Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

P4P Maternity Wear :: Hack & Tips

Today I’ll be talking about P4P patterns and maternity!  We got lots of questions in the Facebook group about what kinds of patterns can be used for maternity as-is and what kind of modifications or hacks can be done in order to make patterns maternity friendly.  I’ll go over a categorization for P4P patterns and which ones can be worn both pre, during, and post maternity and how to do a simple hack to make most other knit top/dress/swim patterns accommodate a bump.

For links to all patterns, check out the women’s section of the shop.

Pattern Breakdown

No Modifications Needed

These patterns should work for most women for a majority of pregnancy, if not the whole way.  Some women may prefer more ease than others.

  • Cocoon Cardigan
  • Free Spirit Tank
  • Grandpa Cardi
  • Pumpkin Spice Dolman
  • Relaxed Raglan
  • Summer Kimono
  • Carefree Cardigan
  • Boho Babydoll
  • RagDoll Raglan
  • Boundless Knit Dress
  • Peg Legs with Maternity Add-On
  • Siren Swim Top
  • Favorite Tee (earlier pregnancy)
  • Everyday Elegance Top (earlier pregnancy)
  • Go To Jacket (earlier pregnancy)
  • Pirate Pencil Skirt (earlier pregnancy)

Here’s examples of how these some of these patterns fit with no mods on a 22 week bump!

Simple Hack Suggested

For most women, a simple hack I’ll show you below should make these patterns pregnancy-friendly.  Disclaimer: Some women have had success wearing some of these patterns without any mods during pregnancy, or towards the beginning of pregnancy.  Personal body shape, fabric choice and fit preference will play a large role in this.  I would suggest using the hack in general because they will likely fit better this way.

  • Essential Tank
  • Slim Fit Raglan
  • Sweet Tee
  • Layer Me Up Shirt
  • Favorite Tee
  • Wiggle Dress
  • Cross My Heart Cami
  • Women’s Henley
  • Boyfriend V-Neck

Not Suggested for Maternity Wear

  • Timeless Tunic
  • Brunch Blouse
  • Sweetheart Dress
  • Sunshine Dress
    • Could possibly work very early pregnancy.
  • Hello Sailor Swim Bottoms

Simple Maternity Hack

Before you cut into your fabric, you will want to double check your measurements because they will definitely be in flux during pregnancy.  To ensure the best fit, choose the size that you currently measure, not just your pre-pregnancy size.

Here’s what you will need:

  • Desired pattern to hack
  • Any required notions for pattern chosen
  • Layer Me Up Maternity Add-On
  • 1/4″ elastic

For this tutorial, I chose to show how to use the Layer Me Up Maternity Add-On with the Essential Tank.

After you’re done making the changes to your pattern, add the elastic as shown in the Layer Me Up Add-On instructions.  Then, finish sewing up your desired pattern as per those instructions.  That’s it!  Use these same guidelines to combine the add-on with any of the patterns shown on the Simple Hack Suggested list above.

As a bonus, I’ll also point out that knit pants with an elastic waist can be easily adjusted for under-belly maternity wear by slightly decreasing the rise.  (See this post for more info on adjusting the rise.)  I lowered the rise about 1.5″ on the front of the Mama Bear Joggers to make these shorts maternity-friendly.

Feel free to try this out with any knit P4P shorts or pants.  You could try it with woven pants as well, if you are more adventurous as this may require more adjusting.  Don’t forget the Peg Legs have the Maternity Add-On as well, which works perfectly!

With just a little hacking, a lot of patterns can easily be made maternity friendly.  Happy sewing!

 

P4P University :: Twin Needle Tips

Hello Pirates!  Today I’ll be walking through some tips on using a twin needle for topstitching as an alternative to a coverstitch machine.  The end goal (of either twin needles or a coverstitch) is two lines of parallel stitching on the right side of the fabric, with the ability to stretch and not break threads when pulled.  This is usually used when hemming, but these tricks will especially come in handy when topstitching binding on our new cami pattern!

 

1. Stretch Needles

The most important point is to make sure you buy stretch needles.  Schmetz is the most common brand that people tend to use, they are available on Amazon.  I prefer the wider 4.0 width the best because it works better for me; it also comes in a 2.5 width.  These are both 75/11 needle size.

 

2. Threading

When threading, it helps to thread as shown in the below picture.  This helps stop the threads from twisting when sewing.  Also, make sure your threads are not caught on anything (or each other) at the top of your machine.

 

5. Stitch Type

Use a regular straight stitch for this; no need to use a triple stretch stitch (|||) or any other stretch stitch like that.

 

4. Tension

Tunneling is what happens when there is a large bump in between your two rows of stitching.  To avoid this, I’ve found it helps to increase your top thread tension.  Your machine may vary, but I usually set my tension to 3.  If possible, you should also decrease your bobbin tension as well.

 

5. Stitch Length

Increasing stitching length usually also helps with tunneling, especially on trickier, slipperier fabrics.  Your machine may also vary on this too, but I set mine between 3.0 – 4.0, depending on fabric.  The lower number will help things stretch more though, so you may need to find a happy medium.

 

6. Go Slowly!

This is a huge one.  It’s so tempting to go full steam ahead, especially if you using a twin needle to hem.  You’re almost done with your project, but don’t ruin it with a sloppy hemming job!  Going slowly can make all the difference between a wavy hem and a perfectly flat one.  If you encounter any thicker areas of fabric, it may also be a good idea to use the hand crank on your machine, turning it slowly to ensure no mistakes as you pass over the thicker area.

 

7. Don’t Stretch as You Sew

This applies to all knit fabric projects, but especially when using a twin needle.  Don’t pull or stretch the fabric as you feed it into the needle area.  I’ve found that even creating a little extra negative tension as you guide the fabric can help to avoid any pulling as you sew.

 

8. Top vs. Bottom

When everything is done correctly, you should have two parallel lines on the top of your fabric, and a perfect zigzag on the back.  The zigzag is what allows your fabric to stretch after it’s sewn, so if you have super tight or non-existent zigzags, then you likely need to adjust (likely increase – confusing, I know) your top thread tension.  Here’s how it should look, the underside of the fabric is at the top of the picture and the right side is on the bottom.  Note the zigzags!

 

I hope these tips help you as you prepare to topstitch lots of fun binding or finish up a fancy new garment with a twin needle hem!  Let us know in our Facebook group or here in the comments if you have any questions about twin needles!

Elisabeth

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