Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

FREE Convertible Cover Pattern + 100k Sale-A-Bration Day 2!

EEP!  Are you guys ready for the second day of our 100K Sale-A-Bration?!?!

If you missed what the party is all about, go read all about the giveaway, sale, and the pure appreciation/joy/excitement surrounding this big milestone HERE.

As we all know, the owner, designer and fearless leader behind Patterns for Pirates is Judy Hale.  P4P is such a big part of her life, and you can tell that she brings a lot of personal experiences and interests into her designs.  When we celebrated our 75K Milestone (which feels just like yesterday), our freebies were themed around the wee baby that was still growing inside of her belly.  Judy’s nesting for her third child ended with her designing and sharing the Wee Lap Tee, Petite Pegs, Teeny Beanie and Burp Cloth.

This time around, the baby boy is here and our freebies are a little more focused on the daily needs of the Momma!  It’s time to introduce you to the Convertible Cover Pattern!

The Convertible Cover is multifunctional, 4-in-1 cover that is so easy to make, and even easier to fit into your daily routine!  You can use it as a cover for infant car seats, nursing, high chairs, and shopping carts.

You must use a breathable, lightweight fabric with a high stretch.  The fabric content is vital.  Natural fabrics that breathe are needed to keep baby safe and at a safe temperature while in use (ie: rayon spandex, modal, bamboo spandex and lightweight cotton spandex.)

**We care about the safety of your child!  Always remove cover from your child’s infant car seat before placing it into a vehicle and never leave your child covered while unattended. It is important to monitor your baby to ensure they do not overheat in warm climates or during the hot summer months. Keep the cover away from any heat source.   Please use recommended breathable fabrics, and always remove cover before placing baby into vehicle. If gifting the cover please give safety guidelines to the recipient.

Let’s take a peek at all of the ways it can be used, shall we?

INFANT CAR SEAT COVER

NURSING COVER

HIGH CHAIR COVER

SHOPPING CART COVER

What are you waiting for?

Go grab your copy of the Convertible Cover now!

Also be sure to head over the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group and enter yourself into today’s daily drawing for the 100K Sale-A-Bration

Happy Sewing, Pirates!

100k Sale-A-Bration

Wow! I can’t believe I’m writing this post! I’m so honored and humbled to believe that we have so many ladies and gentlemen who want to be in our Facebook Group! <3 100,000 milestone has come and I’m blown away!

 

Myself and a lovely group of admins work hard keeping the group an on topic, friendly space to share your P4P sews, answer both P4P and general sewing questions everyday!  I absolutely LOVE seeing posts about conquering “firsts”- first P4P pattern, first time sewing a knit fabric, first time doing a neckband, first blouse with a dart, etc.  It makes heart so happy to share sewing with others who enjoy it like me and to help make it more enjoyable by sharing any sewing knowledge and experiences I have with others.  Below is a collage of all the lovely ladies that help me admin in the top row and the P4P worker bees with me on the bottom row!  I absolutely couldn’t do the things we do without this team of magnificent ladies supporting me!<3

We have such an amazing group of sewers who aren’t part of our admin team, but take it upon themselves to help out by sharing knowledge and experiences with others daily! I’m so grateful for everyone willing to answer a questions, give a suggestion, or even just compliment someone’s share that they like!

Facebook groups now have insight/statistic information for the administrators to track.  Part of that information includes a “Top Contributors” section, which tells us who in the group is commenting and posting the most each month.  To say THANK YOU to a few of you that go above and beyond helping out other P4P members, we are giving the top 5 “contributors” a $100 gift card to their favorite fabric shop! <3 It’s ladies like you that really keep the P4P Facebook group a friendly, helpful place for new sewers to go with their questions! (Ladies- email me at patternsforpirates@gmail.com with your favorite fabric shop- that carries gift card option!)

Our group has grown so much, we want to thank more than just the top five contributors… we want to thank EVERYONE! I am always overcome with emotion when we hit these big milestones. After all, I’m just someone who loves to sew and wanted to share that love with others just like me.

 

For those that are new and don’t know P4P’s story… I have a degree in elementary education and minor in art. I taught kindergarten and loved it, but when my son was born I couldn’t bear to leave him in a daycare and risked everything to start at home business with my other skill and passion- sewing.  I actually started off with an Etsy shop called “Sewn for Sailors”, specializing in clothing for little boys.  My sisters eventually convinced me to make the jump to PDF Sewing Patterns and I started over again as “Patterns for Pirates”- still focusing on little boys clothing.  As I continued, I went into women’s clothing more and more because I’m tall and can’t buy hardly anything from the store that actually fits my tall, curvy frame! During my journey, I found that there were so many women just like me, struggling to find clothing in stores that fit their bodies.  I have always really loved sewing for myself and I really love to see other women enjoying sewing clothing that fit and make them feel beautiful!!! <3  I’m truly thankful EVERY DAY for every single pattern bought that allows me to continue to do what I love and stay home with my now three babies.

 

SO… whew… wipes tears… We’re going to do a little thank you each day this week! Today we are announcing our BIG GRAND PRIZE and how everyone can enter to win! But, come back each day to find more thank you’s!  (Because each day is just as amazing as the last!)

For our 100k Sale-a-bration giveaway…

 

A full team of machines! Basically what I have in my office 🙂 Although, I do not have this ADORABLE new pink sewing machine…I WANT it! I do have the serger, cover-stitch, silhouette and heat press exactly and I love my set up! I’m so lucky to be able to have all of these and I am so excited to share it with someone else who loves to sew! Lets talk about each one just a little (and so you know, if you click on these links and purchase we will get a little $- they are affiliate links :)) :


–EverSewn Sewing Machine: model.  So, I do not own this guy… but boy do I want him!! I love pink… my office is full of pink! My mom actually bought herself one for her birthday this summer and I’ve been jealous ever since 😉 He’ll be mine one day lol! I love that it has an automatic thread snip! It is something that my machine has that I love and would dearly miss if I didn’t have it on my next machine.

 

–Brother Serger Machine: 1034 model.  I have a bit older model, but I’ve had two of these entry level sergers and have always been happy with it.  It is so great for a beginner, because you can find A LOT of helpful videos and blog posts about using it!  The price makes it one of the most popular sergers, so it’s very easy to find help with it.

 


–Brother Coverstitch Machine: model.  I have this model as well! It is also popular and easy to find tutorials and videos for help if you need.  Since I have all Brothers, I didn’t have a learning curve with this machine at all other than the quick trick of finishing the end stitch.  I love having a coverstitch machine! It’s so nice to be able to hem something without having to change your sewing machine needs, worry about tension as much, and my stitches can naturally stretch so much more with it.  I waited a long time before saving up and buying one though since it’s more of a want than a need 😉

 

–Silhouette Cameo: 3 model. I have this machine and use it quite a lot! It’s a pretty quick way to add some embellishment to your garments.  I did save and save for an embroidery machine years ago… finally purchased it and thought I would use it ALL THE TIME… but never did… I just couldn’t find the time it took to embroider even with the machine! So, I was nervous investing in a cutting machine as well thinking I might not ever touch it either.  BUT… I find it so much quicker and easier than the embroidery machine to design, cut and press something onto a garment for a little personal touch.  I love my Silhouette and the design program it comes with.  I’m not a tech savvy person and usually struggle learning new computer programs! But, I find the silhouette (I do believe I have the designer addition of the program) to be very user friendly.  You can find lots of helpful videos on their site for learning how to use it as well.

 

–PowerPress Heat Press: model. I have this model and I’ve never looked back!!! I had a hard time using my heat transfer vinyls or even pre-bought transfers because I couldn’t get enough pressure with an iron (I used to beg my husband to press them for me!).  I purchased the heat press and haven’t had trouble since! It heats up quickly, presses nice and evenly with whatever temperature and timing you set for each fabric/type of vinyl, and makes adding a little embellishment that much easier and quicker! Now, this sucker is big and heavy! I had to shop around for a piece of furniture that was deep enough to hold him up (I love vintage furniture, so usually not something you pick to hold up something big and heavy 😉 ), but I love having it! I can even grab a plain tee at the store for a super last minute need and add something in half an hour designing, cutting and pressing! Can’t beat that for a special one of a kind shirt…and not having to stay up half the night before to do it 😉

****Note**** With a prize this large, P4P will need a W9 filled out by winner prior to prizes being sent. Winner must claim prize on taxes per US law.  International winner will have to remit up to a 30% tax withholding of prize winnings and subject to US tax/treaty agreements.

Okay… so now we know what the Grand Prize is… HOW CAN YOU ENTER??

Easy right?

A few rules to highlight:

The item sewn up and shared must be a P4P pattern.

You need to sew it up as is, with only fit changes (so no hacks or mods ladies).  Nursing and maternity hacks on the P4P blog are okay as well. Adding embellishments is great, just no major changes.

Your garment and picture must be done during the contest time frame- between today 9-10-18 and the end of 9-19-18.

Share your pictures on one or all of the social media networks for more chances to win with hashtag #P4P100k — hashtag must be EXACT to come up in our search for the winner!

Let us know what P4P pattern you sewed up and what you’re most looking forward to winning!

You can share as many sews as you can for more chances to win–but ALL items/images shared must be sewn AFTER the giveaway starts 9-10-2018! Any older sews will be disqualified from winning the grand prize. Last entries accepted will be Wednesday 9-19-2018 at 11:59PM US Central Time.

Since you might need to grab a new pattern to get motivated we have a SITE WIDE SALE through the end of the giveaway! This will be the last site wide sale this year, so grab them up while you can ;)!! Sale ends Thursday 20-2018 at 11:59PM US Central Time.  The coupon code will pop up automatically at checkout, so no need to worry about jotting the code down.

The winner will be randomly chosen lottery winner! So everyone has a chance from a beginner who might be sewing their first P4P pattern to a seasoned apparel seamstress! I can’t wait to see everyone’s entries!

Don’t forget to come back and see us each day this week!

So Classic Sundress Round Up

It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve been able to say this….but IT’S RELEASE DAY!  And we’ve got some ah-dorable dresses for you today, my pirate friends.  Get ready to meet the So Classic Sundress patterns!

The Sew Classic Sundresses are just that: so classic!  Drafted for use with woven fabrics, these dresses have such a retro flair and can be paired with so many different fabric types to create the perfect look.  Both patterns feature as many options as we could pack into them.  Two bodice lengths (empire and natural waist), three bodice styles (plain, center seam, and button placket), three skirt lengths (mini, knee and maxi), two strap styles (halter and straight), bucket patch pockets, princess seams, and an elastic casing back bodice.  It is drafted for women (sizes XXS – Plus 3X), and youth (3M – 14).

**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.

Are you ready to see all of the options in action?  Me too!

Empire + Natural Waist Bodices

Plain, Center Seam + Button Placket (Princess Seam) Bodices

Regular + Halter Straps (with Elastic Casing Back Bodices)

Mini, Knee + Maxi Lengths

Optional Patch Pockets

It’s time to get So Classic with us!

SO CLASSIC DRESS – YOUTH | SO CLASSIC DRESS – WOMEN’S | SO CLASSIC DRESS – BUNDLE

Need more inspiration before you commit?  Head over to our Facebook group and take a look at the amazing dresses that our gorgeous testers created.  Youth Album / Women’s Album

But wait.  There’s more!  Take a look at our So Classic Dress Easy Hacks post to take your patterns even further!

The release sale (no code needed) will be through Friday August 10, 2018 (11:59PM US Central Time Zone).

Happy sewing, my pirate friends!

Sister, Sister!

I don’t write much about myself personally here on the blog- but I get asked a lot about my sisters 🙂

I have two sisters- Megan and Nicole.  Both of who have or still draft their own PDF Sewing Patterns just like me.  We all grew up sewing with my Mom, who was self taught through books, tv shows, online classes, etc… she is a life long learner who always wants more information! She definitely taught us you can always learn more if you’re willing.  She also taught us a lot about sewing! She made every kind of apparel including our prom dresses and wedding dresses.  Here is mine, which I adore.

She taught us everything from sewing jargon, fabric types, ease, modifying and about drafting as well. Eventually we all ended up in the same business.  Nicole had Coles Creations, in which Mom actually helped her on the drafting side for some time.  Since, she has retired a bit from the game, but still enjoys sewing of course.  Here we are this past Christmas all in me-made shirts 😉

Megan is the owner of Made for Mermaids.  We’ve done a few promos and things together over the years from pattern bundles, sew a longs, giveaways, blog tours, etc.  We often get sited as “sister sites/companies”, but in actuality we keep our companies completely separate.  We are in fact SISTERS though 🙂

You’ll notice we have some similarities in our companies and some differences too.  We both have wide size ranges and our womens are drafted to the “curvy” women’s body type… because, well… we’re both curvy 😉  I draft for P4P exclusively- although I have some help with small adjustments during testing and help with some of the freebies being drafted by Nicole Lanzarotto and Katy McKinley.

Megan drafts for her company and has two other designers that also draft their own patterns with M4M- Catherine Muzzati and Megan Thoman.  So, when questions are asked about M4M patterns vs P4P patterns the answer is often, “I don’t know!”  I do not have anything to do with M4M patterns from drafting, testing, releasing, etc other than seeing the sneak peeks like you usually! Sometimes Megan and I will talk more in detail about certain patterns: discussing and giving opinions on amount of ease we like best, length, etc.  Sometimes we will ask each other to test a pattern or to model a pattern for each other as well.  For example, Megan is the cover of my Boundless Knit Dress and Summer Kimono, both drafted and released while I was pregnant with my daughter 🙂 We used to do this much more when we lived closer, because it is much easier to take someone else’s picture than you’re own!! I’ve also used her daughter for covers several times, because I once didn’t have a daughter to model or had a little baby who was very hard to take a picture of 😉 I still will grab her for pictures when I can… she’s so much easier to take a photo of than my toddler, lol!!  Her husband is even the cover of our Men’s Henley because she happen to get a great shot for me.

But, most the time we have never seen the majority of the others patterns until we would like to sew one up one day.  So, most the time I honestly just don’t know if one of her shirts is more or less fitted than one of mine is.  We do try to not overlap our designs much since we don’t want to compete with each other on purpose, but as our catalogs grow we will most likely have some overlap and that’s okay too.

I hope this helps clarify how we are and are not connected 🙂 If you’re curious, we also have two brothers, but neither are into sewing…although John has modeled for me before (he appears on the cover of the men’s bball shorts).  We’re one big happy family who love and support each other through everything.

75k Member Sale-a-Bration and FREE Baby Set <3

I’m so excited to announce we’ve hit 75k members in our awesome P4P Facebook Group! <3 I love seeing all the inspiration, questions answered, fitting help, and proud first time shares in there! If you’re not a member yet, come join us 🙂

To celebrate we’re having a big sale- 30% off the total site for 10 days! January 24-Feb 2 2018 (US Central Time Zone).  There is a coupon code- 75ksale – but don’t worry it will pop up for you in your checkout! So you don’t need to worry about remembering it or writing it down!

We thought we’d do even more than just a sale though and have worked hard behind the scenes to create a whole Baby Set of Free patterns for you!!! I LOVE getting invited to a baby shower and making some unique handmade items for the mama and baby! Since my patterns start at 3 months there are a few great ones I go to for baby shower gifts…BUT, I’ve always thought there were a few teeny tiny newborn size things I’d love to have a pattern for as well!

I KNEW we needed a Wee Lap Tee, the envelope style neckline makes dressing newborns easier, and OF COURSE we needed Petite Pegs 🙂 We’ve been asked so many times for baby sizes of our Free Peg Legs pattern it was a no brainer! We added the Teeny Beanie to keep those little head and ears warm and a quick and easy burp cloth too. I also couldn’t help myself to a few cute cut files to add on to the gifts as well!

So, next time you find yourself expecting to be a mama, grandma, auntie, or just invited to a baby shower you will be set with this Free Baby Set of Patterns! You can mix and match them with the other favorite P4P patterns you have that start at 3M as well! I love the Baby Bear Joggers for babies!

 

I love adding an adorable design to the Wee Lap Tee! I hope you enjoy them and make your baby’s wardrobe or baby gifts that much more special!

 

 

 

Thank you for supporting P4P Sewing PDF Patterns! <3

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

With the first day of fall come and gone it’s time for us to say goodbye to summer, and the Summer of Wovens here at P4P.  It has brought us many blogs, patterns, updates all for you woven lovers.

It brought you a few new woven releases:

Linen Loungers | Little Loungers | Loungers Bundle

Brunch Blouse | Bitty Brunch Blouse | Brunch Blouse Bundle

We took the time to update a few woven patterns that were already in our collection.  The Everyday Elegance and Sweet Bow dress had their size ranges updated, the layer features added, and also included the A0 copy shop print size as part of the PDF pattern package.


Everyday Elegance | Sweet Bow Dress

We also geared our blog tips, tricks and posts all about sewing with woven fabrics! If you missed them here are the blogs we did through the summer of wovens (click on picture to go read that blog!):

  

But we’re ending with MORE!

We have a new freebie to add to your collection.  The Walk the Plank unisex PJ Bottoms will be perfect for all that flannel and cotton you have that you have in your stash! These are the QUICKEST, easiest pj pant which will help you to whip out a whole stack for any season and have it checked off the to-do list in no time at all!  No side seams + no waistband piece = no extra time. They are a loose fit for growing room and extra comfort. Walk the Plank PJ Bottoms are a wider leg pj pant with three lengths: shorts, knee, and pant. The unisex adult pattern comes with a few inseam lengths and a mens/higher rise and women’s lower rise option. Both adult and the youth come with short shorts, knee length and pant length options to cover you for all seasons of PJ needs. You can check out our album full of pictures and our roundup blog post with more details too!

 

We are also celebrating wrapping up a great Summer of Wovens and start to Fall by having our last SITE WIDE SALE this year! The sale will end October 4th. (Sale times are based on US Central time zone) Get 30% off your total purchase with code: HELLOFALL

We hope you loved exploring sewing with wovens this summer as much as we did.  It was a challenge to step out of the “knit only” comfort zone for some but we loved seeing what everyone was able to create along with us!

P4P University- Ease

Ease is a term using to describe how much extra fabric there is around your body after the garment is sewn up. In sewing and pattern groups you often see the question, “Does this run big/small/true to size?”  And most the time the same pattern and size will have an array of answers! Confusing right?  The truth is the pattern is designed with a certain amount of ease the designer has picked based on the size chart.

So, when the designer like me drafts a pattern they decide how much ease they want for the intended fit.  They use not only the listed body measurements, but an entire book of standard/average measurements for each part of the body to give the pattern a certain amount of ease everywhere along the body.  I try to give the most important measurements in the measurement chart and finished measurements to help you pick the perfect size for your preference of fit.  I usually have more measurements in the tutorial than on the listing pictures so that when you’re ready to pick a size for that certain garment you can see if you need to modify, grade between sizes on that particular pattern. Here is the size chart within the tutorial for the Peg Legs:

Some ease is needed for certain garments.  Woven/non-stretch fabrics require much more ease since they don’t stretch.  A body requires ease to move, bend, breathe, etc comfortably.  Designers use the recommended amount in general for guidelines and can add more if they want a looser fit.  Knit garments can, and often do have negative ease.  Negative ease means the garment finishes smaller than your body and much stretch to fit on to your body as well as when you move.

There is a very wide span of “what fits” within a single garment.  For a knit shirt using a stretchy fabric- lets pick cotton spandex with about 75% stretch) you can have up to about 50% negative ease and still move and breath, this would be what most would call “skin tight”.   You can also have a few inches of ease for a looser fit, what most would call relaxed or baggy. And within that range, everything technically “fits” because you have enough ease for movement.  The rest is up to the designer to create the design ease they have in mind.  When the question is asked, “Is it true to size?” it really can’t be answered.  It is true to the designer’s intended fit with the amount of ease they drafted into the garment.  Whether it is how much ease you prefer personally for that garment depends on if your personal preference is the same as the intended fit.  I’m always surprised to see someone post in our FB group “this is huge” or “it’s too tight”, I try very hard to show intended fit through listing pictures, use the best describing words in the listing and give a good description in the tutorial along with the measurements.  But, what one person with the exact same measurements and fabric choice finds “too snug” another might describe as “huge”.  It’s all personal preference!

Lets think about what a big range that is… I’m going to go down to 30% negative ease since this is a pretty tight standard athletic/swim amount of ease, most clothes wont be tighter unless we’re going to add in compression fit/slimming undergarments.  I will do hips at 40 (top end of the medium).  So you could easily have a well drafted pant pattern with a finished full hip measurement of anywhere from 28″ all the way to 45″ depending on the intended fit and suggested fabrics.  Most knit pants can easily range from 28″-42″ depending on the kind of knit they’re drafted for.

Woven pants don’t have quite the range, since you take away the option of having negative ease and using stretch for the movement ease needed.  But, A woven pant for a 40″ full hip can still range from about 42″ up to 46″ depending on the intended look of the design.  We very often get the question if you can sew a knit pattern with a woven non stretch fabric.  The answer is mostly no.  Most knit patterns depend on the stretch of the fabric to give some, if not all, of that movement ease you HAVE to have for your body to comfortably move, bend, breathe, get the garment on and off, etc.  If you would like to know how much wearing ease you need to get the slimmest possible woven garment there are ways to measure that.  For your full hip you can place the measuring tape around your full hip-mine is about 40″.  Keep the tape carefully in place, but loosen your grip at the front.  Very slowly sit down, or bend/squat.  You will notice that the tape will pull and need more room.  This is called your “sitting spread”.  Lovely name right 😉 , but it is how much you “spread” when you sit/squat.  You need this much ease or extra fabric around your hip in any woven garment to be able to move comfortably.  There are tighter dresses out there with less ease there, but you aren’t sitting cross legged on the floor in that tight woven pencil skirt.  You probably aren’t even sitting comfortably in it.  The hip is the easiest measurement to check your ease need.  But, the same concept can be a check for bust, arms, thighs, etc. putting the tape measurer around and moving and breathing, letting the tape slide to the biggest range you use while moving.  If you check this sitting/moving measurement against the finished measurements of the pattern you will know if you can use a non-stretch fabric and still move comfortably.

I did a quick video about measuring your needed “wearing ease” here:

A designer’s job is to choose how much ease they want for a certain intended fit and look.  Lets take one of my patterns The Pumpkin Spice Dolman.  It is a looser cut with a quite a lot of ease through the bust and about 0 ease at the full hip.  I intended it to be a loose, slouchy fit and works best with fabric that has a soft drape.  Some might find the design ease I added too much if they don’t like the loose, slouchy look.  It doesn’t mean the pattern “runs big” since that is exactly the amount of ease intended for the look I was after.  It just means you prefer a tighter fit that intended.

A slimmer cut shirt like the Slim Fit Raglan or Layer Me Up has negative ease at the best and less ease through the body.  Again, this doesn’t mean the pattern “runs small” it is meant to be smaller and tighter as designed.

Lets take another pattern, this time a fitted one, the Peg Legs.  The Pegs are a traditional tight fit legging with negative ease.  The standard ease used in athletic wear is usually 20-30%.  The Pegs are right in the middle through legs and up at the higher end at 30% at full hip and high hip.  Since they do not have elastic I preferred the tighter end of normal to help them from inching down.  We’ve seen them compared to others with less negative ease and neither are wrong, just a different preference on how fitted the designer had in mind.

Now lets talk about how you can use this knowledge to your advantage in sewing for yourself!  Once you understand ease and fabric choices you can essentially make the perfect garment fit you every time before even cutting! WHAT? I know, amazing right?  Now, this doesn’t happen overnight.  It’s something you will come to learn about your preferences over time and experimenting.  But, the more you pay attention to both your fabric choices and the design ease the faster you will get there!

Take all the clothes you love and look at them, study them! For that matter take the ones that you think are a little tight or loose too.  How much ease does it have to your body? On the bust, waist, hip?  What fabric is it made out of (this doesn’t have to be exact, but “thin and drapey or thick and stable categories work well).  Now you can apply this to your sewing choices.  You will learn if you like a looser fit with those thinner drapey knits- or a tighter fit with those.  Maybe you tend to always love thicker stable knits with you do have a more fitted garment.  Whatever you find in your “research” try to apply that to your pattern, fabric, size choices.  If you know you tend to like at least 2″ of ease at your waist you can know if you want to grade in or out at a waist on any t-shirt pattern.  Maybe you only like knit pants with some negative ease on the booty… When you open up a new knit pant pattern you can pick your size off that finished measurement chart and know for certain you’ll like the fit on the booty.  If you are just beginning it’s something you will want to make an effort to pay attention to.  Eventually it will become second nature 🙂 You’ll be able to open up a new pattern and know just how to use it to create YOUR OWN intended fit if you happen to not love the designer’s intended fit.

Woven Apparel Fabrics

Since we did the blog post about Knit Fabrics and included a printable cheat sheet for those diving into the world of garment sewing- we’ve been asked to do a Woven Apparel Fabrics one as well! As part of our Summer of Wovens I’d like to present

I worked hard on a Woven Fabric Cheat Sheet that you can download and look through when trying to pick the perfect fabric to pair with your woven patterns.

I also did a show and tell with the woven apparel fabrics I had in my stash in our Facebook Group. But you can watch it here as well:

I hope this helps you pick the perfect fabric for the P4P patterns drafted for woven fabrics!

Brunch Blouse:: New Pattern Release!

The Summer of Wovens has brought some pants with the Linen Loungers, an updated Everyday Elegance Top and Sweet Bow Dress… and now we give you the perfect top for your apparel wovens, the Brunch Blouse!

We also did it in youth for those with littles.

And, as always we gave you a deal if you wanted both in a bundle listing!

They are both fitted through chest/bust and looser through waist and hip.  They are the perfect casual event top and dress! Use up those gorgeous wovens in your stash or you see at the store and have the perfect thing for that next baby shower, birthday party, brunch with the girls…it even works great for your work or church rotations.

**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.

Lets go over ALL the options!

They include a dolman style short sleeve, cap sleeve and tank.

Shirt length:

Tunic/Curved Hem:

And Dress Length:

 

They both include a henley option:

Chest Pockets:

Short Sleeve Cuffs and Button Tabs:

 

Waist Ties:

The neckline and  tank are finished with single fold bias binding to the inside:

 

Both have a center back seam:

Youth has a button and loop closure on the back while women’s is a simple pull on with no closure.

Don’t forget you can check out this pattern on all shapes and sizes and get a look at more examples of all the options in our albums in the P4P Facebook group! Here is the women’s Brunch Blouse Album and the youth Bitty Brunch Blouse Album.

The sale price will last through Sunday September 17th (midnight US Central time zone) so grab it while you can get that awesome price!

And if that wasn’t enough options, be sure to check out our Brunch Blouse Hacks HERE.

Harvey Relief Thank You!

I wanted to say THANK YOU each and everyone of you that purchased a pattern during my one day only flash sale where I promised to give 100% of profits to Harvey Relief charities.  Blog Post Here.

To say the least I WAS BLOWN AWAY with the response.  We raised an incredible amount to give to the southern coast of Texas, that is in such a huge need right now.

I am so proud to be able to give this donation with your help. Helping those victims of Harvey, who are still without their homes and struggling to find the necessities makes my heart sing. Now when I scroll through my Facebook feed and see my friends and family in those flood areas trying to recover from their losses, I can feel a little better knowing that the P4P community was able to help provide some relief. I can’t imagine how scary of a time this is for them, as they’re still not able to get to their homes, and they have such a long, rough road ahead of them.

 

Together we are able to help so many families in need with over $15k donated.  I split the amount between a few local relief efforts including the Houston Diaper Bank, Houston Food Bank,, the JJ Watt Houston Flood Relief Fund  , and  Texas Association of Fire Fighters (designated directly to Harvey victims).

Each charity has it’s own main focus of relief- which is why I choose to split.  The Food Bank to help get meals to those in the area.  The Diaper Bank to get diapers and other toiletries to those in need in that area- and is one of the things I’ve heard most from local disaster relief efforts that is needed so badly.  The JJ Watt Houston Flood Relief is a very specific fundraiser with goals to help with all immediate needs- clean water being a focus currently as well as future planning to help relieve the re-build and aftermath this storm will leave the areas with.  He has an incredible foundation where there are no fees incurred and is working hard to put the money into the very best action for his city.  Lastly, I gave a small amount to the Texas Association of Fire Fighter- designated specifically to Harvey Relief where some of the fire fighters who are working tirelessly as first responders have also lost everything.  Fire families sacrifice so much to be the first in action and help their community.

I waivored sharing the amount raised for a few days, but I hope if you purchased from the P4P site 8/31/2017 that you share the pride in being able to give to these great charities that will absolutely be making a difference in the victims lives both immediately and down the road when the media has moved on to other headlines.  THANK YOU! If you missed the sale and are disappointed, you can always donate to one of the local charities I choose or another you like.

-Judy

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