Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

P4P Henley Sew-Along | Placket

Dun, dun, dun!  Today is placket day!  But please don’t let this step scare you away, I promise that once it clicks you’ll be a pro at sewing them.  (On the other hand, if you have decided that you want to skip the placket on this version of your henley, the patterns already include a neckband measurement for a basic tee option.  Easy as that!)

Lucky for you, Alex has already given us an incredibly in-depth hand holding on making plackets work for you.  If you head over to her blog post, you’ll find some info on what they are, if interfacing is necessary or not, and THREE wonderful videos taking you through each step of the way.

P4P University – Plackets

Have more questions or as stuck on a step?  Or maybe you just want to share your progress so far?  Feel free to post in the Sew-Along event group!  There are always helpers in there!  And, if you are sewing along with us, be sure to tag @PatternsforPirates and #P4PHENLEYSAL on Instagram.

**The links won’t be active until the scheduled date.

January 14: Announcement.
January 15: Choosing Your Fabrics, Printing + Measuring.
January 16: Cutting Fabric.
January 17: Placket.
January 18: Sleeves.
January 19: Attaching Neckband + Hood.
January 20-21: Catch-Up Days.
January 22: Recap + Winners Announced!

P4P Henley Sew-Along | Cutting Fabric

Welcome back!  So far, we’ve learned how to pick the perfect fabrics and get the perfect fit.  Today, we are diving right in and cutting into your beautiful fabrics.  We’re also sharing two new hacks so before you cut into your pretties, check them out first!

Is this your first time using one of our patterns?  Check out our Pattern Markings 101 and Grainline blog posts for more tips about cutting out your fabric correctly.  Now, on to the hacks…..

Henley Raglan Color Block Hack

Download the Color Block Pieces for the Women’s Henley and Yo Ho Henley HERE.

Here we go!

 

Women’s Long Sleeve Tall Cuffs Hack

 

If you’ve been following in the main Facebook Group, a few weeks ago I hacked the Henley and upsized it for a more looser top! With that, I also did a longer cuff.  It received lots of love, so we thought we’d make it easy on y’all and share the new cuff measurements.  Cut your sleeve on the “Roll up” Cut line and use the measurements below for your cuffs.  Construction is the same as the other cuff/band options. 🙂

 

We hope you love these hacks as much as we do!  Check back tomorrow for more details on the Placket….. It’s really not as tricky as you think 😉

 

**The links won’t be active until the scheduled date.

January 14: Announcement.
January 15: Choosing Your Fabrics, Printing + Measuring.
January 16: Cutting Fabric.
January 17: Placket.
January 18: Sleeves.
January 19: Attaching Neckband + Hood.
January 20-21: Catch-Up Days.
January 22: Recap + Winners Announced!

P4P Henley Sew-Along | Choosing Fabrics, Printing + Measuring

Today is all about prepping your pattern and fabric and making sure you get the best fit before you even cut a single fiber!

LET’S TALK FABRIC

The best part of the henley patterns is that they work with a huge array of fabrics.  French Terry, sweater knit, thermal, interlock, rayon spandex, and single/double brushed poly-spandex are just to name a few.  Check out our Knit 101 Blog post if you need more help with the fabric types.

Here are a few examples from our testers!  And be on the lookout for the raglan shoulder color block hack later this week.  😉

 

MEASURE YOURSELF

The Henley Patterns are all focusing on three measurement points: Chest, Waist and Hips.  Judy created an entire post dedicated to measurements and how to properly measure yourself.  You can see the full post HERE.

Chest/Full Bust — Full bust is around the fullest/biggest part of your bust.  You want the tape as even horizontally as possible.  For men/children, the fullest part of their chest is where the measurement needs to be taken.

IMG_7952

Hip – This is a deceiving name.  It is measured around your fullest/biggest part, which is usually your booty.  Try to keep your tape as even horizontally as possible (a mirror really helps on this one!)

IMG_7966

Waist– This is your natural waistline.  Contrary to most belief, it is NOT your belly button or where you wear your pants (even though you might like high waisted pants).  It is taken at the smallest part of your mid section.  if you don’t have a very defined natural waist there is a very easy way to find it.

Take any kind of stretch trim, fold over elastic, thin elastic, even a strip of knit will work, and tie it snuggly around your mid section.  Now MOVE around, bend walk around, sit down, it will naturally settle on  your smallest part.  This is your natural waist.

IMG_7969 IMG_8011

What if you’re taller or shorter than the pattern is drafted for?

Wouldn’t you know that we have an entire blog post dedicated to helping you with that as well?  The “rule of thumb” is to add/subtract 1/2″ for every inch that you are different than the pattern is drafted for.  For example, at 5’10” there is a 5″ difference so I would need to add 2.5″ throughout the pattern.  If I were 5’1″ then I would remove 2″ of length since there is a 4″ difference.

Head HERE to read more about it!

What if your measurements don’t fall within one size?

That is why you’re sewing for yourself, isn’t it?  To get the perfect fit?  Well then let’s get that perfect fit!

Now that you have determined your size and if you’d like to grade, how do you do it? Below are a few examples of grading for a larger waist and hip size.  Any adjustments should be made to both the FRONT and BACK pieces.  Do not be discouraged if your measurements put you within different or larger sizes than ready-to-wear store-bought clothes as pattern sizing does not translate the same.  Our bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and we are all uniquely beautiful.

PRINT YOUR PATTERN(S)

All three henley patterns are “no-trim” pages.  That is exactly what it sounds like!  The pages are set up to print and be taped/glued together without needing to get scissors out and trim the edges before assembly.  It makes this step of the process even quicker.  Need help assembling the no-trim pages?  No problem!  Judy created this fabulous video for us.  Go check it out HERE. (You have to be a member of the P4P Facebook group to be able to see the video.)

Before you hit print, BE SURE that your pages are set to print at 100%, no scaling.  We still recommend printing only the first page and measuring your 1″ x 1″ (or 4cm x 4cm) square to verify the print size is correct before printing the entire pattern.  Even if your square is off by the teeniest amount, the entire pattern will be affected and your dress will not fit.  Save yourself some ink and paper (and fabric!) and verify the settings first.

Patterns for Pirates how to print layered pdf sewing patterns using adobe (4)

Whew!  That was a lot of information to take in, wasn’t it?

Hopefully now, your pattern is printed, taped/glued together, you have properly measured for your size, cut the pattern pieces out and are ready to start cutting into your pretty fabrics tomorrow.  If you’re sewing along with us, be sure to tag @PatternsforPirates and #P4PHENLEYSAL on Instagram.  Don’t forget to join us on the P4P event page either: Henley SAL on Facebook.

**The links won’t be active until the scheduled date.

January 14: Announcement.
January 15: Choosing Your Fabrics, Printing + Measuring.
January 16: Cutting Fabric.
January 17: Placket.
January 18: Sleeves.
January 19: Attaching Neckband + Hood.
January 20-21: Catch-Up Days.
January 22: Recap + Winners Announced!

P4P Henley Sew-Along | Get Ready!

Are you ready for another sew-along with the Pirate Crew?  We are so excited to tell you that we are bringing an entire week of P4P Henley love!  We thought it was time to shine some light on these “oldie but goodie” patterns of ours, and especially love it because the patterns cover your entire family.

Welcome to Henley Sew-Along Week, friends!

The party doesn’t start officially until tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare yourself a little bit beforehand.  In celebration of the Henley Sew-Along Week, all three patterns can be discounted an additional $3, using the code “henleysal” until January 20, 2018 (11:59pm Central Time).

Yo Ho Henley | Women’s Henley | Men’s Henley | Henley Bundle

Be sure to join us in the Event Page for the Sew-Along on Facebook: HERE.
The SAL itself will be on this very blog, but we will be extending the party over to the group and event on Facebook for even more interactive fun!

If you’d like to get a leg up on the yardage of fabric you’ll be needing, here are the size charts and fabric requirements, for easy access:

And before we go…here is the schedule, so you know what to expect from us.  We will even be throwing in some new tricks and pattern hacks, so you can get even more out of these adorable patterns.  Can’t wait!!

**The links won’t be active until the scheduled date.

January 14: Announcement.
January 15: Choosing Your Fabrics, Printing + Measuring.
January 16: Cutting Fabric.
January 17: Placket.
January 18: Sleeves.
January 19: Attaching Neckband + Hood.
January 20-21: Catch-Up Days.
January 22: Recap + Winners Announced!

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

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