edges.

Flip it around the entire headband, so you have a pocket with right sides together.

Stitch around open edge closed, leaving a 2-3” opening for turning.

Pull your headband back through opening, turning it right-sides out.

Blind stitch opening shut.

And now comes the fun part!  This headwarmer can be worn FOUR different ways.  Four!  Amazing, right?  Especially for such a simple sew!  You can…..

…rock it as a headband/earwarmer.

…wear it like a hat.

…throw it on over a messy bun.

…or keep your neck warm, while wearing it like a cowl.

As always, we love when you share what you’ve made with us.  Head over to the Patterns for Pirates Facebook group and show off the fabulous Slouchy Headwarmer that you’ve managed to make from our freebie pattern!  Happy Holidays, friends!

RagDoll Raglan :: New Pattern Release!

We are so excited to bring you the latest pattern in the Patterns for Pirates family!  Judy has a mad love for slouchy, loose and oversized looks and drafted up the RagDoll Raglan to fit that niche in her closet.  Allow me to introduce you to the RagDoll Raglan!!

Why “RagDoll”?  We thought that it was the perfect mash-up of a classic raglan style sleeve AND a dolman “batwing”.  Rag(lan) + Dol(man) = RagDoll !

Just like the rest of our patterns, we’ve packed the RagDoll Raglan full of as many options as we could!  It is drafted for women, sizes XXS – Plus 3X, with a super relaxed, straight fit throughout the body.  The pattern features three sleeve lengths (half, 3/4, long), optional sleeve cuffs, four hem lengths (curved shirt, curved tunic, banded top, and dress) and two back options (full and cut-out).

The RagDoll was drafted with knit fabrics that have a good drape to them.  Think: your favorite rayon blends, dbp, sweater knits, etc.

**Want to learn more about how to measure yourself for this pattern?  We’ve got you covered with an in-depth blog HERE.  And in case you’re new to Patterns for Pirates and PDF patterns in general, we have a great blog full of new user tips HERE to help you get started!  And, as with all of our current releases and updates, the pdfs now include our layers feature and can be found in Letter, A4 and A0 sizes.

Let’s see some options in action, shall we?

SLEEVE LENGTHS

HEM LENGTHS

CUT-OUT + FULL BACK

Go Grab your Copy of the RagDoll Raglan Now!

Need more convincing?  Just take a look at this pattern on all of the beautiful shapes and sizes of our testers, and get a look at more examples of all the options in our albums in the P4P Facebook group! Find the album HERE.

The sale price will last through December 3 (11:59 PM US Central time zone) so grab it while you can at the introductory price!

And if that wasn’t enough options, be sure to check out our all of the amazing hacks that our team has come up with: RagDoll Raglan Easy Hacks

Wiggle Dress :: New Pattern Release!

Brace yourselves for the sexiest pattern we’ve ever put out into the world!  Allow me to introduce you to the Wiggle Dress.

The Wiggle Dress is the classic tight fit-pencil skirt dress that has been in style for ages!  It is drafted for women, sizes XXS – Plus 3X.  And features SO MANY options.  Two necklines (boatneck and off-the-shoulder), two back necklines (high back and low back), four sleeve lengths (short, 3/4, half, and long), four dress lengths (above knee, below knee, midi, and full), two top lengths (crop and shirt), and an optional zipper, as well as a kick pleat for some of the lengths.

The back has a center back seam to fit along your curves nicely. And the Wiggle Dress is drafted for a more stable knit, like ponte roma, liverpool, stretch lace, stretch velvet, etc.  BUT, you can also make it more casual with a double brushed polyester, rayon spandex, french terry, or even some thicker sweater knits!

**Want to learn more about how to measure yourself for this pattern?  We’ve got you covered with an in-depth blog HERE.  And in case you’re new to Patterns for Pirates and PDF patterns in general, we have a great blog full of new user tips HERE to help you get started!  And, as with all of our current releases and updates, the pdfs now include our layers feature and can be found in Letter, A4 and A0 sizes.

Let’s talk options!

NECKLINES

DRESS LENGTHS

TOP LENGTHS

SLEEVE LENGTHS

OPTIONAL ZIPPER + KICK PLEAT

Go Grab your Copy of the Wiggle Dress Now!

Need more convincing?  Just take a look at this pattern on all of the beautiful shapes and sizes of our testers, and get a look at more examples of all the options in our albums in the P4P Facebook group! Find the album HERE.

The sale price will last through November 1st (11:59 PM US Central time zone) so grab it while you can at the introductory price!

And if that wasn’t enough options, be sure to check out our all of the amazing hacks that our team has come up with: Wiggle Dress Easy Hacks.

Wiggle Dress – easy hacks

…..

Separates

The full-length mermaid-esque dress is gorgeous, but maybe you want to pair it with a different top or choose different fabrics?  With this simple hack, you can create a gorgeous set and wear them as separates.  For the skirt, cut along the crop cutline.  Stitch the center back seam and each side seam.  Using the cropped band measurement and instructions, attach to the top edge of the skirt.  Easy peasy!

How cute is Katy in this Ariel inspired Haloween outfit!

And seriously, how amazing is this sequin skirt!!

…..

Color-Block Bodice

Keeping with the concept of separates, but perhaps you still wanted a dress. Doing a color-block bodice gives you a chance to mix up your fabrics. Since there is already a crop cutline on the pattern pieces that hits at the natural waist, we will be using that as a guideline. Re-trace the crop cutline 1/2″ above and below it to create your seam allowance on both the front and back pattern pieces.  Cut your new top bodice and bottom skirt from both front and back.  For the back, you will have 2 back top bodices (mirror image) and 2 back bottom skirt (mirror image) pieces.  For assembly, with right sides together, stitch with a 1/2″ seam allowance the front bodice to the front skirt. Repeat for both back bodice and skirt pieces.  Continue construction as provided int he pattern. 🙂

…..

Decorative Button Back

Adding embellishments to your dress can give it some extra special details that will set it apart from the next.  Since the pattern is drafted for stable knits, you do not need a zipper or functional buttons to put it on, so these buttons are purely for decorative reasons.  I love the finishing touch it gives the back. Using the center back seam as a guideline, I hand stitched pearl buttons every 1/2″.  I used the zipper lengths as mentioned in the tutorial as a guide where to end my button placement.  For this version, I used a total of 13 buttons. ”

…..

Straps for off the shoulder

Love the off the shoulder but hate wearing strapless bras? No problem! Let’s add some cute straps to the Wiggle off the shoulder dress that will cover your bra straps. Print the off the shoulder option of the pattern and sew it up as per the pattern tutorial. Stop at the neckline finishing steps. Cut two pieces of fabric 4″x 9.5″. These will be your straps. The length of your straps may vary slightly based on the size you make.

Fold the straps lengthwise and sew them side with a 1/2″ seam allowance.

Turn the straps inside out and press them with the seam in the center.

For perfect straps placement, try the dress on with your favorite bra. Mark with a pin or a clip where the bra straps will be.

Sew the straps to the dress with the right sides together. Finish the neckline as per the pattern tutorial.

That’s all! You now have yet a new style of the new Wiggle dress!

…..

Sleeveless

The Wiggle Dress is already packed with soo many options and great for every season but I don’t know about anyone else but summer here is HOT!! I can not handle any type of sleeves at all so a sleeveless version of the Wiggle dress would be what I would want for summer and lucky for me it is a really quick and easy hack.  Let’s get started.

First, you are going to cut all your pieces except for your sleeves.  You do not need to modify the armscye at all for this hack so just cut your front and back as usual.  Sew the shoulder seams and side seams as directed in the pattern, but skip the section for adding a sleeve.   Next, you will iron and pin your armscye to the wrong side 1/2″ inch as shown below. Topstitch using your favorite stretch stitch.

 

Now just finish up the dress or top as instructed in the pattern and you’re done. Quick, right!?

…..

Full Zipper Back

As soon as I saw the Wiggle dress I knew I had to make a full zipper back! So I took it up a notch and bought a dual zipper. This style zipper opens at the top and bottom. You can add this zipper to the high back, low back or even the off the shoulder option as well as the above, bellow or midi length. Just make sure the zipper you use is long enough! As a point of reference, I used a 48″ zipper for the high back, midi length style.

Start by marking the hem on the center back seam.

Add a strip of 1/4″ Wonder Tape to the center back seam, 1.4″ away from the edge. Start at the point you marked above and stop 1/2″ away from the top.

Repeat with the other back piece.

Remove the paper backing of the Wonder tape and adhere the zipper right sides together. Sew in place with a 1/2″ seam allowance.

Zip up the zipper and place the other side of the back piece, right sides together, making sure that the bottom and top match.

Sew in place and top stitch.

Now that you have your back piece ready, sew the dress as per the tutorial. You will be enclosing the zipper in the bottom hem as shown below.

All done! Now all you have to decide is where the next date night will be! 🙂

 

I loved the idea of a full-length zipper like Alex showed us above, but when it came to finding one locally, I wasn’t able to get one the length I needed.  I did find a chunky zipper that would be perfect to use as an exposed zipper and just so happened to work out that it’s finished length was about knee length.  I opted to go with the midi length and do a split hem at the center back.  You will install your zipper the same as you would in the tutorial, except place it on the RIGHT side of the fabric with the wrong side of the zipper centered along the back seam.

…..

Lace Applique

I’ll be honest, Judy created this dress while we were pre-testing and I had to replicate it.  Adding a lace applique is super easy but adds a super sexy and classic flair.  For this particular version, the lace extends along the entire side seam, so I constructed my bodice first, added the lace to the top, then sewed my sleeves on so that the lace was enclosed in the armscye.  You can, of course, add lace wherever you’d prefer, such as the neckline or bottom hem but I love the silhouette the wide stripe gave from the front and back.   I used a fairly narrow zig-zag stitch down the center seam and along each edge of the stretch lace trim.  Be sure to keep your lace taut as you sew along the waist and hip curves.

…..

Front Leg Slit

What sexy dress doesn’t include a slit!  Show off those legs and add a front slit to your wiggle.

…..

Sweetheart/Wiggle Mash

We couldn’t end this epic hacks series without a Wiggle dress/Sweetheart mash up. I just had to make myself a black velvet and lace long dress. We all need one in our closets, right?

This mash is super easy. Simply take the front patterns of the wiggle dress and mark the sweetheart color-block lines using the Sweetheart dress top pattern piece. Don’t forget to add the seam allowance!

Sew the two front pieces (lace and velvet) as suggested in the Sweetheart pattern.

Once you do that simply follow the directions in the Wiggle Dress pattern to finish your dress. I used lace for my sleeves too. Since I didn’t have any black elastic and I certainly couldn’t use white elastic for the neckline, I used clear elastic instead. It worked like a charm!

Tadah! Just by adding a sexy sweetheart color block front, you took your Wiggle dress up a notch!

Holy Moly…. I think we covered just about every hack we could come up with to take The Wiggle Dress to the next level (if it wasn’t already on its own)!  Make a Wiggle? Hop on over to the Facebook Group, and share your makes, we’d love to see it!

Gone Batty Top :: A Halloween Freebie!

Halloween is my favorite holiday ever.  EVER.  It’s so fun and kitchy and full of creativity.  All the best things, right?

I’ve been seeing ads for these batwing shirts floating around and I NEEDED one.  And since we love to give our P4P family fun freebies, we thought this would be the perfect thing to help you create this Halloween.  It’s totally wearable as just a fun, festive top.  Or you could use it as a last minute costume idea.  Either way, I hope you love it!

Want to make this top for yourself?

Go grab yourself a copy of the Gone Batty Top (for FREE!!) and then come back and learn how to make your own.

This pattern is a “one size fits most” adult pattern.  It’s a circle top with some added details and the measurements are based upon your high hip.

**Want to learn more about how to measure yourself for this pattern?  We’ve got you covered with an in-depth blog HERE.  And in case you’re new to Patterns for Pirates and PDF patterns in general, we have a great blog full of new user tips HERE to help you get started!  And, as with all of our current releases and updates, the pdfs can be found in Letter, A4 and A0 sizes.

Recommended fabrics: Practically any knit fabric with at least a 20% stretch will do!  Cotton lycra, poly/rayon blends, dbp, ity, etc.
Note: Due to the style of the curved “bat wings”, I’ve left the edges raw and unhemmed.  You’re welcome to hem if you’d like, I simply chose not to with this top style.

Supplies needed:

Main Fabric: 1-5/8 yard
Neckband: cut piece 2″L x 19″W (pattern piece also provided)

Step 1: Cut out the bodice piece.  You will be cutting on a double fold.  First, folding selvedge edge to selvedge edge.  And then folding down lengthwise.
**If you’re wanting to skip printing all of the pages, print only page 8 and use the cut-out pieces provided.

When using the cut-out pieces, measure 25″ from the neckline cutout.

Keeping your bodice piece folded, take the “Bat Wing” cut-out and remove the shape from the bottom hem four times, beginning with the bottom corner and working your way toward the second folded edge.

Step 2: Sew your side seam.

— Take your “high hip measurement” and divide by 4.
— Open up your top, so the stretch is going width-wise but it remains folded at the top.
— Find your center line, and measure your high-hip/4 measurement.
— Using a stretch stitch: sew a 12″ line, slightly angled toward the neck opening.  Repeat for the opposite side.

Step 3: Stitch your “bat wings”.
This step is totally optional, but highly recommended.  It allows for your “wings” to stay together nicely.

Starting at your side seam, edge stitch the “bat wings” together, ending at the second to last point.  Repeat for the other side.

Step 4: Add the neckband.  (If you struggle with neckband installation, here’s a super helpful blog with videos!)

— Fold your neckband piece, right sides together, meeting the short ends together.

— Using 1/2″ seam allowance, stitch short ends.

— With wrong sides together, fold the raw edges together to meet each other.  Mark 1/4 points of raw edges.

— Mark the 1/4 points on the bodice piece.

—  Slide the neckband over the bodice, aligning the raw edges and matching the quarter-marked points.  Note: The neckband is slightly smaller than the bodice.  Stitch, using 1/2″ seam allowance.

— Flip neckband up and enjoy your new batty top!

As always, we love when you share what you’ve made with us.  Head over to the Patterns for Pirates Facebook group and show us how bat shirt crazy you’ve become with our Gone Batty Top!

 

Walk the Plank – easy hacks

Ahoy, pirates! Hope you grabbed your FREE Walk the Plank pajama pants patterns by now. If not you can get them here. Today I wanted to show you how easy it is to add patch pockets to the pattern so all those husbands, boyfriends and sons of ours will be even happier with their new PJ pants. I’ll also show you how to enclose the the elastic in the seam.

. . . . .

Front patch pockets

Start by printing the WTP pattern piece in the size needed. Now grab your Papa Bear Joggers (Mama Bear or Baby Bear) pants pattern and print only the page(s) that include the Patch Pocket. You now have two pattern pieces, the pants and the pocket. Cut the leg fabric (two mirrored images) and 4 pocket pieces (2 mirrored images for the main and 2 for the lining). The PJ pants pattern is drafted for woven fabric. I did use knit instead…you can do that too if you want!

Take your pockets and place them right side together. Sew around the edge with a 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving 2-3″ opening so we can turn the pocket.

Clip the corners and snip the curve of the pocket as close to the seam as possible (without clipping the stitch). Turn your pocket inside out a press very well. Repeat with the other pocket.

Top stitch only the pocket curve opening.

Take the pants pattern piece and place it right side up. Fold the pants so the inseam matches making sure the front is on top. Measure 4″ down from the waist edge and 1 inch away from the side fold. Place the pocket as in the picture below and pin in place.

Note: you will need to adjust these measurements if you are making the kids Walk the Plank pj pants.

Sew the pocket to the pants making sure you leave the pocket curve open. You will only be sewing around the 5 straight edges. Repeat for the other leg.

That’s it! You added patch pockets to the pajama pants. Simply continue to construct the pattern as per the tutorial and enjoy a new pair of PJs WITH POCKETS!

 

 

. . . . .

Back patch pocket

Next I want to show you how to add a back pocket to your Walk the Plank PJ pants. This hack is even easier and it does not require any additional P4P patterns. Simply cut one rectangular piece of the same fabric or a coordinating one. The size of the rectangle will vary depending on how big you would like the pocket. I cut my piece 5″ wide by 6″ tall and I am making a size 6 PJ pants.

Optionally, you can serge around the edges to prevent fraying in the wash.

Fold the top of the pocket 1″ down, press and sew in place.

Now fold the other three sides 1/2″ and give it a good press. Do not sew them just yet.

Take your pants pattern piece and with the right side out, match the inseam. Place it on the table with the back facing up. The back part of the pants is the one with the higher rise.

Place the pocket approximately 3″ down from the rise. Note that this placement will vary from size to size so I encourage you to baste in place insead of sewing in place if you are not sure if you’ll like where the pocket sits.

Edge sew the pocket to the pants (or baste) making sure you do not sew the top but only the bottom and the sides of the pocket.

Continue sewing the PJ pants as per the pattern tutorial and enjoy you new pair of back pocket Walk the Plank pants. 🙂

NOTE: If you basted the pocket, try the pants on! If you like where the pocket sits, stitch it in place. IF you don’t, you can easily remove the pasting stitches and relocate the pocket before you sew it in place.

. . . . .

Enclosed elastic waistband

Next up I would like to show you how to enclose the elastic in the waist so you do not have any visible serged edges. Sew your PJ pants as indicated in the tutorial. Press the top of the pants 1/4″ down in order to create a memory hem.

NOTE: this method will yield a rise that will be 1/4″ lower than the original pattern.

Sew the elastic in a loop (as per the pattern) and mark the quarters with pins or clips. Find the quarters of the waist opening and match the elastic quarter points to them, placing the top of the elastic 1/4″ of an inch down from the top of the pants. Use the memory crease mark as a guide.

Sew the elastic with a a zig zag stitch.

Fold the top top of pants down. This may be a tricky process since you will have to stretch the elastic as you go. Take it slowly and press!

Fold the elastic down and pin in place. You will again need to stretch the elastic so you might find it easier to skip pinning and just use your hand to hold it in place when you sew.

Sew as close to the edge as you can, stretching the elastic  to make sure the fabric lays flat when you stitch it.

There you have it…. an enclosed elastic for your new PJ pants!

Hope you found these easy hacks helpful. Don’t forget to show your creations in the P4P group! We love to see what you make for you and your loved one.

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