Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

Sweater Weather – easy hacks

 

From brrrrrr to ummmm! This cold days, stay nice and warm with the newest P4P pattern, the Sweater Weather! Our blog contributors team has put together some quick and easy hacks to give you even more options to the pattern. Dana is showing you how to make a wonderful Sweater Weather dress, Jody ditches the side seams for a classic banded look and I took the sweater from winter to summer. Let’s get started! 

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Dress

I live in sweater dresses in the winter months because it gets cold in the UK.  I couldn’t resist doing a little hack to the new Sweater Weather length to recreate a Pinspiration I’ve had on my to-do list for a while.

I measured the front pattern piece and then held the tape measure up to myself to decide how much length I wanted to add.  I decided to go with 6 inches extra added to the tunic length, which is a little more that I would normally add but there is a hi-low cutline, and so I wanted to make sure the front would be long enough for decency. 


I use a projector these days and it was as simple as adding 6 inches extra length to the bottom of the front and back bodice pattern pieces, which I did on the fly with my perspex quilting ruler and rotary cutter.

However I also printed out the pattern piece so you could see how it would work on paper too.  The pink paper is the added section. I then decided to mark the notch for my side slit 2 inches up from the bottom edge of the pattern, but this would be up to you.  I chase a 7 year old and a puppy around all day so I didn’t want that side split going too high, but you could go with whichever height you choose.  Then repeat for your back piece.

The only other change I made was to copy the bishop sleeve look from my inspiration pic, and I did that by just cutting the bell sleeve width to the slim cuffed sleeve length.  Projector and paper pattern piece pictures below:

Then I cheekily used my overlocker/serger to gather the bottom of the sleeve by increasing my stitch length and differential feed to their highest setting and whipping round the bottom of the sleeve piece, which gathered it in just enough to fit the cuff. Perfect!

Finally just construct the rest of the garment as per the instructions in the tutorial, and you’re done!

Happy Sewing!

Dana x

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No side split

Hey everyone! I have another super quick hack for you. As fun as that side split is that comes in the pattern, I was wanting a most basic top, so I decided to do without the side split for this! It’s as simple as adding a bit of length to the front bodice piece, and sewing the two waistband pieces together in a circle! I’ll break it down for you below.

First, you’ll need to make your front and back bodice pieces the same length. I chose to do Top length for this one, and the front bodice piece was about a little over an inch shorter than the back. Since I also use my projector and don’t print out the pattern pieces, I marked the new Top cut line digitally on my PDF file on my computer. In order to figure out how much length to add, I measured from the Split Marking on the side seam down to the Top cut line on the BACK bodice piece. For my size, that distance measured 2.65 inches.

I then measured down from the Split Marking on the side seam of the FRONT bodice piece and marked where the new Top cut line should be. (Doing this with Paper pattern pieces, you would simply lay the back bodice piece over the front piece and see how much extra to add to the bottom of the front!)

This is what the new digitally measured cut line looks like when projected.

Once I cut my bodice pieces (following the newly marked cut line for the front bodice!) You can see that my front and back bodices are the same length now!

Next, you can sew up your shoulder seams, add the sleeves, and then sew your side seams. When sewing the side seams, instead of stopping your stitches at the split marking like you would have to do if you were making the side split, you can just keep on keeping on and sew right on down to the bottom! Like so:

Lastly, you’ll need to create and attach your waistband. Take your two waistband pieces and place them right sides together. Stitch them together along the short ends.

Now fold the waistband circle wrong sides together aligning the raw edges.  You can now slip the waistband on the bottom of the sweater, aligning raw edges, and sew in place.

Now you have a comfy sweater without the extra side split!

Happy Sewing!

-Jody

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Short sleeves

Last but certainly not least I wanted to show you how easy it is to take the Sweater Weather from chilly months to hot summer days. It’s as simple as using lighter fabric and making it short sleeves. For my example, I used custom bamboo spandex (my favorite fabric base!). There are not many modifications you need to do to get the look. Simply skip cutting the sleeves and sleeve cuffs when you gather your pieces. 

Sew the shoulder seems and instructed. Press the sleeve opening 1/2″, wrong sides together as shown below. This will create a memory hem. 

Sew the shirt side seams. Using your favorite stretch stitch (I used my coverstitch) hem the sleeves 1/2″. Press again for a crisp look. 

Tadah! Easiest hack ever! Continue sewing your Sweater Weather top as per the tutorial. 

ALTERNATIVE HACK: If you prefer a longer short sleeve, you can band it instead of hemming it. Before sewing the side seams, measure the opening. Cut two bands 4″ tall by the measurement you just did. Sew each band in a loop (at the short ends) using 1/2″ seam allowance. Press length wise, wrong sides together. Sew the shirt side seams. Attach the cuffs to the sleeve opening, matching the side seam. Press and optionally top stitch the seam allowance towards the sleeve. There you have it! A cuffed short sleeve. 

How adorable is Teri? She tested the Sweater Weather top and made herself a tie die short sleeve one too.

How fun and easy were these? We can’t wait to see your take on these hacks. Share your creations in the Patterns for Pirates FB group or on any social media platforms you use! 

2020 Holiday Freebies :: Bear Hug Rug Tutorial

Happy Holidays, Pirate Friends!  We are excitedly back for another year and another round of holiday freebies to share with you!  Over the years, we’ve compiled different tutorials and patterns that we think would make *perfect* gifts for your friends and family. Curious about what we’ve already released in the way of holiday freebies? Head right here to see all of them: Holiday Freebies Roundup.

Today, we are bringing you the: Bear Hug Rug!

The Bear Hug Rug is pretty much a giant stuffed animal, with function. It can be used as a rug on the floor, while relaxing or reading a book. It can be used as a blanket with a big ole’ head for cuddling up with. Or it can be used as a giant stuffed animal, ready to be loved.

The pattern construction is super simple and the results are so fun. We hope you love it!

Supplies Needed:

  • Bear Hug Rug pattern pieces
  • Fabric Requirements: Fleece / Minky / Faux Fur, etc, 54″ wide
    • 2 Yards Main
    • 2 Yards Lining
  • Fiberfill (for head)
  • Scraps of fabric for facial features
  • Buttons / Embroidery Thread for Eyes

TUTORIAL

Place 2 ear pieces, right sides together.

Using 1/2″ seam allowance, sew around entire round edge.

Turn right side out and place pin/clip at the middle, bottom edge. Repeat for second ear.

**Tip from our testers: if your ears are on the floppy side, you might want to add a little polyfil to them to help them stand up.

On head piece, use the pattern piece to place pin/clip for ear markings.

With right sides together, match ear pieces to markings on the main head piece. Baste ears in place.

On main snout piece, center the nose piece and attach using your favorite applique stitch.

Note: If nose fabric is woven / can fray, be sure to use an interfacing before fixing it to the snout to avoid future issues with fraying.

With main snout facing up, place lining fabric on top, right sides together.

Sew around entire outer edge, using 1/2″ seam allowance.

Clip curved edges, using pinking shears / “v” pattern to help with a smoother turned edge.

Careful not to cut through the main fabric, clip a hole through the middle of your lining fabric piece.

Turn the snout right sides out, through the hole you just cut.

Press out all of your seams.

Place the snout piece, centered on the main head piece. Edge or applique stitch snout to attach it.

Add your eyes.

**I used these large buttons and hand stitched them on. You can also choose to embroider this detail, or add fleece circles. Whatever your preference is!

Your bear’s face should be nearly complete!

With the head right side up, place the lining fabric on top, right sides together.

Using 1/2″ seam allowance, sew around the outer curved edge, leaving about 5″ open at the bottom for turning.

Turn the head right sides out, through the opening.

Being sure not to overstuff the head, fill it with fiberfill.

Using a blind stitch, close the opening on the head piece.

With the body pieces right sides together, sew around entire outer edge, leaving a 5″ opening for turning.

Clip all of your extra seam allowance for easier turning.

Turn through the opening.

Tuck your seam allowances into the opening and blind stitch closed.

Align the head between the front legs.

Hold head in place and flip both the body and head over. By hand, use a whip stitch to secure the head to the body piece.

I like to use a wider-eyed needle, with embroidery floss, for some extra hold.

You’re finished!

Check out what our fabulous testers were able to create with this very same tutorial!

I la-la-love when you share your photos with me!  Head over to the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group and show us what you’ve made!

Happy Holidays, Pirates!

2020 Holiday Freebies :: Braided Infinity Scarf Tutorial

Happy Holidays, Pirate Friends!  We are excitedly back for another year and another round of holiday freebies to share with you!  Over the years, we’ve compiled different tutorials and patterns that we think would make *perfect* gifts for your friends and family. Curious about what we’ve already released in the way of holiday freebies? Head right here to see all of them: Holiday Freebies Roundup.

Today, we are bringing you the: Braided Infinity Scarf!!

If you were looking for a quick gift to give someone, look no further. Because this “braided” infinity scarf just might do the trick! I don’t want to toot my own horn just yet, but I think you might love this even more than the Hidden Pocket Infinity Scarf from a couple of years ago. We will see, won’t we? 😉

Supplies Needed:

  • Two (2) 18″ L x 54″ or (width of fabric) W pieces of knit fabric

Lay one piece with right side facing upward, and fold in half meeting the long edges together, right sides together.

Sew along long, raw edge, using 1/2″ seam allowance.

Turn piece right side out.

Repeat with second fabric piece.

Lay one tube of fabric in half, in a “u”-shape

Lay second tube of fabric on top, in a similar “u”-shape.

Reach your hand over the top fabric loop, and through the bottom fabric loop.

Gather both ends of the top fabric with your hand.

Pull the ends through the bottom loop.

Separate the top fabric ends.

Put your hand through the bottom loop and grab the end furthest from you.

Pull end through the loop.

Put your hand through the bottom loop and now grab the end closest to you.

Pull end through the loop.

Adjust the “braids” to your liking.

Open up the ends and match the opposite sides to one another.

With right sides together, match up the two seams along the raw edges.

Pin / clip around the opening, matching right sides together.

**This step is a little tricky. You won’t be able to align the two pieces all the way around. Go as far as you can without stretching out your fabrics.

Using 1/2″ seam allowance, sew around entire raw edge. Leaving an opening for pulling/turning the fabric.

Pull the fabric through, to turn everything right sides out.

Tuck the seam allowances into the opening.

Pin and, using your favorite stitch, close the opening.

You’re finished!

In case you consider yourself a more “visual learner” here’s a video tutorial that walks you through the entire tutorial, start-to-finish.

Check out what our fabulous testers were able to create with this very same tutorial!

I la-la-love when you share your photos with me!  Head over to the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group and show us what you’ve made!

Happy Holidays, Pirates!

2020 Holiday Freebies :: Paw-Fect Stocking Tutorial

Happy Holidays, Pirate Friends!  We are excitedly back for another year and another round of holiday freebies to share with you!  Over the years, we’ve compiled different tutorials and patterns that we think would make *perfect* gifts for your friends and family. Curious about what we’ve already released in the way of holiday freebies? Head right here to see all of them: Holiday Freebies Roundup.

Today, we are bringing you the: Paw-fect Stocking!!

If you’re anything like me, your fur family members also get visits from Santa Claus — or maybe Santa Paws? (ba-dum-ching!) We’ve always hung stocking for our pups and filled them with toys and treats. And since we added another furry family member this year to my own household, I felt like maybe it was time to make new stockings for all three of our babies!

And I’m thinking maybe you might like this for your canine and feline family members as well!

Supplies Needed:

Prepare all of your pieces.

Cut:
— 2 each: Main, Lining + Interfacing Stocking Pieces
— 2 Large “Toes” in Accent Fabric + Interfacing
— 2 Small “Toes” in Accent Fabric + Interfacing
— 1 “Pad” in Accent Fabric + Interfacing
— 1 Cuff in Accent Fabric
— 1 Hanging Tab in Accent Fabric

Apply interfacing to the main outer stocking pieces and the paw print applique pieces.

Using the stocking piece as a guide for placement, lay out the applique pieces.

Using your favorite stitch, applique the pieces to the front stocking.

Place the back outer stocking piece on top of the front piece, right sides together.

Using 1/2″ seam allowance, sew along all edges, leaving only the top, straight edge open.

Trim down your seam allowance, and clip into the corner points of the paws, being careful not to cut your stitches.

**Repeat last three steps with stocking lining pieces.

Leave your lining piece wrong sides out, and turn your main piece right sides out. Slip the lining into the main piece.

Fold hanging tab in half, wrong sides together. Iron.

Open up hanging tab piece and fold outer long edge toward crease. Iron.

Repeat with other outer edge.

Edge stitch along double folded edge. 

Fold hanging tab in half. 

Place hanging tab inside of stocking. Align it just behind the side seam, toward the back of the stocking. Clip or pin in place. 

Fold cuff piece in half, along short edges. Right sides together. 

Fold in half again, this time meeting the shorter raw edges together. 

Sew along side edge, using 1/2″ seam allowance. 

Flip cuff right sides out. Using pins / clips, mark half points of cuff. 

Slide cuff piece inside of the stocking, aligning the half points to the side seams. 

Sew along entire raw top edge, using 1/2″ seam allowance. 

Pull cuff up and out of the stocking. 

Flip cuff down toward body of stocking. 

You’re finished! (Don’t forget to press your stocking before hanging it up!) 

In case you consider yourself a more “visual learner” here’s a video tutorial that walks you through the entire tutorial, start-to-finish.

Check out what our fabulous testers were able to create with this very same tutorial!

I la-la-love when you share your photos with me!  Head over to the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group and show us what you’ve made!

Happy Holidays, Pirates!

2020 Holiday Freebies :: Hickory Hat Tutorial

Happy Holidays, Pirate Friends!  We are excitedly back for another year and another round of holiday freebies to share with you!  Over the years, we’ve compiled different tutorials and patterns that we think would make *perfect* gifts for your friends and family. Curious about what we’ve already released in the way of holiday freebies? Head right here to see all of them: Holiday Freebies Roundup.

Today, we are bringing you the: Hickory Hat!

The Hickory Hat is a classic “aviator” or “lumberjack” style cap. It is available in four sizes, for head circumferences 18″ – 24″ and was drafted for non-stretch fabrics. Grab all of your favorite fun furs + fleeces, because this pattern is perfect for those!

**If using a super plush / thick fabric, you may want to size up — as those fabrics take up a bit more space and leave less room for your noggin.

Supplies Needed:

TUTORIAL

Cut all of your pieces. The assembly for the lining and outer cap will be the same for the first few steps.

With a pin or clip, mark the middle points of the curved side cap pieces, and both sides of the middle cap of your lining fabric.

With right sides together, place the side cap piece on top of the middle cap. Aligning them at the center points.

Ease the pieces together, and sew using 1/2″ seam allowance.

Using pinking shears, or cutting with a “v”, trim excess fabric along curved edge.

**Repeat with second side cap piece. And repeat all steps with outer fabric.

Place the ear flap pieces with right sides together.

Using 1/2″ seam allowance, sew along entire side and bottom edges. Leave the top, straight edge open.

Trim all excess seam allowance, making sure to pay special attention to the corner points. Clip as close to your stitches as you can, without going through them.

Turn right sides out. With a pin or clip, mark the middle point of the top, raw edge.

Place the brim flap pieces with right sides together.

Using 1/2″ seam allowance, sew along entire outer edge, leaving the top, straight edge open.

Clip excess seam allowance. Turn right sides out.

Locate the middle front and back of the cap lining piece and mark with clips / pins.

With lining fabrics right-sides-together, match the ear flap piece to the lining cap piece.

Baste in place.

Repeat with the front flap piece. With lining fabrics right sides together, match front flap piece to the lining cap piece at the middle front point.

Baste in place.

Locate the outer cap piece. Place it in front of you, wrong sides facing out.

Place the lining piece (with the ear flap and front flaps basted onto it) inside of the outer cap. Tuck the flap pieces inside and align the seams against each other.

Using 1/2″ seam allowance, sew along entire circle, leaving 3″ opening for turning.

Turn right sides out. Tuck opening seam allowance in. Pin, and blind stitch the opening shut.

If desired, tack the front flap up — using buttons or a quick hand stitch.

You’re finished! Go wear your new Hickory Hat and then make 10 more. You know you want to!

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In case you consider yourself a more “visual learner” here’s a video tutorial that walks you through the entire tutorial, start-to-finish.

Check out what our fabulous testers were able to create with this very same tutorial!

I la-la-love when you share your photos with me!  Head over to the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group and show us what you’ve made!

Happy Holidays, Pirates!

2020 Holiday Freebies :: Pirate Pillowcase Tutorial

Happy Holidays, Pirate Friends!  We are excitedly back for another year and another round of holiday freebies to share with you!  Over the years, we’ve compiled different tutorials and patterns that we think would make *perfect* gifts for your friends and family. Curious about what we’ve already released in the way of holiday freebies? Head right here to see all of them: Holiday Freebies Roundup.

Today, we are bringing you the: Pirate Pillowcase!!

Pillowcases are such a fun, quick sew. And they make perfect gifts because they’re easy to customize to anybody’s liking. My mom used to be in a “Pillowcase of the Month Club” when I was in college and she would send me a new pillowcase each month. It was so fun to have something from home, and a fun surprise to see what fabrics she selected for me each time.

Pillowcase SizeCuff (L x W in inches)Body (L x W in inches)
Standard9″ x 41″23″ x 41″
Queen9″ x 41″27″ x 41″
King9″ x 41″33″ x 41″

You will need: 1 Cuff Piece and 1 Main Body piece.

With right sides together, align the top long edge of the main body and bottom long edge of the cuff piece.

Sew along long, raw edge, using 1/2″ seam allowance.

Open up the sewn pieces. Using an iron, press the seam allowance up, away from the main body.

Using your iron, create a 1/2″ memory press the top raw edge of the cuff piece.

With wrong sides together, fold in half, matching the short ends together — creating your pillowcase shape.

Using 1/4″ seam allowance, sew along side and bottom seams.

Trim seam allowance down to 1/8″. Careful not to clip through your stitches.

Turn the pillowcase inside out.

Using 1/4″ seam allowance, sew along entire bottom and side seams, enclosing all raw edges.

Keeping the pillowcase inside out, fold the cuff piece down toward the body.

Use the 1/2″ memory press you created earlier to fold the top raw edge under.

Align the folded edge along the seamline.

Using a scant 1/8″ stitch, topstitch around the entire cuff.

Turn the pillowcase right sides out. Press. And stuff it with a pillow! You’re done!

In case you consider yourself a more “visual learner” here’s a video tutorial that walks you through the entire tutorial, start-to-finish.

Check out what our fabulous testers were able to create with this very same tutorial!

I la-la-love when you share your photos with me!  Head over to the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group and show us what you’ve made!

Happy Holidays, Pirates!

Important Announcement :: Changes to Freebies!

Growing pains exist in so many ways, even in business.  Some are easy to ignore — and some you can only ignore for so long.  This is one of those “for only so long” moments.  As we continue to grow, this little corner of the web continues to throw challenges our way.

Our main goal is to make every experience a great one when you visit us here.  Every. Single. Visit.

After consulting with several website gurus, the best way to increase website capabilities is to adjust how our “Freebies” work.  Starting January 1, 2021 (01-01-21), ALL free files will automatically expire after 30 day of purchase.

So now you’re thinking: How will this affect me?

Here are a few FAQs:

  • Q: Are these patterns not free any longer?
    • A: As we like to say: Freebies will always be free.  They just won’t stay in your account forever.  You’ve got 30 days to download them, or else you need to “purchase” them again….still for free.
  • Q: What do I need to do differently?
    • A: Not much.  Just download your files and save them to your computer, external hard drive, tablet, cloud storage, etc.  If you forget to save them somewhere, it’s not a problem.  The patterns will remain in your account for 30 days before you need to “purchase” them again.
  • Q: What happened to the free pattern that I “bought”?  I can’t find it in my account.
    • A: It’s simple….it’s been over 30 days, which means your download expired.  Add it to your cart, go through the checkout process, and download it again.  Easy peasy!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us for some extra assistance: help@patternsforpirates.com

Thank you so much for being part of our P4P family!  And get ready for five full days of fun with our 2020 Holiday Freebies…starting tomorrow!

Cozy Pants and Wrap – Easy Hacks

Ready to wrap yourself in cozy goodness and cuddle up with those holiday movies and a hot cocoa? I know I am! The Cozy Wrap and Pants are just the perfect addition to your wardrobe. In this Easy Hacks post the P4P blog team is showing you how to achieve more looks using the newly released patterns. Michelle will walk you through adding a yoga waistband to the pants; Dana and Judy are taking the side split “up a notch”…or two. Rachel is bringing her Cozy Wrap up on the fancy chart by making it a dress and Alex is transforming the belt into two sewn-in ties. Let’s get started! 

 

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High pants split 

First up, a super easy hack that doesn’t even need any adjustments to the pattern pieces. Have you seen those cool high side split pants all over Pinterest? You can achieve the look with the Cozy Pants. The pattern includes two side notches, one for shorts and one for pants length. All you have to do is use the shorts side split marking for the pants option. Sew the pants just as in the tutorial. 

These style looks beautiful in lighter weight fabric and tied at the ankles. See how easy it was? 😊

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Duster wrap with high split

I have had a duster cardigan with a high side split like this pinned on my Pinspiration board for a while, now.  I knew I could make it happen with this really easy hack of the new Cozy Cardi and I love how it turned out!

I have a written blog post below, or if you prefer a video I did one of those, too.  You can find it here:

Cut your pieces out and mark your notches.  In this instance you can see the two pins at the top which mark the notches for the waist tie, and then the pin underneath them is the notch for the shirt length side slit, which we’ll be using here with the midi/duster length cardi to get the look we want. 

Then assemble your pattern as per the tutorial.  The only difference being the side seam will have a much longer hem up to the side split notch than the tutorial photos show.

Don’t forget to give those side seams a good press to open them up.  It really helps you get a good finish and helps the hem lay nicely ready for sewing.  You can see the opening for the waist tie here, just above the tip of my iron.

 

Sew up that side seam hem (don’t forget the waist tie opening) and the hack is done.

 

It really is that easy! Now it’s done I have to make a little pair of shorts to wear with it for the spring/summer.  These winter months will fly by, right? Here’s hoping.

Happy sewing!

 

Dana x

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Sewn in ties

Up next I wanted to show you how to make sure you don’t lose your Wrap belt 😉 I decided for my short sleeve option to actually sew the ties in the side seams instead of creating the belt. Start by cutting the 4 pieces for the belt. instead of making one long belt we will create two ties. Sew 2 of the 4 pieces right sides together along the long edges and one of the short ones. Turn the tie right side out through the raw edge. PRESS! Repeat the steps for the other tie. 

Use the belt hole marking on the pattern to place the ties on each side of the back of the Wrap Top as shown below. Align the raw edges. Sandwich the ties in between the right sides of the back and front pieces. Sew in place with your favorite stretch stitch. 

That’s it! Continue sewing the top as instructed in the pattern. Be cautious of the long ties when stitching, you want to make sure you don’t catch them when you sew the other steps. 

Here you go! The look of the Cozy Wrap without the risk or misplacing the belt. You can tie these in the front or the back of your shirt. 

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Wrap Dress

With a few simple pattern modifications. you can use the Cozy Wrap Top to make an adorable dress!

You will be modifying a few pattern pieces that require custom sizing, so please read through the tutorial before cutting your fabric. The modifications will be dependent upon the size that you are making so I can’t provide exact dimensions for this tutorial.

For this dress, I used the knee length pattern pieces as my starting point.

Lengthen your Front pattern pieces to be the same length as the Back. I lined up the armscyes for the Front and Back pieces to determine how much longer I should extend the Front.

From this point, you will follow assembly instructions for the Cozy Top, including belt openings, but omitting the side split. You will sew the side seams together through the bottom hem.

Once you have the front and back of your dress assembled, you will measure the full length of your bottom hem to determine how wide your Bottom Hem Band should be. You will cut a band that is 8” tall by the length of your measurement.

For reference, mine was 53 ½” by 8” tall. You will fold the band in half, with wrong sides together, and sew to the bottom of your dress without stretching, matching raw edges.

Because you’re lengthening the front of your dress, your neckband will be lengthened by the same amount, adding an additional 1” to accommodate the ½” hem on each end.

Add closures of your choice, like snaps, to the neckband and dress front where you feel most comfortable. I wanted my dress to wrap tightly so I placed my closures near the side seams, on both sides. You’ll need to try on your dress to determine where you want your closures to be.

Now you’re ready to go, with no fear of your dress slipping open!

And the best part? You can still wear your dress as a cardigan. I’m crazy about versatile clothing!

Happy making!!

Rachel

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Yoga Waistband

Anyone else can’t resist a good yoga waistband?? I’m not sure what it is about them but I just love them!  The extra support when folded up or comfort and security when folded over.  Either way, it’s a win in my book!  It’s also a super easy hack to add to your cozy pants and I’m going to show you how.  Essentially we are just doubling the height of your waistband.  If you want to wear your band up and are making the high-rise option, I recommend doing a few inches less than half. If you plan to wear it folded down- doubling is perfect for either the high or low rise waist. 

  

First, you’ll want to print and cut out your chosen waistband piece in your size.  

Now grab a few extra pieces of paper and tape them together.

Next, you’ll want to trace your waistband piece onto your new papers (make sure to leave a little extra room at the bottom).

Then you will line up the edge of the waistband with your traced waistband and tape.   Cut that out and it’ll be your new pattern piece.

Cut your fabric with this new pattern piece and attach as directed in the pattern.  You won’t add any drawstrings to this at all.  Then you are done!

Easy peasy and a fun different look.   Perfect for cozy pants or if you want them to lean towards an “athletic” style you can do that too!

Happy Sewing!

-Michelle

Wow! So many sew options to try! Which one will be your first? Be sure to post your Cozy Wrap and Pants in the Facebook group and on Instagram. We can’t wait to see them! 

Vintage Jumper – Easy Hacks

The Vintage Romper is here and we couldn’t be more excited to share with you the blog team’s take on some easy hacks. Grab your patterns and let’s get started!

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Pants/skirt

Do you love shorts like we love shorts?! Then you’re in the right place. I’m going to spend a little time today showing you how to hack the new Vintage Romper into a shorts or skirt only piece. It couldn’t be easier and I have even filmed a little tutorial showing you how to adapt the waistband pattern piece and then put the waistband together too, which you can find here:

However, if you like it old skool here is the written blog post. 

 

First you will want to cut out your skirt or pants pieces as per the regular tutorial. Then take your waistband piece and double the height of it. I used the Youth pattern to make mine and this measured 2 inches in height so I doubled it to make it 4 inches tall and then cut the length out as usual. I wasn’t going to use the strap pieces so I extended the waistband height out over the strap piece here, just to save paper.  Cut your waistband lining piece out in the same way.

 

Waistband piece cut with the height doubled

 

shorts pieces, pockets, waistband outer and lining.

You will then have your pants/shorts/skirt pieces; pockets if using; extended waistband pieces; interfacing if using.  Construct the rest of your garment as usual until you get to the section where you have to attach the waistband. You will attach the waistband as per the tutorial, the only difference being you don’t have the bib and straps to sandwich between the outer and lining of the waistband pieces. So you will attach the waistband outer right sides together with the pants/skirt.

Waistband with overhang

You will have an overhang of the waistband over the edge of the pants piece .  This is correct, it enables you to attach a fastening for the top of the waistband at the end, like a button and buttonhole or poppers. Then sew the lining right sides together with the outer, up one short edge, along the top and down the other short edge.

 Clip your corners, turn it through.

 

Topstitching after pressing

Press and topstitch around the entire waistband. 

Then finish off your garment as per the regular tutorial instructions and you’re done!

We style them with tights, Doc Martins and a crop length Hepburn. I loved it so much on the shorts I had to do it for the skirt too!  

Anyone else find that their child turns into a karate expert as soon as you turn on a camera?!

Obviously you can also just sew this up with the regular height of the original waistband too. The choice is all yours! 

 

Happy sewing! 

 

Dana x

 

 

Front zipper

Up next we wanted to show you a different style jumper that can be achieved with the new Vintage pattern. Let’s add a zipper to the front instead of the side. This a s great opportunity to show off your favorite zippers and pulls. For my example I am using zipper by the yard with a fun rainbow finish zipper pull. I also went with a Doodles French Terry instead of stretch woven. Cut your pattern as instructed in the tutorial. You will make two changes. Remove the part of the waistband beyond the notch on both ends. Repeat for the waistband lining. The other modification would be for the bib. Cut two 2 mirror images instead of 1 set mirror pieces and the lining on fold.

After sewing the darts on the back pants pieces, sew the back crotch seam and the two side seams. The pants will not be sewn at the front crotch just yet.

Prepare the bib by sewing the left side main and lining piece right sides together along the top and slanted side raw edge. Repeat for the ride side bib. You will now have two bib piece that will have raw edges on the vertical center seam and bottom.

Attach the main print waistband to the pants right sides together by matching the center to the center back and the raw edged to the front raw front seam.

Pin the straps matching the strap placement notches. Place the bib on the top edge of the waistband, right sides together matching the raw edges. Repeat on the other side with the other half of the bib. Place the lining on top, right side down, sandwiching the bib in between the main and lining waistband. Stitch in place.

Mark the place of the zipper stop on the wrong sides of the fabric. Place the front of the jumper right sides together matching the front raw edge. Baste in place from the top to the marked point and sew in place down from that point along the front crotch seam. Attach the zipper using the same technique as in the Vintage Jumper tutorial.

Finish your jumper by attaching the straps to the front and hemming. All done! I can’t wait to see your take on this hack.

….

Overall buckles

Love the Vintage Jumper, but you’re terrified of button holes? Never fear! Buckles are here!

Adding buckles as a button replacement is an easy and super cute hack… no extra sewing involved!

For the Vintage Jumper, you’ll need 1 ¼” buckles. I ordered mine from WAWAK and they came within 2 days, but you can also order from Amazon or pick them up in your local fabric store.

I’ve put together a video tutorial, but if you prefer written instructions, just scroll a bit further!

Mark your button placement on the bib with tailor’s chalk, 1” from the top and side edge of the bib.

Take your button post and push it through the backside of your bib, at your chalk mark, going through all layers of your fabric.

Protecting the front side of your button (as I’ve done here with a simple cloth bag), hammer the button post into the button.

Thread your straps through the buckles, starting with the top…

Running through the bottom…

Back through the middle…

And behind the front of the strap, back through the top loop.

Give yourself plenty of play in your straps to make fit adjustments

5.     Adjust the straps to your preference and you’re done!

I have always loved overalls! I am so glad to have this updated pair in my wardrobe. As with all Patterns for Pirates makes, you can’t stop with one. I already have the fabric ready to make another pair soon.

I hope you enjoy your new jumper!!

Rachel

….
Skip the Zip

If you’d rather skip the zip you can choose a fabric with high stretch and recovery and slip it on/off. It’s a very simple modification, just make sure your fabric is stretchy enough to slip on and off with the snug waistband at natural waist. You will want a fabric that is more stable and can “hold” that waistband shape nicely. Or you can add some 1″ elastic into the waistband to help keep the shape.

Cut out all your pieces the same, except the waistband. You will need to trim off the extra 1″ on each end since we will not have them overlapping for a button. If you’re adding elastic I cut mine just slightly shorter then my new waistband piece so it would be snug to her waist.

Instead of sewing your zip into your side seam you’ll just stitch it up. Stitch your waistband pieces into a circle. If you are adding elastic sew it into a circle as well.

You will follow the same steps as the tutorial attaching the main waistband piece, sandwiching the straps and bib between the main and lining waistband, and top-stitching band. You will just be sewing in a complete circle rather then having the ends that overlap for a button.

All done, now you can just slip it on/off with no zip!

….

Zipper Guard

If the feeling of the zipper on your skin bothers you- you can add a simple zipper guard quickly and easily. You will cut out 2 rectangles (you can curve the bottom edge if you’d like I did or leave it a rectangle) a little longer (1-2″) then your zipper and about 2″ wide.

Stitch your pieces right sides together along one long and short edge like a L (J if you curved your corner like me) shape. Trim seam allowance and flip right sides out. Press and stitch.

Place your zipper guard along the side seam with zipper with the raw edges aligned to the seam allowance of the front pant/skirt. Stitch guard to seam allowance (do not stitch through pant/skirt).

Pin in place from front. Stitch in the ditch along your zipper seam on the front pant/skirt through the zipper guard.

You can also continue to stitch in the ditch across the bottom and up just a little to help keep the guard in place when taking on/off. This is what it will look like after with the zipper guard keeping the zip from touching your skin:

….

Add some Ears

Adding a little face and ears is always a way to make my daughter super happy with something I sew her. She requested a kitty for this one after seeing one similar at a store. It was such an easy little modification. I simple free-handed the ears… but we do have some ears in the Oversized Sweater-Youth pattern and I used the faces from our free Animal Faces for our Jolly Roger Raglan. I only freehanded the ears to make sure they fit perfectly and…. well… I didn’t want to print anything 😉

Stitch the ears up and sandwich them between the main and lining bib. Ta-da… that’s it! So cute and simple!

What an amazing line up! We look forward to seeing  your own “”hacked” Vintage Jumper  creations on Facebook and Insta.

New Pattern Releases :: Vintage Jumper

Happy October, y’all!  We are beyond thrilled to be sharing with you our newest release: the Vintage Jumper!  The youth sizes range from 3m – 14 and the adult sizes are for the full, newer size chart, extending from XXS – Plus 5X!  If you haven’t sewn with us in a while, please make sure to check the size charts, as there were slight adjustments made to accommodate the new size range for adults.

The Vintage Jumper gives you an adorable retro feeling with a snug waistband right on the natural waist, slim through hip and flares out down the legs. The simple cross strap back adds to the vintage look along with the pocket styles. You can create a cute jumper with the skirt options or an overall/dungaree with the pant options! You can layer under for warm or cold weather and keep these in your wardrobe year round! Drafted for a stretch woven you can pick up so many different adorable fabrics to sew up.

Options include: mini skirt, above-knee skirt, shorts, capri and pants lengths.  There are also all the pockets you could ever need, with optional front, back and bib pocket options!

Also included in these patterns are videos, to help compliment our tutorials and help you on your way to some happy sewing!  You don’t have to fear the zipper anymore because this tutorial includes TWO videos with step by step guide on both methods on inserting the zipper.

**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!  As with all of our current releases and updates, the pdfs now include our layers feature and can be found in Letter, A4, A0 and projector sizes.  And for even more helpful fun, we have a *free* printable that you can use to help record your measurements as you take them.

Let’s take a quick look at the different lengths and features!

SHORTS LENGTH
CAPRI LENGTH
PANTS LENGTH

What are you waiting for?  Head on over and grab yourself a copy of these delightfully retro patterns!  The Vintage Jumpers are available on sale (no code needed) through 11:59pm CST, October 8, 2020.

VINTAGE JUMPER | VINTAGE JUMPER – YOUTH | VINTAGE JUMPER – BUNDLE

Maybe hoping for a little more inspiration before you make the purchase?  Head over to our Facebook group where you can see tester albums full of amazing images!  Adult Album / Youth Album

If you’re looking for even more options, we show you a few more ways you can use this pattern in our Vintage Jumper Easy Hacks post including how to skip the zip or buttonholes!

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