Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

P4P University – Buttons and Buttonholes

Ohh the dreaded buttons and button holes!!! Well…fear them no more. Today on the blog I wanted to talk to you about buttons and how easy it can be to add buttonholes to your projects.

 

Buttons

I am sure you noticed a few styles of buttons while walking around the notions sections of you favorite fabric store. The most commonly used buttons are 2-hole ones, 4-hole buttons and shank buttons.

  • 2 hole buttons are usually used for decorative purposes or for items that will not require a heavy use of the buttons. That being said, I personally prefer the look of the 2 hole button for day to day wear so I just reinforce the stitching to make it more durable.
  • 4 hole buttons will yield a sturdier construction. You can sew them on using an ” X “ style stitch or a ” = ” style. Either one of the methods can be done using a sewing machine or hand sewing.
  • Shank buttons are buttons that once sewn will not lay flushed with the fabric. They have a shank that will allow for some space between the button and the garment. These style buttons can be used for decorative purposes but they are mainly used when adding buttons to coats or heavy jackets.

You can sew buttons by hand or using your sewing machine. All 3 types of buttons listed above can be sewn by hand while only the 2 hole and 4 hole buttons can be sewn with the machine.

Note: when using a 4 hole button it is generally preferred to add a thread shank so there is some space between the button and the fabric. That can only be achieved by hand sewing.

In the video below I am showing you how to attach two-hole buttons with your sewing machine and different button feet available.

 

Buttonholes

Now that we have added buttons, we need to add button holes. Here are some must-does when adding buttonholes.

Always interface!

The key to successful buttonholes is interfacing the fabric. Whether you are using knit, light weight of medium weight woven always interface the areas you plan on adding buttonholes. Light to medium weight interfacing would work best.

Chose the right buttonhole style for your fabric! 

You might have noticed that your machine has quite a few options for button holes.

The one I use most is the squared one (as you can see in the video below) because I sew mainly medium weight fabrics. This buttonhole is also used for home decor sewing. If you use light weight fabrics, silks or chiffons, use the “oval” buttonhole, the one that has a round top and bottom.

If you are sewing coats or heavy weight jackets you will want to use a keyhole buttonhole because it will make pulling a thicker button through it much easier. When sewing knit outfits, if you need to preserve the stretch of the fabric around the buttonhole then the “knit buttonhole” is the one to use. It features a wider zig zag or a criss-cross stitch.

All you have to do now is make a slit in the fabric to allow for the button to pull through the hole. I like to use my seam ripper for that (make sure it’s not dull!!) and mark the top and bottom ends of the hole with pins as shown below.

This will help prevent any unwanted snips of the thread.

In the next video you can see the buttonhole foot in action.

Now that we have all that covered and hopefully you feel more confident sewing buttons and buttonholes, go sew some Henley and Lumberjack shirts and Brunch Blouses and be sure to show them off in the P4P group.

P4P nursing hacks

Ahoy, pirates! Throughout the years the P4P team has showed you lots of ways to hack our patterns and make them nursing friendly.  So today I wanted to put them all together in a round up blog. this way you have easy access to them at all times.

 

RELAXED’S RAGLAN Nursing Hack

Nicole is showing us how to modify the Relaxed Raglan (or the Ragdoll, or the Slim Fit Raglan) to make it nursing friendly. You can find the blog here.

 

HENLEY nursing hack

Next up we have a Henley modification that can certainly be applied to the Brunch Blouse as well. The blog can be found here.

 

FST/LMU MASH nursing hack

A lot of us are big fans of the FST/LMU mash so we couldn’t skip this mash in our nursing line up hack. You can find the details here.

 

LAYER ME UP nursing hack

Our Layer Me Up Shirt has a nursing hack on the blog as well. Judy is showing us here how to modify the shirt to achieve a nurse friendly look.

 

BOUNDLESS nursing hack

The Boundless Knit Dress nursing modification can be found here. The same technique can be applied to other dresses like the Sunshine or the Sweetheart dress.

 

BOHO BABYDOLL nursing hack

Our Boho Babydoll hacks includes a split side seam modification is that is great for nursing as well. You can read Erinn’s blog here.

 

CAREFREE CARDIGAN nursing hacks

Our cardigans are already nursing friendly but Judy took it up a notch with the Carefree Cardigan Button Hack. The blog can be found here.

 

 

ESSENTIAL TANK nursing hacks

Last but not least we have an Essential Tank hack that is nursing friendly too. Judy shows us here how to achieve an open back look for the ET.

 

All you have to do now bookmark this blog post so you have easy access to all our nursing hack and get sewing. 🙂

 

 

Palazzos Open Leg Hack

 

I’m so excited to bring you this fun summer hack!  These open leg pants are perfect for summertime, yoga, belly dancing, beachwear coverup, and really whatever you want them to be!   I’ll be taking you through two styles-   the overlap with a tie and the split seam with banding.  They can be mixed and match as well :).

Let’s talk about fabric,  drapey fabrics are a must for this so things like Bamboo Lycra, Rayon spandex, and Double Brushed Poly work great (although DBP is better for colder weather due to breathability).  I used Bamboo Lycra for both of my options.   I definitely recommend using a cheap muslin fabric first to make sure you get the fit you want before cutting into your nice fabric.

Now for the fun part!  Open up your Palazzo pattern and for sizing I chose to size up for a looser fit through the hips. Print your pattern and assemble as normal.

First,  you’ll need to take off some length – I took off about 3 inches.   It still left me with a lot of drape at the ankle.  It was perfect for the tie version but if you want less ankle drape you’ll need to take off more especially for the cuff version.

Next, you need to taper in your legs.  The amount you take in will also determine the look you want. If you want a thinner leg take them in even more. For the tie option, I marked in 1.5 inches on each side of the pattern piece for a size medium.   (If you are doing the cuff I’d recommend taking it in .5-1 inch more.)

Once you have your 1.5 inches marked on both pieces you’ll take a straight edge up to the shorts cut line to create a gradual grade ending there.  Now cut those off.

 

If you are doing the Cuff bottom stop here and move on to sewing.  If you are wanting the tie- you’ll need to create a tie extension on the outer leg seam.   Honestly I just kind of winged it.   The size shown here is smaller than the one in the photograph as those were a tad too long.   Here are the measurements and tie shape.  Make sure you do matching ties on both outer edge seam pieces.

 

Now cut out your fabric pieces!  For your waistband- I used the fold over yoga band and you’ll cut it at your normal size, not the upsized.

Sewing the Tie Overlap option-

The first thing you are going to do is hem the entire outside edge of the pants through the tie and along the bottom using a .25-.5 inch hem.   It’s a lot of hemming but worth it!   Do this on all four pieces.     Outside edge only- not the inner leg seam.

Next lay your front and back pattern pieces right sides together and sew up the inner leg seam as instructed in the original pattern.  Then sew the two pieces together along the crotch seam.

Now you are a going to put your pants on- I know it’s a little tricky as they are totally open but pull them up one side at a time.  You are going to take your front and back pieces at the top and overlap them to where you feel comfortable.  Mine overlapped about 4 inches.   Use some clips to clip it together and then baste the pieces together.  The red circled part is where you are overlapping.

Now cut the waistband from your regular size- (not your upsize) and sew it to your pants and you are done!   If you’d like a more modest leg you can tack your opening closed however low you’d like it.  Tie your bottoms up and you are ready for some summer fun!

 

Sewing the Cuff option-

First I’m going to have you clip your front and back inner leg seams RST together on one leg.

Now slip your pant leg on inside out- I know it’s a little weird as the side is totally open but at this point, you are going to figure out how big you want your slit to be.   Using clips- clip the top as far down as you’d like it and the bottom as far up as you’d like it.   Repeat on the other side.   It’s helpful if you have someone that can help you hold up the side.   You can also just guess if you want and clip on the floor.  Mine are about 8 inches from the top and 4 inches from the bottom. The photo below shows what you are clipping.

Then, using your sewing machine (you might want to baste first), sew your seam allowances together up to where you clipped on the bottom and top.    Feel free to try on again after basting to make sure this is the size you want your opening. Don’t forget to back and front stitch a few times to seal your seam.  Once you have your set opening you’ll press open your seam allowance and topstitch from the bottom all the way to the top as shown by the red lines below.    The second picture is what your finished outer leg will look like at the bottom and top.

Now go ahead and sew up your inner leg seams, crotch seams, and waistband.

Finally, for the cuff, you’ll take your bottom width of your pant and multiply it by .7.  Cut out two cuffs that are that length (going with the stretch of the fabric) by 4 inches tall.  If you’d like a different height feel free to use whatever.

Then you will serge on your cuff stretching as you go and leave a small 1.5-2inch opening.   Now using any elastic you’d like that will fit in the cuff, find a comfortable length around your ankle and cut two pieces.   Feed the elastic into your cuff opening using a safety pin and making sure to keep one end out.   Once you have both ends out and the elastic fed through,  overlap your elastic ends and stitch using a stretch stitch.  Push the elastic back into the cuff and finish your cuff seam.

Yay!! Now you have your finished pants!!

Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy these pants as much as I do! Don’t forget to show them off in the P4P Facebook group too!

May your sails and bobbin always be full,

Michelle

 

Set Sail Hat :: New FREEBIE Pattern Release + Extras!

I am super-duper excited to be sharing the newest addition to the P4P pattern lineup: the Set Sail Hat.

Get ready for the quickest, cutest sew ever, my friends!  Because this hat takes minimal amounts of fabric and gives you maximum results.  And it’s reversible!  So you are practically getting two hats for the sewing efforts of one.  Perfect, am I right?

Did I forget to mention the best part??!!  It’s FREE!

The Set Sail Hat is drafted for head circumferences ranging from 18″ to 25″.  It has a three-piece cap that curves beautifully to your head, and comes ready with three brim sizes: 2″, 4″, and the ever-fabulous 7″.  To keep those brims extra sturdy, we do recommend stabilizing them with a medium-to-firm weight interfacing (we love Pellon 809!) so make sure to pick some up next time you go shopping at your local fabric store.

Here’s a quick peek at the AH-MAZING hats that our testers created!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

But wait!  There’s more!  We’ve been seeing “wordy” sun hats all over the place the last couple of seasons and we wanted to help you make your own.

Packaged as SVG and PNG files, you can download these phrases (which are already curved specifically for the brim of both the 4″ and 7″ hats):

  • Vacay Vibes
  • Sup, Beaches?
  • Seas the Day
  • Resting Beach Face
  • Pirate Maiden
  • Hello Sunshine
  • Do Not Disturb
  • Champagne Please
  • Boss Babe
  • Beer Me
  • Beach Please

You can find those freebies as a quick download here: Set Sail Hat Phrases

 

 

Easy Hack: Adding Piping

It’s not part of the original pattern instructions, but we wanted to help you with a quick tutorial on the blog.  We’ve got an easy little detail addition that makes a big impact.  We are talking about PIPING…good old fashion store bought piping. Don’t get us wrong, if you feel adventurous and want to make your own, go for it! However, our personal preference is the ease of ready made piping 🙂

We’ll be adding piping to the brim of the hat. The 4″ brim takes a little less than a package of piping. If you chose to add this detail to the 7″ brim you will need two packs of piping. You will not have to make any changes to the pattern, simply cut your pieces as you normally would.

Pin or use clips to attach the piping to the outer circumference of one of the brims, lining or main. Chose what would be the back of the hat and overlap the piping there.

The key to successfully sewing piping is using your zipper foot. So, switch your regular foot to the zipper foot and sew the piping to the brim.

All you have left to to now is sew the hat as per the tutorial and enjoy your awesome new make!

Remember to use the zipper foot when topstitching the outer edge of the brim.

What are you waiting for?  Go grab your copy of the Set Sail Hat!  It’s always free and always fabulous!

Need some style inspiration?  Check out our Facebook Album full of amazing images from our testers.

Happy Sewing, Pirates!

Boundless/Boho Babydoll Mash-Up

Since the original release of the Boundless Knit Dress, we have seen many requests how to make it a racer back tank dress.  With the recent release of the Boho Babydoll (which includes a racer back option), we thought it would be the perfect mashup. So, I’m here to show you how to mash and grade the two bodices to create a racer back Boundless Dress. This will also work with the Essential Tank if you prefer the shape of the racer on that tank.

 

The Boundless and Boho have different amounts of ease. (read more about ease HERE.)  The Boundless is a fitted bodice with negative ease, while the Boho is a relaxed cut top with ease so we can’t really just take the Boho and adjust the width to the boundless, otherwise the armscye would be too wide and cut in across the shoulder since the overall size of the bodice is wider/larger.  The Boundless is shown here in the green dashed  lines and the Boho is the light purple.

  1. Print out both the boundless knit dress and Boho babydoll bodices and align at the shoulder seam.  We will be creating a new Boundless bodice.  You can choose which neckline you prefer as the only modification we are making here is to the armscye.
  2. Trace the upper portion of the armscye from the shoulder seam of the Boho Babydoll. Trace the lower portion of the armscye of the Boundless toward the side seam.
  3. Using a French curve, blend the upper and lower portion of the armscye previously traced.
  4. Continue tracing the Boundless along the side seam and neckline. Note- if using a 1/2″ seam allowance, you will want to widen the shoulder by 1/4″.  You can also trace as is and just use a 1/4″ seam allowance along the shoulder seam only.
  5. You now have a new Boundless front racer Boundless bodice.

 

We will repeat similar steps for the back

  1. Print out both the boundless knit dress and Boho babydoll bodices and align at the shoulder seam.  We will be creating a new Boundless back bodice.
  2. Trace the Boho bodice from neckline, shoulder seam and top portion of the racer back armscye. Note- if using a 1/2″ seam allowance, you will want to widen the shoulder by 1/4″.  You can also trace as is and just use a 1/4″ seam allowance along the shoulder seam only.  
  3. Slide the Boho bodice so that it is aligned with the Boundless at the armscye and trace the lower portion of the racer back armscye to the side seam of the Boundless bodice.
  4. Use a French curve if need to match and blend the racer back curve and continue tracing the Boundless bodice.  You now have a new Boundless back bodice.

Construction of the bodice/dress is the same as the Boundless.  Cut 2 main and cut 2 lining pieces and use the burrito roll method to create a fully lined racer back.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Boundless – Easy Hacks

As you’ve seen, the Boundless dress got an update and we released the highly requested, youth version. We couldn’t let this double event go by without showing you some easy hacks.

…..

Neckband

 

If you like the unlined option but prefer to not hem the neckline you can easily add a neckband like we have in most of our patterns.

Simply sew the dress as instructed and then grab a measuring tape to establish the neck opening. The opening will vary depending on the size and options you made (low front/back, high front/back or low front/high back)

The neckband will be 85% of the neck opening plus seam allowance. For example, if the neck opening is 34″ then the neckband needs to be 34″x0.85 + 1″ which is 30″. You will cut one neckband 2″ by 30″.

NL X 0.85 +1 = NB

*NL – neckline opening

*NB – neckband length

 

Sew the neckband right sides together at the short ends to create a loop. Press the neckband in half lengthwise and mark its quarters. Mark the quarters of the neck opening. Matching the neckband and opening quarter marks, pin and sew the neckband in place with 1/2″ seam allowance.

Note: adding a neckband will yield a neckline 1/2″ higher than the intended pattern look.

Before you get started take a look over our Neckbands 101 blog which also includes helpful videos.

TIP: If you would like your Boundless dress to still be reversible (front and back) place the neckband seam on the side shoulder. 

…..

Boundless/Sweetheart mash

Looking for a quick and easy way to avoid the gathers on the Boundless? Or are you looking to create the perfect twirly dress? The Boundless mashes perfectly with skirt from the Sweetheart and can help to create either of this looks! If you have little ones, you can also use these same steps to pair the Boundless Youth with the Me Hearties.

Cutting Pieces:

You will need to cut out your Boundless bodice pieces as directed and based off of the options you choose. For mine, I used the lined version with the low neckline and 3/4 sleeves. For the skirt, you will need to have the skirt from the Sweetheart printed and then choose your length. I used the mini length.

Assembly:

Assemble your Boundless bodice as directed. You will then need to mark the quarter points on both the bodice and the skirt.

With RST, match the quarter points and attach your skirt with your serger or stretch stitch. (Note: You may wish to place elastic in the waist to help give your skirt additional support.)

Hem the skirt and sleeves and you’re all finished!

~Erinn,

…..

Back ties

 

The next hack we have for you is super easy back ties. I love this hack for the lined low back option but you can certainly apply it to the high neckline cut.

Print the pattern as instructed. Cut two trips of fabric, 3″ by 18″. You will be changing this measurements if you’re sewing a youth Boundless or if you prefer your ties narrower/wider or shorter/longer.

Fold the ties right sides together length wise and sew the edge with a 1/2 seam allowance leaving one of the ends open. Turn the ties inside out and press them. Optionally, you can top stitch.

Take the back piece of the bodice and pin the open edge of one strap 2″ down from the shoulder as shown below. Repeat with the other side. Sew them in place.

That’s it! All you have to do now is sew the bodice as per the tutorial making sure you do not catch the ties.

Get creative! Using the Cross My Heart Cami straps as inspiration you can add some really fun accents to the back or the front of the Boundless dress.

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Ruffles maxi

Add a little boho spirit to the maxi with this simple hack!

You will need a little extra yardage than the required maxi.  You will cut your skirt to the “below knee length” for youth (for adult I’d suggest either knee or tea depending on how deep you’d like your bottom ruffle).

To cut your ruffle you’ll take the “maxi length” and minus the “below knee length”- add 1/2″ for seam allowance- this is your length measurement.  Width will be double the width of the skirt measurement normally for that size.

Sew up your dress exactly per the tutorial until you get to the bottom hem.  Instead of hemming, we will add the ruffle.  Gather the top of the ruffle using your favorite gathering method.  I used a rayon spandex, which tends to stretch out vertically easily- so I used the double rows of basting method to avoid adding any extra weight to the skirt bottom.

Following the popular boho look- I just overlapped the top of my ruffle to the bottom skirt hem leaving the exposed raw edge. I stitched the ruffle on top the skirt between my two basted rows with a stretch stitch.  Removed the basted stitches and gave it a press. I didn’t hem bottom edge just to match the raw edge on the ruffle (but that is just personal preference). I also added some fun trim along the gathered stitch line for some extra pizzazz 😉

My daughter just LOVES this dress! I think it might top her favorite dress I’ve ever made her so far in fact! I guess she’s a little boho baby girl, she also wants to wear this hat for every photoshoot now 😉

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Crop Top

Crop tops seems to never really go out of style and we’ve seen some requests for it lately.  The Boundless bodice already has a natural waist cutline so is a great base to create a simple crop top.  Sew up the bodice as you would in the tutorial but instead of adding the skirt, just hem the bottom edge 1/2″.  If you chose to line the bodice, you can hem the main and lining towards one another, like the lined sleeve option in the tutorial.  I chose a scalloped edge lace as my outer layer, so only hemmed my lining.

For my skirt, I used the waistband measurements from our Sweetheart SAL HERE and used the natural waist skirt option of the Boundless.  I did have to shorten the skirt a couple of inches to account for the added waistband but gathered and constructed per the pattern.  Instead of attaching to the bodice, just attach the skirt to the waistband.  Super simple right?!

We hope you all enjoy the updated Boundless Knit Dress and newly released youth Boundless as much as we do.  Be sure to share your makes in the P4P Facebook Group!

Boundless Dress :: New Pattern + Update!

We told you that we’d be going through and updating older patterns, didn’t we?  But did we tell you that we would be taking one of our favorite patterns, updating it, AND adding a girl’s version of it as well?  Because that’s exactly what we did.  And we are so excited to share them with you!

Allow me to re-introduce you to the Boundless Knit Dress and at the same time, introduce you to it’s mini: the Boundless Youth!

Before we get started: If you already own a copy of the original Boundless pattern, you will NOT need to re-purchase to get the updates.  If you bought here (PatternsforPirates.com) or on the Craftsy store, you will simply need to sign into your account and re-download the file.  If your purchase was via Etsy, email help@patternsforpirates.com (WITH PROOF OF PURCHASE) and you will get an updated file.  It’s as easy as that!

Both patterns feature as many options as we could fit into them.  We’ve got four sleeve types (sleeveless, short, 3/4 and long), multiple lengths (Mini, Knee, Tea and Maxi), two waistline options (empire and natural waist), and optional pockets.  Both the women’s and youth bodices can be made lined or unlined, and the women’s even comes with two neckline options (high and low).  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.

Let’s take a look at the different options!!

Empire + Natural Waist Bodices

Sleeved + Sleeveless Options

Multiple Hem Lengths

Women’s Neckline Options

Are you ready for Boundless amounts of sewing fabulousness?  Grab your pattern now!

BOUNDLESS DRESS – YOUTH | BOUNDLESS DRESS – WOMEN’S | BOUNDLESS KNIT DRESS BUNDLE

Need more convincing?  Just take a look at this pattern on all of the amazing 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! Women’s Album / Youth Album

And if that didn’t give you enough options, make sure to check out the hacks post to help take your patterns even further.

The release sale (no code needed) will be through Monday May 7th 2018 (11:59PM US Central Time Zone).

Happy Sewing, pirates!

Boho Babydoll :: New Pattern Releases!

We are thinking spring with a brand new set of patterns over at P4P!  Who is ready to say hello to the Boho Babydoll?!

The Boho Babydoll delivers such an effortless and trendy addition to your wardrobe, and it’s perfect for the upcoming spring and summer seasons!  Drafted for knit fabrics with a good drape in mind (think rayon spandex, ITY, tri-blend jerseys, sweater knits, and even thinner cotton lycras), it’s a great throw-on style that allows you to still look put together.

As always, we’ve packed the Boho Babydoll patterns full of as many options as we could!  It is drafted for women (sizes XXS – Plus 3X), and youth (3M – 14).  The patterns feature a gathered skirt and a bodice with an empire center-front and curved back.  The options include a tank bodice, four sleeve options (short, 3/4, 3/4 with ruffle, and long), and four lengths (high low, curved tunic, curved dress, and “slight” high low maxi).  Mix and match these options as many times as you’d want….and you know you want to!

 

BOHO BABYDOLL – YOUTH | BOHO BABYDOLL – WOMEN’S | BOHO BABYDOLL BUNDLE

**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.

And now, let’s take a quick look at the different options and features:

Gathered Skirt + Curved Bodice

Sleeveless + Sleeved Options

Top Lengths

Dress Lengths

Ready to get your Boho on?  The sale price will last through April 10, 2018 (11:59 PM US Central time zone) so grab them while you can at the introductory price!

BOHO BABYDOLL – YOUTH | BOHO BABYDOLL – WOMEN’S | BOHO BABYDOLL BUNDLE

Need more convincing?  Just take a look at this pattern on all of the amazing 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! Women’s Album / Youth Album

And if that didn’t give you enough options, make sure to check out the hacks post to help take your patterns even further.

Happy Sewing, pirates!

Boho Babydoll – Easy Hacks

 

As with all other P4P releases we couldn’t let the Boho Babydoll party start without some easy hacks that you can do for both the women and the girls tops/dresses.

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Waist Ties

The Boho Babydoll Dress and Shirt is a relaxed it at the waist so I wanted to start these hacks by showing you how easy it is to add some fun waist ties top it. Print and cut your pattern and fabric as you normally would and cut two tie pieces 2″ by 28-34″ depending on how long you want the ties to be. For reference my ties are 34″ because I like to be able to tie them around my waist too.

Mark a point on both the front and back bodice pieces that is 3/4″ up from the waist edge.

Fold the ties wrong side together, lengthwise and sew them with a 1/2″ seam allowance. You will be sewing one of the short ends too.

Using your favorite turning tool, turn the ties inside out and give them a good press.

Pin the ties on the front bodice at the marking point you did earlier. The bottom of the tie length will be at the 3/4″ mark. Repeat on the other side of the front of the bodice.

Optionally, you can baste the ties to the bodice before you sew the side seam.

Sew the bodice as instructed. That was easy!

You can wear your ties tied in the front…

….or tied in the back…

…or if you made them long enough you can wrap them around your waist.

 

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Split Sides

 

During the summers, I like to attend a lot of concert festivals. One trend that I have noticed are tank tops with flowy layers- sometimes it’s the back, other times the front, but one of my favorites is on the sides. The Boho Babydoll makes the perfect starting point to create a comfortable tank with a cute little peek-a-boo side. I can’t wait to try this out as a swim cover as well with some fun lace or mesh. You can use these simple steps below to help recreate this look.

Step 1: Cutting Pieces

Cut out your pieces as instructed, with the exception of the skirt. (You can use any of the bodice options.) The only change that I made to the skirt was to add an additional 1″ to the fold of the FRONT piece. I did not make any adjustments to the back skirt. 

Step 2: Bodice/Hemming

You will want to assemble your bodice as per the pattern instructions, up to the skirt. Once your bodice is finished, you will want to hem your two skirt pieces. I did remove a small piece from the corner of my skirts to help create a smoother hem.

Step 3: Attaching Skirt

Once you’ve hemmed the skirts, you will want to create your gathering stitches. Taking your front piece, place right sides together with the front bodice and front skirt. Begin to pull your gathering stitches and even them out. Using your side seam as a guide, overlap the edge of the skirt piece 1″ past the seam and pin. Repeat the overlap on the opposite side seam.

Repeat the same process with the back skirt, however align the edge of the skirt with the side seam. 

Attach skirt using a stretch stitch or serger and you’re all finished!

This hack is quick to complete and gives a fun detail to your shirt! Not only can this look be fun for everyday, but it can also be used for a swim cover and even a nursing friendly shirt! Enjoy and make sure to share your creations in our Facebook Group!
~Erinn

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Trim Accents

 

A little detail can go a long way.  The baby doll is perfect for adding lace trim details as it is not fitted through the waist so using a crochet trim or non-stretch trim is an option.  You can also add trim around the neckline and armholes but would recommend using a stretch lace as you still need to be able to pull the top over your head.  For my option, I used a pretty narrow trim so constructed my dress as usual and then topstitched it along the seam allowance.  If using a wider trim, you can baste it to the bodice prior to attaching the skirt.

 

Here is another example on a youth version.  Judy used a crochet, non-stretch trim and top-stitched it on after construction to the bodice seam and the hem of the ruffle (both places that wont miss the stretch since they’re looser parts of the garment.

 

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Waist Seam Ruffle

Last but certainly not least we wanted to show you a different way to sew the skirt to the bodice. This method will give your waist a ruffled look without adding any ruffles or changing the pattern pieces.

For this easy hack you will not be modifying the pattern pieces or adding any additional ones. Print the pattern and cut the fabric for your size.

Using a fabric pen or tailor chalk mark the 1/2″ seam allowance on the bottom of the bodice.

Tip: for an extra pop of color finish the top of the skirt with a rolled hem.

Gather the skirt using two rows of basting stitches as in the pattern tutorial. You will now be pinning the skirt to the bodice. The wrong side of the skirt will be pinned to the right side of the bodice, making sure you match the side seams and the center point.

Sew the skirt to the bodice with a zig zag stitch, a triple stretch stitch or your coverstitch. Go really slow so you can ensure a constant 1/2″ seam allowance.

Pull the basting stitches out. One should be above your zig zag stitch, one should be below.

That was all. Your new Boho shirt or dress has an extra cute waist seam now 🙂

 

P4P University – Easy gathering methods

Hello, pirates! Today I wanted to talk to you about gathering and show you 4 of the easiest gathering methods that do not require investing in new gadgets or feet for your machines. All the methods I’m showing are applicable to both woven and knits.

Gathering with your serger

My favorite method of gathering is using my serger and its deferential feed. You will be switching your differential feed to the highest setting possible (in my case 2.0) and tightening the tension of your left needle. It is very important to test your new settings on a piece of fabric that is the same as the fabric you intend to gather. You will be able to see if you need to loosen the needle tension, tighten it or fidget with the right needle too.

For more tips and details watch the video below.

 

Gathering with two rows of basting stitches

The most popular method of gathering, and the one most often used in our patterns (Judy’s favorite) is gathering with two parallel rows of stitching. This method uses your sewing machine.

Note: your first row of gathering stitches should be about 1/4″ away from the edge and your second one 5/8″ away.

 

Tip: For the basting stitches, use a different color thread than the fabric do you can remove it easily.

Gathering with elastic

The next gathering method I wanted to show you is one that uses elastic, clear elastic or knit elastic. Avoid using no roll elastic!  Also, make sure to exercise (stretching it a few times) before cutting.

Start by measuring the opening of the bodice and cut a pieces of elastic that matches the opening. Don’t forget to add seam allowance.

Note: I used 1/4″ knit elastic. This method works beautifully with clear elastic.

Sew the elastic in a loop and mark its quarters. Follow the method as in the video below.

 

Gathering with yarn or floss

The last method I wanted to show you is commonly known as gathering with floss. You will simply sew a wide zig zag stitch over a floss or yarn and simply pull the ends to gather. Super easy!

 

 

Tip: if you’re using yarn, use thin yarn and preferably a color different than the fabric you’re gathering so you can easily pull it out.

There you have it, 4 easy gathering methods that will help you achieve beautiful, even gathers for your skirts and ruffles. No matter which method you use it’s important to hit the seam with a nice hot iron and steam (as much as your fabric type will handle), this will help if you accidentally stretched the bodice at all while attaching as well as set those gathers nicely.  Now go sew a Boundless or a Sunshine dress and show off your new gathering skills.

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