Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

Sunflower Swim top SAL – day 1

Welcome to the Sunflower Swim Top Sew Along! 

Day One of the sew along is for purchasing the pattern and cutting the fabric. If you did not buy the patterns yet, stop by the Sew Along Facebook Group to find an exclusive coupon code. You can grab the adult Sunflower Top here. If you plan to sew for a little one,  the Youth Sunflower Swim Top  or the Bundle is what you need. If you are still undecided which style to make, our Round Up blog will give you an overview of all options included, plus a look at the Busy Bee swim bottoms. You can also use the Easy Hacks blog for added options. As a matter of fact, I will be making my SAL top inspired by Dana’s hack. 

Now that we have the patterns it’s time to select which method of using them you would like to do. Both the Youth and the Adult come in A4 and Letter format to print at home, A0 format to print at a copy shop AND a projector file. If you use the projector file you will not have to print anything!! That’s definitely my favorite way! You can see in today’s video how I use the file to cut the fabric. We also have an excellent P4P University that will give you the basics of using a projector instead of printing the pattern. I highly recommend reading it and watching the included video. 

Let’s start by taking the measurements needed for the best fit. P4P has an amazing blog that gives you tips for accurately taking your measurements. You can read all about it here. If your measurements put you in a different size for chest and waist be sure to check out our P4P University blog and grade to achieve the perfect fit. P4P’s newest patterns come with videos throughout the tutorial, just click the link in the pattern to access them. 

For my Sunflower Swim Top I am using these cute Minnie Mouse inspired  Oh So Pretty swim knits. Oh So Pretty Custom Fabric is this sew along’s sponsor as well so our lucky winner will be receiving gift card to treat themself to their custom prints (must be a member in the OSP Facebook group to qualify). They stock solid swim fabric in retail as well. 

Judy made this very in depth video about various swim fabric, notions and how to accurately take your measurements to create the perfect custom swim suit. I highly encourage you to watch it:

TIP: write on your elastic where it will go (eg neckline elastic , armscye elastic, etc)

You can see day 1 video below. Once you cut all the fabric and elastics take a picture and post it in the comments of day 1 photo. This sew along album will be in the M4M & P4P Sew Along Facebook group. 

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 1 | Cut fabric

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 2 | Shelf bra

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 3 | Straps and side seams

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 4 | Attach lining 

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 5 | Neckline and elastics

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 6 | Add ruffle/hem and finish swim top

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 7 | Winners announcement

Vintage Jumper Sew Along – day 7

Thank you all for joining me last week for the Vintage Jumper Sew Along. I loved seeing all the beautiful jumpers being created. I know you have been waiting for this post so I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. 

Our sew along winner is: Brianna Lynn! Brianna sewed not one, not two but THREE Vintage jumpers for her beautiful little one. What an outstanding job! Brianna won a $20 gift certificate to Patterns for Pirates and a $50 gift card to The Styled Magnolia Custom Fabrics.

We have a runner up winner to announce too. Congratulations, Darci Friberg! Darci will receive a $20 gift card from Made for Mermaids. 

Huge THANK YOU to our Sew Along sponsor for not only providing the prize but also the fabric I used for my own Vintage Jumper.

As I pass the baton to Colleen from M4M, I wanted to remind you about the Spring Sale and Capsule Contest going on right now on both the P4P and the M4M sites. See you back for our next sew along in May!

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 1 (cut fabric)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 2 (Back darts, front & back pockets, crotch & in seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 3 (out seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 4 (straps, front bib)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 5 (waistband)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 6 (button holes, buttons and hem)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 7 (winners announcement)

Vintage Jumper Sew Along – day 6

Good morning, pirates! We made it to the last day of our Vintage Jumper sew along. Today we put the finishing touches on the jumper by adding the 3 buttons and buttonholes as well as hemming the skirt/pants. 

I start with the side button. If your machine came with the buttonhole foot attachment, grab it now. If not, you can manually make the buttonhole by marking the location and stitching a rectangle (the size of your button) with a tight zig zag stitch (also known as satin stitch). If you’re new to sewing buttons, check out our P4P University Buttons and Buttonholes blog, where I show you various techniques. 

If you did not try on the jumper yesterday, do that now and mark where you would like the straps to be for best fit. Check out the Vintage Jumper Hacks blog where you will find a great alternative to the bib buttons. Rachel shows you (with a video too!!) how to add overall buckles instead!

Last step of the day is to hem the skirt or the pants. Ohh, and remember to give your finish garment a good press!

Check out today’s video below! Once you complete your project, add a picture of your jumper to the comments of day 6 photo of the sew along album. This is where the P4P team will look to select the winners for the sew along. I do encourage you to share your Vintage Jumper in the main group too so we can all admire it. 

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 1 (cut fabric)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 2 (Back darts, front & back pockets, crotch & in seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 3 (out seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 4 (straps, front bib)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 5 (waistband)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 6 (button holes, buttons and hem)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 7 (winners announcement)

Vintage Jumper Sew Along – day 5

Hurray! Day 5 is here! By the end of today you will have a jumper, albeit without buttons and hems but a jumper nonetheless. Today we add the waistband that will be attached to the skirt/pants and bib/straps. 

Start by interfacing the waistband main and lining with knit interfacing. If you did not add the notches when you cut the fabric, do your markings now! Don’t skip these steps, the markings will be very helpful when you sew up the waistband. Below you can see how Judy creates the youth one. Check it out!

In today’s video I show you how I add the adult waistband to my skirt jumper. My favorite part is that the band has no exposed edges! Everything is enclosed so it makes for more sensory friendly garment. When attaching the straps to the back waistband, make sure that the “pointy” side faces out. This will ensure that the straps will lay flat on the back.

After you finish today’s steps, try the jumper on. Check if you like the back pocket placement and where you will want the buttons on the straps. That’s the beauty of sewing for yourself! You get to customize it to your figure. Don’t forget to check in with your progress photo in the comments of day 5 thread in the Sew Along group on Facebook. See you back here tomorrow to finish up the Vintage Jumper!

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 1 (cut fabric)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 2 (Back darts, front & back pockets, crotch & in seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 3 (out seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 4 (straps, front bib)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 5 (waistband)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 6 (button holes, buttons and hem)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 7 (winners announcement)

Vintage Jumper Sew Along – day 4

Good morning, pirates! Today we start working on the top part of the jumper. It features a cute bib and straps that attach to the waistband and bib. 

The bib is lined and it has a fun color-blocked pocket. While the pocket is optional, I wouldn’t skip it. If you are making the youth Jumper you can add a cute embroidery, a monogram a heat transfer vinyl graphic, you name it! Another way to add a little something extra to the pocket is to do some decorative top stitching. So much opportunity for embellishments!

The pocket itself is not lined, however, I did decide to line mine because the fabric was thin enough. If you are using a heavier, thicker woven, don’t line it or use a thin fabric for the back. You can see how I did it in the video below.  

When creating the two long straps, don’t forget to as some tricot interfacing to both the main and the lining. Sew each strap lining and main, right sides together along the 3 straight edges, not the slanted one with the notch. Using your favorite turning tool, turn your straps right side out, press and top stitch. That’s it! You have completed the steps for day 4. All you have to do now is add your check in photo to the sew along album on Facebook.

See you tomorrow! 

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 1 (cut fabric)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 2 (Back darts, front & back pockets, crotch & in seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 3 (out seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 4 (straps, front bib)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 5 (waistband)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 6 (button holes, buttons and hem)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 7 (winners announcement)

Vintage Jumper Sew Along – day 3

Ahoy, pirates! Day 3 is reserved for sewing the side seams. Once side will be sewn “normally”, on the other we will add a zipper. When sewing the side with no zipper, remember to place your fabrics right sides together and stitch with your sewing machine. You can finish the raw edge after with a serger stitch, a zig zag or an overlock stitch. 

I know a lot of sewists may be “scared” of zippers but trust me, they are not as frightening as they seam. Judy is showing you in the videos below, her two favorite methods for adding the little side zipper. Think about it this way, it’s just 7 inches of zipper…how scary can that be? 😉

Day 3 video is posted below. Once you finish today’s steps, grab a picture of your “almost” finished pants or skirt and add it to the Day 3 photo comments in the Vintage Jumper Sew Along album. You can find the album in the Facebook SAL group. 

 

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 1 (cut fabric)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 2 (Back darts, front & back pockets, crotch & in seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 3 (out seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 4 (straps, front bib)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 5 (waistband)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 6 (button holes, buttons and hem)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 7 (winners announcement)

Vintage Jumper Sew Along – day 2

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Welcome to day 2 of our Vintage Jumper Sew Along! Today we sew the darts for the shorts, capris and pants. We also add the front and back pockets as well as the pants crotch and in seam. 

When sewing the darts, remember to not back backstitch. Simply pull both threads on the wrong side of the fabric and tie them in a knot. This will reduce the bulk in the dart stitches. While I am not showing the darts in my day two video (I am making the skirt) I do recommend reading our P4P University Darts 101 if you are new to sewing this step. 

Both the pants and skirt options include a front pocket style. I recommend not skipping them, they are so adorable! I went “off the script” 😉 and added even the back pockets to my skirt. The pattern only has you adding the back pockets to the shorts, capri and long pants style. Remember to just baste your back pockets in place, try the jumper on after day 5 steps and only then sew them in place. You want to make sure you love the placement! It can make or break the look of your pants. 

If you are making the skirt option, you have completed the steps for today. If you are sewing the pants style, you still need to sew the crotch and in seam. Today’s video is below. Don’t forget to snap a picture of your completed steps and add it to the day to photo comments in the Vintage Jumper Sew Along album. 

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 1 (cut fabric)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 2 (Back darts, front & back pockets, crotch & in seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 3 (out seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 4 (straps, front bib)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 5 (waistband)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 6 (button holes, buttons and hem)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 7 (winners announcement)

Vintage Jumper Sew Along – day 1

Welcome to the Vintage Jumper Sew Along! 

Day One of the sew along is for purchasing the pattern and cutting the fabric. If you did not buy the patterns yet, stop by the Sew Along Facebook Group to grab an exclusive coupon code. You can grab the adult Vintage Jumper here. If you plan to sew for a little one, be sure to snag the  Youth Vintage jumper or the Bundle. If you are still undecided which style to make, our Round Up blog will give you an overview of all options included, from skirts to pants lengths. You can also use the Easy Hacks blog for added options.

Now that we have the patterns it’s time to select which method of using them you would like to do. Both the Youth and the Adult come in A4 and Letter format to print at home, A0 format to print with a plotter or at a copy shop AND a projector file. If you use the projector file you will not have to print anything!! That’s definitely my favorite way! You can see in today’s video how I use the file to cut the fabric. 

Let’s start by taking the measurements needed for the best fit. P4P has an amazing blog that gives you tips for accurately taking your measurements. You can read all about it here. If your measurements put you in a different size for chest/waist/hips be sure to check out our P4P University blog and grade to achieve the perfect fit. Our most recent patterns include videos as well so be sure to check them out!

Still debating which knit type will work best for your desired look? Take a look over our P4P University Knit Types blog. We also included a cheat sheet that you can print. If you are like me and sometime are just keen on using a specific print for a specific pattern, read our Different fabric, different fit blog post before you cut your fabric. This pattern is drafted for stretch woven such a stretch suede, stretch velvet or stretch denim.

I have opted for a fun Half Black Stripes Tropical Ombre stretch woven from The Styled Magnolia. TSM is this sew along’s sponsor so our winner will get to try some of their goodies too. 

 

You can see day 1 video below. Once you complete you pretty pile of cut fabric, take a picture and post it in the comments of day 1 photo. This sew along album will be in the M4M & P4P Sew Along Facebook group. 

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 1 (cut fabric)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 2 (Back darts, front & back pockets, crotch & in seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 3 (out seam)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 4 (straps, front bib)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 5 (waistband)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 6 (button holes, buttons and hem)

Vintage Jumper SAL | DAY 7 (winners announcement)

 

Cozy Wrap Sew Along – day 7

The wait is over! I’m here to announce the two winners of our Cozy Wrap Sew Along so let’s get to it.

Congratulations Celeste Wright! You are our first winner! Celeste won a $20 gift certificate to Patterns For Pirates and a January Fabric For Pirates Box (fabric and swag). 

Our second winner is Debra Moyer! Congratulations! Debra won a $20 gift card to Made for Mermaids and a January Fabric for Pirates box (fabric and swag). 

Thank you so much for joining me last week! I throughly enjoyed sewing the Cozy Wrap along side you. Big thank you to Judy for providing the Fabric 4 Pirates prizes too. If you haven’t checked out the subscription, do that here! It’s so fun!

Up next, the Mermaids are taking over the SAL group. See you back here in March!

Cozy Wrap SAL day 1 | Cut fabric

Cozy Wrap SAL day 2 | Sew shoulder and side seams

Cozy Wrap SAL day 3 | Add bottom bands

Cozy Wrap SAL day 4 | Add neckband

Cozy Wrap SAL day 5 | Add sleeves

Cozy Wrap SAL day 6 | Add waist tie

Cozy Wrap SAL day 7 | Winners announcement  

 

Cozy Wrap Sew Along – day 6

We did it! We made it to the last day of the sew long. Today we create the waist tie and show off our Cozy Wraps. 

You should have 4 pieces left in your pile. You’ll be creating the “main” and “lining” of the waist tie by stitching two short ends right sides together. You only have two long pieces now that you are stitching wright sides together, along all 4 raw edges. Don’t forget to leave a 2-3 inch opening to be able to turn the tie right side out. Top stitch all around, or be lazy like me and just close the opening. 

Give your tie a good steam press to reduce any waviness. Slide the ends of the tie through the tie openings of the side seams from the inside out. You can see this process in today’s video linked below. 

What an amazing job you did this past week! I’m so proud of you all! Here is my finished tunic Cozy Wrap, I absolutely love it!  Don’t forget to post a picture of your finished project in the comments of day 6 photo of the Cozy Wrap SAL album. We will choose the winners from that thread! 

 

Cozy Wrap SAL day 1 | Cut fabric

Cozy Wrap SAL day 2 | Sew shoulder and side seams

Cozy Wrap SAL day 3 | Add bottom bands

Cozy Wrap SAL day 4 | Add neckband

Cozy Wrap SAL day 5 | Add sleeves

Cozy Wrap SAL day 6 | Add waist tie

Cozy Wrap SAL day 7 | Winners announcement  

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