Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

Sophia Pencil Skirt :: Easy Hacks

Get ready to elevate your sewing game with our “easy hacks” post for the Sophia Pencil Skirt pattern. We’re sharing three ingenious ways to take this pattern a little further!

You’ll this pattern to complete these super fun sewing hacks: SOPHIA PENCIL SKIRT

Side Zipper Hack

Here is a super simple way to move the zipper from the back of the Sophia Pencil skirt to the side! Cut your fabric according to the instructions. Note that the zipper in the purple illustration below is the original pattern placement.

Next, transfer the zipper markings to the Front skirt and Left back skirt, using the original pattern pieces. I installed the zipper on the same side as my slit.

Re-arrange your pattern pieces, to match the below illustration with the pieces needing zippers on the outside. I color coded which seams need to be sewn together with dashed lines in the illustration below. Match the colored seams, right sides together, and sew. You’ll want to do this construction with the right side of your main fabric facing up and repeat with your lining but with the right side facing down.

 

Continue the construction of the skirt as listed in the tutorial! Easy, peasy!

Happy Sewing!

Djem

Button Front Hack

We are all loving our new Sophia Pencil Skirts, but if you love the look but want to make it without the zipper, then we have a simple hack to add a button front instead.  Not only does it look great but it means you haven’t got to install the zipper – win win!

For this hack we are using the skirt without the separate waistband. We will start by adding 2” extra width to the centre of the front main piece, and then cutting 2 x mirrored front skirts, rather than cutting on the fold.  This extra 2” will give us a ½” extra on each skirt piece for a 1” overlap, and a button placket.

Front skirt piece with 2 inch extra width added to fold line

 

For the lining we will add an additional ½” to the centre front of the lining piece.

With your main fabric, construct your darts and side seams as per the tutorial and then also sew the centre back seam too.  Repeat for your lining.

Right sides together, sew the main to the lining along the top, matching up your seams and darts.  Your lining will be shorter than your main at either end.

 

Flip the lining round to the inside.  Press the seam allowance towards the lining.  It is a good idea to understitch the skirt lining to the seam allowance to help stop it creeping out to the outside.  Give this top seam a good press with steam to help it lay flat.

 

We will be finishing the hems separately, so turn the lining hem to the wrong side by a ¼”, and then again by another ¼” . Press, then stitch hem with an edgestitch.

Moving back to the centre front seam, turn the front edge to the wrong side by ½” and press.  Then turn to the wrong side again by 1” and press.  This forms the button placket.  Your lining should fit nicely inside the placket, concealing the raw edge.  Stitch with an edgestitch – take your time to get a good straight stitch here as it will be visible at the front of your garment.  Repeat with the other front edge.

 

Turn the bottom hem up by ½” and hem.  Alternatively, you could hem by turning ¼” twice, again.

Sew on your button holes and buttons.  I like to place them fairly close together to prevent gaping.

You’re done! A nice and simple sew and a total wardrobe classic.

Happy sewing!

 

Dana xx

Belt Hack

I’ll admit, I got totally Pinspired with this one after seeing a really cute belted pencil skirt online, and had to further hack my button front skirt.  I knew it would be an easy hack on the new Sophia, so I got to it!

I wanted a fairly wide belt and decided on a finished width of 2.5”.  With an added ½” seam allowance that gave me a measurement of 3.5” for the belt width.  Then for the length I took a piece of ribbon and tied it round my waist with a decent sized bow.  This was 84” long ( I wear the plus 1X with a waist measurement of 42”, for reference).  This was too long for my fabric so I split it in two and added seam allowance.  My final measurements for the ties were 3.5” x 43”; cut 4.

You will have 4 tie pieces. Sew two of these tie pieces together along the short sides using a ½” seam allowance, repeat for the other two tie pieces.  Press the seam allowances open.  Place these two tie pieces right sides together and sew using a ½” seam allowance, making sure you leave a 2-3” gap in the centre of the tie for turning through.  I wanted a diagonal angle at the ends of my ties so I tapered in towards the ends of the ties to create this.

Trim corners and turn through.  Press well and top stitch around entire length of belt.

For the belt loops, I cut a strip of fabric measuring 1.5” wide by 20” long (ish).  Then I folded the fabric together right sides together along the long edge, and sewed it together with a ¼” seam allowance.  Turn the tube through ( a tube turner of safety pin is helpful for this), then press.  Edge stitch down both sides of the ties, then cut it into 5 pieces measuring 4” in length.  These will be your 5 belt loops.

 

One belt loop will be placed at the centre back, two loops will be placed next to both of the centre front darts, and then the last two loops will be evenly spaced on either side between the previous two points.

Place the loops at the top of the skirt, about ½” from the top edge.  Sew across the belt loops twice, once at the bottom and once just below the top.

Then fold the belt loop down towards the body of the skirt, tuck the raw edge under by ½” and top stitch down across the bottom.

Repeat for the other 4 belt loops.  Thread through your belt, tie and enjoy your new skirt!

Happy Sewing!

Dana xx

We are thrilled to see what you sew for yourself using the Bacall Bodysuit + Sophia Pencil Skirt patterns! They are available on sale (no code needed) through 11:59pm CST, December 12, 2023.

Here are some links to the patterns: BACALL BODYSUIT | SOPHIA PENCIL SKIRT

As always, we’ve got more photos for you to use as inspiration! Head over to the Facebook group to browse our albums full of gorgeous photos, compliments of our tester team!

Bacall Bodysuit Facebook Album | Sophia Pencil Skirt Facebook Album

Hale Half Zip – Easy Hacks

Get ready to elevate your sewing game with our “easy hacks” post for the Hale Half Zip pattern. We’re sharing three ingenious ways to take this pattern a little further! 

You’ll need one of these patterns to complete these brilliant sewing hacks:

Hale Half Zip – Adult Hourglass | Hale Half Zip – Adult V Figure | Hale Half Zip – Youth | Hale Half Zip – Bundle

NO ZIPPER HACK

Let’s be honest, not all of us like zippers.  When I teach sewing classes they are one of the things people are most fearful about sewing, so you’re not alone if you don’t like them.  Or, maybe you just don’t have any to hand and still want to sew up a Hale Half Zip for yourself?  Well, we’ve got you covered.

Now for this option you’re going to have to pick the hood, rather than the collar as the neckline finish, as the collar won’t work without a zip.  You could also draft a neckband to finish the neckline with instead of the hood, and I’ll cover that at the end, but for the main tutorial I will be using the hood.

First you will cut out all your pieces as normal, except the front yoke.  This is ‘cut x 2 mirrored’ in the tutorial, but we will be removing seam allowance and cutting on the fold.  To begin, we need to work out how much seam allowance to remove.  Now, the seam allowance used for attaching the zipper is 3/8″, like this.

However, don’t forget in the finished garment we have the width of a zipper to account for too, like this.

So, I will be taking off an extra 1/8″ to account for half the width of the zipper teeth.  That means our full seam allowance to remove will be 1/2″.  I simply mark it on the pattern piece and fold it over, that means you still have the full pattern piece to use again in the future if you wanted to.

Then cut your front yoke on the fold.

We assemble the garment now according to the tutorial instructions, but I like to leave the neckline to the end, so I did it in this order:

Front centre yoke to front sides

Front yoke to back yoke at shoulder seams.

Kanga pocket to front bottom.

Front yoke to front bottom.

Back yoke to back bottom.

Assemble sleeves. Attach to body of garment.

Side Seams.

Cuffs and waistband.

Then we start again with the neckline.  Sew the back curved seam of your main hood, right sides together.  Then repeat for your lining.

Sew the front chin curve for your main right sides together, then again for your lining.

Turn the lining right side out, and slip it inside your main.  These should now be right sides together.

Sew around the hood face opening to join the hoods together.  Clip your seam allowance if necessary, then turn right sides out and top stitch if you wish (it gives a great, professional finish and stops the hood slipping around).

Then quarter your neckline, and quarter your hood.  Turn the main garment inside out and drop the hood into the neckline right sides together, matching the quarter points.  The hood should fit nicely into the neckline.  Sew them together, and you’re done!

 

If you want to use a traditional neckband instead of the hood, then you can measure your neckline opening like this

Then calculate your neckband.  I used a ribbing and therefore used a calculation of 75%, but for a fabric with less stretch you could use 80 or 85%.

So, the neckline for my daughter’s age 10 measured 8.75″ across, x 2 for the full circumference is 17.5″.  Then multiply by 75% gives us 13″, plus 1/2″ seam allowance at either end gives us 14″.  I used a width of 2.5″ for a final neckband depth of 3/4″.  So my neckband is cut at 14 x 2.5″.

Sew the short ends together, press in half longways and then attach as you do the hood, by quartering both the neckband and the neckhole and sewing them together, matching the quarter points.

Give it a press, pop it on and show off to all your friends!

Happy sewing!

Dana xxx

 

CORDING

 

Adding some cording along the hood or along the top of the collar is simple and quick.

Mark where you would like your button hole or grommets.  Take into account the 1/2″ seam allowances and the zipper. I like to just press all my seamlines to easily see them.

Put little pieces of interfacing where the grommets or button holes will be.  You want the interfacing to be bigger than your grommet or button hole.

Put your buttonholes or grommets in on the main fabric piece only.

Sew up normally.  If you’re lining your hood or doing the collar option, you’ll need to sew a casing stitch.  Just a stitch that will hold your cording along the edge. It can be whatever width/seam allowance you like the look of as long as it’s wide enough to fit your cording and grommets/buttonholes inside.

Thread your cording through when finished.

 

Snap Placket Hack

If zippers intimidate you, consider a snap placket for your Hale Half Zip Pullover! It’s an easy hack that can be accomplished with the pattern pieces you already have.

Cut 2 zipper guards from your fabric – they are now opposite sides of your snap placket. I used a ripstop canvas for stability and looks. If you’re using a knit or any other woven, it is best to interface both pieces to ensure that your snaps are secure.

For this make, I chose to use the rounded end of one guard and the squared end of the other. Totally up to you what you choose!

Press both of your placket pieces with wrong sides together.

Open up and fold right sides together and stitch across one short end on both pieces.

Turn right sides out and topstitch along the folded edge, if you prefer.

I actually ripped out my topstitching after these pics because I didn’t like it!

Sew your collar pieces, right sides together, along the top edge of the collar.

Sew the collar main to the neckline of your bodice.

Line up one of your placket pieces with the raw edge of your bodice front and fold the collar lining over to sandwich the placket between the right sides of the collar main and collar lining.

Fold up the seam allowance of the collar lining.

Sew the length of the bodice front, securing the collar layers and placket.

Turn the collar right side out and topstitch the seam allowance down the front.

Secure the collar lining per pattern instructions.

Lay one side of the placket on top of the other – I stacked the right side on top of the left – and baste the bottom edge together.

At this point, you can decide to add your snaps or wait until the end of construction (like I did).

When marking for snaps, I like to line up the placket and push a pin through the layers. I use a fabric pen to mark the pin points on both sides of the placket.

Add your snaps and enjoy your new pullover!

Can’t wait to see what you make!

Rachel

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to create cozy, stylish half-zip sweaters and hoodies for yourself and your loved ones. The Hale Half Zip patterns are available and on sale (no code needed) through 11:59pm CST, Friday, October 6, 2023.

Hale Half Zip – Adult Hourglass | Hale Half Zip – Adult V Figure | Hale Half Zip – Youth | Hale Half Zip – Bundle

As always, we’ve got more photos for you to use as inspiration! Head over to the Facebook group to browse our albums full of gorgeous photos, compliments of our tester team!

Adult Hourglass Album | Adult V Figure Album | Youth Album

Stay warm, stay stylish, and stay comfortable all season long! We can’t wait to see what you create for yourself!

Charleston Crossover :: Easy Hacks

Sometimes there are things that we want to show you how to do with our new pattern releases, that we just can’t figure out how to add to the main pattern without making it a mile long. So instead, we create these fun “easy hacks” blog posts, and help you take your pattern one step further.

Or in the case of this blog post, THREE steps further! 

Today we are going to show you:

  • How to add a lining (for those sheer fabrics in your stash).
  • How to add a ruffle neckline.
  • How to add a waistband and make a separate skirt.

HOW TO ADD A LINING

Don’t discount sheer fabrics when deciding which to use for the new Charleston Crossover! I’ve been saving this gorgeous (and spendy) silk jersey for just the right pattern and it was just a *touch* too sheer for my comfort.

No worries! Just add a lining! 

I lined the bodice and skirt using a slinky cupro that matched the feel of my silk jersey.

Here’s the how-to.

Cut a set of your front and back bodice and skirt pieces out of your lining. Your skirt lining will need to be a few inches shorter than your main fabric. I cut mine 3 inches shorter.

Sew your bodice main pieces and bodice lining pieces at the shoulder seams.

With right sides together, pin and sew your bodice lining and main together along the neckline. 

I added clear elastic to my seam because both of my fabrics have a lot of drape. You may find that your fabrics have enough recovery to skip the elastic.

Understitch your seam allowance to your lining.

From this point, assemble the bodice per the pattern instructions, treating the bodice main and lining as one piece. I highly recommend basting your seams before sewing them. You are handling several layers of fabric in the side seam.

Next, sew your skirt side seams together on both the main and the lining pieces.

You have options after this point. You can baste the skirt and lining along the waistline with wrong sides together or with lining right side to main wrong side. 

I chose to do the latter because I didn’t want my seams to rub against each other. If you prefer a cleaner look on the inside of your skirt, sew with wrong sides together.

Again, baste your skirt and lining together at the waistline and complete the construction of your dress per pattern instructions.

Another note of personal preference… I chose to serge the hemline of my lining and left it as is. I didn’t add a proper hem. It seemed unnecessary! 

Enjoy your pretty new dress! It requires a lot of twirling when you wear it!

HOW TO ADD A RUFFLE NECKLINE

This pattern just calls for adding a little something extra to the neckline!

Step 1: Cut ruffle piece. I cut my ruffle at 2.75″ tall by 4x the binding piece. I wanted less seams, so I cut 2 long strips at 2x the width of the neck binding strip.

Step 2: Gather your ruffle. 

Step 3: Sew shoulder seams of bodice, then find quarter points.

Step 4: Find the quarter points on your ruffle AND your bodice neckline. Pin/clip gathered ruffle to front neckline, wrong side of ruffle to right side of bodice. Add a basting stitch if you’d like. Pin/clip ruffle 1/2″ away from the edge of the bodice on the side that will face out.

Step 5:  Pin/Clip binding piece right sides to right sides on top of the gathered ruffle, and sew.

Step 6: Topstitch binding, and construct the rest of your top/dress as normal.

What you end up with is an incredibly adorable (ruffle added) Charleston Crossover!

Thanks for sharing with us Jessica!

HOW TO ADD A WAISTBAND + MAKE A SKIRT

Have you been eyeballing the skirt from the Charleston Crossover but want it on it’s own, as a separate piece? Same. SAMEEEEEE.

Well let me tell you: it’s super easy to make happen.

Simply follow the skirt construction portion of the Charleston Crossover tutorial. Completely omit the bodice, as we won’t need it for this sewing project. What we will need is a waistband…so here’s a quick cut chart for that.

The measurements below are included as LENGTH x WIDTH. (Width = stretch of fabric) Inches are rounded to the nearest .25, Centimeters are rounded to nearest .1

Assemble skirt as instructed in Charleston Crossover tutorial.

Fold waistband in half, right sides together, matching along short side.

Stitch along short side, using 1/2″ seam allowance.

Flip waistband piece, with right sides together, creating loop.

Mark quarter points on waistband and skirt.

Match quarter points on waistband and skirt. 

**Waistband is slightly smaller than skirt opening. You’ll need to stretch waistband to fit when sewing.

Stitch, using 1/2″ seam allowance.

Flip waistband up, away from skirt. Steam + press.

Wear the heck out of your new skirt because it’s the cutest!

We hope you love the easy hacks we provided, and are thrilled to see what you sew for yourself using the Charleston Crossover pattern! It is available on sale (no code needed) through 11:59pm CST, May 24, 2023.

Charleston Crossover

Brizo and Circe Swimsuit Simple Hacks

We always have fun showing off a few ways to modify our new patterns to give you even more options! Here are some quick and simple hacks to the new Circe Swim Top and Brizo Bikini Bottoms!

CIRCE-ADDING THICKER UNDERBUST ELASTIC

If you’re looking for a bit more underbust support, here is the hack for you.  Since this add a lot more support and stability, you might consider sizing up as it will feel much tighter wrapping around you that the normal sizing. Cut and assemble your top until the step where you stitch elastic into the bottom edge.

You’re going to not attach elastic along the back and just an inch or two into the front bodice. Just baste or stitch together with no elastic on this center section.

We’re going to cut our thicker swim elastic (I have 3/4″ here) from the front wrap section (the top corner) to the bottom side seam of the bodice, around the back and to the opposite side.

Making sure to match center backs, we’re going to pin the elastic to the seam allowance along the section we left with no elastic.

Stitch elastic to the seam allowance along this section. Make sure to use a stretch stitch. After stitching the center back section, flip the seam allowance like it will be once the top is flipped right sides out. Pin end of the elastic to the seam allowance at the top corner of the bodice. Stitch end of elastic to the seam allowance here.

Repeat on opposite side.

Continue the rest of the top as the tutorial instructs. Flipping rights side out, closing side seam hole and optional top-stitching.

Enjoy the extra support and stability.

 

 

CIRCE- THICKER STRAP ELASTIC

If you’re looking for a bit more support on the shoulder straps, but love the look of the thin strap option…  here is perfect hack for you! You can up the elastic in thin strap easily.  Here I’m using 3/4″ swim elastic instead of the 1/4″, but you can use whatever width you’d like.  Remember, this will make the straps feel tighter, so you may need to slightly adjust the length.

Do a little math… whatever width you choose add double the difference from the 1/4″ to the strap pieces.  I used 3/4″, which is 1/2″ wider than the original. So, I added 1″ to the strap width pieces.

You will also need to add a little width to pickups on the main front bodice pieces.  You will add the width split on each side of the pick up.  So, I needed to add 1/2″ total to my pick up width.  I added 1/4″ on each side of the pick up.

Sew up the Circe just like the tutorial has you sew up the thin strap option and enjoy your thicker straps 🙂

CIRCE- RING HACK

Sew up your Circe all normally, but grab a gate ring and have a new, fun way to wear your top!

CIRCE- CLASP HACK

Want a different look instead of the back waist ties? Try adding a swimsuit clasp. For this hack, you will need to begin by finding your center back measurement. Measure from the side seam to the center of your back either using a tape measure around your back and splitting the measurement in half, or using the tie pattern piece pinned to mark the center back. Mark this new line on the tie pattern and cut four shorter ties (2 lining and 2 main) from the new piece. (For this hack, I am using the thick tie option. If you are using the thin ties, your pieces will not need much modifying and you may want to use a smaller clasp.)

Follow the sewing tutorial as written, except I recommend sewing the last two inches of the tie with your sewing machine and leaving off the elastic. This will help reduce bulk and allow you to easily add your swim clasp. Once you get to the step of basting your ties closed, it is a great time to turn it right side out and check the fit. You may find you need to shorten your ties to get the fit you like. Make any needed adjustments. You can see here I modified the thick tie to better fit my 1 inch swim clasp. I tapered down the tie so that it would fit into the clasp without too much gathering of the fabric.

Add your swim clasp by taking one tie and sliding the end of the tie through the closed portion of the clasp. Make sure the hook is pointed down. Wrap the fabric around the clasp towards the back of the suit. The fabric may gather slightly to fit. Place a safety pin where the stitching line will be. Next, create the loop portion by taking the opposite tie and folding the suit back on itself. You need to create a small tube for the clasp to enter. Place a safety pin where the stitching line will be. You want this line about 1/2 inch from the edge. It needs to be large enough for the clasp to fit into, but not so large that the clasp shifts too much with wear. Try the suit on and check the placement of the clasp.  Make any needed changes. Then stitch closely to the clasp with a stretch stitch and on the opposite tie to create the loop.

And now you have a swim top with a clasp closure.

 

 

SOLID FRONT BRIZO BOTTOM

Don’t have coordinating fabrics for your Brizo Bikini Bottom? Just grab the full lining front piece on either the high rise or the v rise and sew them up with a solid front!

Uptown Joggers- Simple Hacks

We just love showing off simple ways to add even more options to our already full patterns!

On our new Uptown Joggers you can create a more straight leg, ankle length pant by simple leaving off the cuffs. Here are some our beautiful tester Joelle did just like this!

You can also use the cargo top tabs on the back pockets too! Here I am showing off this look with just one pocket and our gorgeous tester Teri did both sides in this style.  Simply add the top tab above the back pocket following the same instructions for the cargo pocket.  We both happen to use the shorts length, but you can of course do this hack with the pant length as well.

Have fun hacking along with us! Don’t forget to share your makes with us.

 

Notch Top & Dress- Easy Hacks

We love sharing some simple hacks to help extend the versatility of our patterns even more! Here are two for the new Notch Top & Dress we hope you enjoy.

ADDING LENGTH TO CROP::

Loving the new Notch Top & Dress, but which the crop option was just a bit longer? I got ya 😉 Here is a super quick and easy hack to make more of a top length than a shorter crop.

I only added about 1″ to mine, but you can add however much you’d prefer.  Remember though is it fitted to the natural waist where you are your smallest, so if you’re lengthening quite a bit you might also want to grade out to a bigger size at the bottom where you’re adding.  This way it wont be too tight on your high hips (if you’re going that long).

You’ll cut out the bodice just as you would normally.  I did the tank top option here, so no sleeves…but you would cut those and sew them the same as normal as well.

We will start making our hack changing by cutting out JUST the main fabric waistband pieces– adding the length you’d like.

 

Sew up the bodice per the tutorial as normal. When you get to the waistband we will just be stitching on the one layer.  Still add in that underbust elastic for adults.

Last, just hem up the bottom edge of the waistband.

Ta-da… so quick and simple! I love this everyday top and know it will be in high rotation! I can’t wait to see yours!

Want to see this hack being sewn up in action? Here is a quick video of it too!

MATERNITY ::

It can be somewhat challenging to find a great dress that works for maternity, but we’re here to show you a super simple change to the Notch Top & Dress that will give you a lovely maternity friendly dress.

Simple skip the waistband completely (don’t skip the elastic in that seam though) and add the missing length to your skirt pieces. Attach the skirt straight to the bodice pieces for an empire style dress perfect for a bump.

All Gather Round Hacks

ALL GATHER ROUND HACKS

Ruffle on Short Sleeve Hack:

Copy your favorite ready-to-wear look with this simple hack!

Adding a ruffle to the sleeve of the new Gather ‘Round pattern is a very simple hack to further extend the versatility of your pattern.

Start by cutting out the short sleeve pattern pieces.

Measure the bottom hemline.

Multiply that measurement by 1.75 to get the length of your ruffle piece (i.e. 12” x 1.75 = 21”).

I made a ruffle that is 2.5” long, but you can make yours longer or shorter to your preference. My sleeve hem was 12” so I cut my ruffle pieces 3” tall (to accommodate the seam allowance on both ends) x 21” long.

Use your preferred gathering method to fit the ruffle to the sleeve. Baste in place, then sew.

From this point forward, complete your make per the pattern instructions.

Skirt only Hack:

I have been all over the swirly skirt and crop top look this year, and when we started testing the All Gather Round I couldn’t resist making the skirt section on its own to add to my collection.

This is the simplest and easiest hack out there, just head over and grab the waistband pattern piece in your size from the FREE  Peg Legs pattern.

I used a viscose elastane fabric for the skirt pieces, but that wouldn’t have worked for the waistband as it wouldn’t have enough body to hold the skirt up.  I decided on a plain black cotton/lycra for my waistband, but whatever you use it will need great stretch and recovery as the skirt can end up pretty heavy with all those tiers attached.  Then cut your fabric for the waistband using the Pegs pattern piece.

Cut your skirt pieces according to the instructions for the All Gather Round.  I had:

1 x waistband

2 x top tier

3 x mid tier

5 x bottom tier

(the tier pieces are folded in the photo above, just to get them all in the pic)

Then simply construct your skirt according to the tutorial for the All Gather Round but instead of attaching it to the bodice you attach it to the waistband.  It really couldn’t be easier!

Give it a good press with some steam to help the gathers behave, and you’re all done.  Enjoy your new twirly, swirly skirt!  I’m wearing this with the crop length top from the Rainbow Dress Pattern

 

Exposed Seam Hack:

I have been seeing dresses and tops with exposed seams everywhere lately, and a hack showcasing this fun trend could not be simpler!

First, choose your options for the Gather ’round Dress, and complete the steps up to Step 4. That means you’ll be constructing your bodice, adding optional pockets if desired and sewing the side seams of your skirt tiers.

At this point, you may choose to finish the raw edges of your skirt tiers, as these will be exposed once the dress is complete. This is completely up to you! I chose to do so on this version, because I like the more finished look it gave it, although leaving the edges raw is also just fine. Just make sure that if you do choose this option, to be careful NOT to cut any of the seam allowance off with your serger.

Next, select the top tier of your skirt, and run two rows of gathering stitches across the top long edge, as directed in the pattern tutorial. You’ll want to have it line up roughly with the circumference of your bodice, as shown here.

The next step is where the exposed seams come into play! This time, attach the top skirt tier to the bodice WRONG SIDES together using a 1/2″ seam allowance.

Turn your dress right side out. At this point, particularly if you’ve used a different colored bodice lining like I have here, you’ll want to trim the seam allowance of the bodice ONLY, being careful not to cut through the stitching. This will reduce bulk and enable your skirt to lay more nicely as well.

Press the seam allowance up toward the bodice, and topstitch just below the exposed edge of the skirt.

Depending on the options you’ve chosen for your Gather ’round Dress, repeat these steps until all skirt tiers are attached. Hem as usual.

You’ve done it! Now step back and admire your gorgeous and trendy exposed seams.

 

Gathered Cap Sleeve with Long Sleeves Hack:

I really love the flutter and long sleeve combo and it’s super simple to achieve!

Follow the Gather ‘Round dress tutorial for adding the gathered cap sleeves to the bodice but use a basting stitch.

Place the right side of the long sleeve on top of the wrong side of the gathered cap sleeve, and attach flat, easing the shoulder of the sleeve to match the armscye. Pull out all basting stitches.

With right sides together and matching the armpit seam. Pin and stitch the side seam from the sleeve hem to the bottom edge of the bodice. Continue with tutorial to attach the skirt.

Voila! All done!

Tie Up Top Easy Hacks

Tie Up Top Easy Hacks

Hood

I had a hard time narrowing down options for the Tie Up Top, like I always do when I’m drafting up a pattern! One option that I wanted, but just couldn’t squeeze in anymore into the pattern was a hood! I thought it would be so cute with the crop, long ties option! So, here I am to show off how to add a hood to it if you’re like me and think it’s an adorable combo.

Cut your Tie Up Top with the rounded/crew neckline. I used the hood from the Sporty Piko….bonus! Cut that out in the same size as your Tie Up Top is.

 

Next sew up the Tie Up Top completely following the tutorial, just leaving the neckline raw.  Sew up the hood as the Sporty Piko tutorial instructs up to the part that attaches to the neckline.

We will now follow the instructions on the Sporty Piko for attaching the hood.  Match the hood at the back centers.  Then continue pinning/clipping the hood to the neckline without stretching neckline or hood.  The notches on the hood should be close to the center front.  It might not be perfect since we’re using 2 different patterns, but it will be close! My size 7 matched up great.

Stitch the hood to the neckline.

Now…. if you’re like us… you’ll also need some matching pants and a bow to go with it 😉

Wear it tied in front

Or wrapped to the back and tied.

Either way, you have an amazing new hoodie! I hope I have time to make myself one in waffle knit soon too!

 

Diagonal Stripes Two Ways!

The center seam of the new Tie Top pattern makes it perfect for scrap-busting and playing with pattern placement! Here are two ways that I added a diagonal stripe detail to the front of my makes.

 

Colorblocking

I am fully committed to projector sewing at the moment, but this hack is easiest to accomplish with a printed pattern piece.

 

Start by printing and assembling (if necessary) your front bodice pattern piece of choice.

 

I wanted my colorblocking to begin just below the armscye. You may wish to carry yours higher. If so, the same steps apply!

 

I started by measuring the side seam. Mine was 12”. I divided in half and marked my pattern piece at this halfway point (6”). I also made a mark ½” from the bottom of the armscye and above the hemline to account for the seam allowance. I copied these marked positions on the opposite side of the pattern piece.

I then drew a diagonal line from the top outside mark to the inside center point. Repeat for the marks below.

 

Trace another line ¼” above and below your original lines. These represent your seam allowances and fold lines.

 

It’s time to cut your pieces! Fold up the first block at the #1 line indicated below. Repeat for the other two pieces, folding your pattern piece at the corresponding lines.

Sew in order, right sides together, with a ¼” seam allowance and top stitch. Isn’t your front bodice CUTE??!!

From this point, follow the assembly instructions that come with your pattern.

Striped Fabric

It’s very easy to achieve a diagonal detail with striped fabric. Just be careful about how you cut it. Rather than cutting two pieces at a time, I chose to cut one panel first, then the other. I wanted to make sure my stripes were as accurate as possible.

I have a clear ruler imprinted with angles and decided to use the 60° angle to line up my pattern piece. The angle of your diagonal lines is totally up to you – it’s most important that the sides mirror each other.

Cut your first panel, flip it over, line up your stripes, and cut out your second panel.

Assemble per the pattern instructions. I recommend pinning or clipping ever second or third stripe to keep it beautifully lined up as you sew.

Enjoy!

24/7 Tank Hack

24/7 Tank Hack

If there is something I am always looking for a little bit more of in life, it’s comfort!  I started making all my own bras a few years ago, and a soft and comfortable knit bra pattern is something I just love.  When we made the 24/7 Tank in testing I couldn’t get enough of the integral bra with it, and knew I had to hack it to make the perfect everyday undies for me too.

I used a lovely athletic jersey fabric from Crafty Baba, here in the UK, with a 95/5 cotton lycra from my lining.  You need a stable fabric with good stretch and great recovery. This honestly couldn’t be much easier to do. I started by tracing the bra pieces from the 24/7 Tank pattern, and then added 1/4″ seam allowance onto the neckline and armscye curves of both the front and back bra pattern pieces.  In my pictures below, the original pattern is traced in black biro and the extra 1/4″ seam allowance is drawn in a permanent marker, to make it a little easier to see.

Then I cut out the following pieces:

FRONT

1 x Outer

1 x Lining

1 x Inner lining in powermesh (optional but gives better support)

BACK

1 x Outer

1 x Lining

1 x Inner lining in powermesh

ELASTIC

1 x under bust elastic cut to measurements provided in pattern.

Sew your outer fabric together at the shoulder seams, right sides together using your regular 1/2″ seam allowance.

Optionally, for your lining you can baste the inner lining to the wrong sides of the lining fabric before you sew the shoulder seams together, this helps make sure everything gets layered together properly.  I didn’t in this example as I was comfortable handling everything without but it’s easy to get confused.

Then sew your lining together at the shoulder seams, right sides together.  Your fabric should be layered as such: back inner lining power mesh, back lining right sides up, front lining right sides down, front inner lining power mesh.

Next lay the lining fabric out flat, right sides up (the attached power mesh inner lining will be at the bottom).  Lay the outer fabric right sides down on top.  Pin or clip the fabric together around the neckline. Sew together using your favourite stretch stitch using a 1/4″ seam allowance.  I sew 1/4″ clear elastic into the seam as I go using my overlocker/serger.  This helps recovery of the seam and gives greater support for a larger bust.

 

Next you will flip the garment right sides out again through the neckhole. Press carefully.

We will now finish the armscyes using a burrito roll method.  You can follow this video tutorial for the Boundless dress which guides you through step by step, just remember we are only using a 1/4″ seam allowance for the armscyes. Burrito Roll Method – P4P You Tube

Or the written instructions are to lay the fabric out flat, rights sides out.  Then roll one side of the bodice up towards the other side.

When you get near the top, flip the bottom of the open edges out under the roll and up over the top of it to encase the roll inside the open edge.

Then pin or clip along the length of the curved armscye.  Stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance being careful to keep the roll of fabric inside the shoulder strap well out of the way of the stitches.

Pull your garment right sides out through the finished shoulder strap.  Here you can see the left side is finished and the right is not.

To finish the right side too, lay the garment out again and roll the finished side up towards the unfinished side. Then flip the bottom fabric on the unfinished side out under the roll, and up over the top to encase it again, like before.  Stitch again.

Pull your garment right sides out through the shoulder strap once more and give it a press.

Now we just have to finish the side seams.  To do this we open out the main from the lining on both the front and back, and clip them right sides together, matching main with main and lining with lining.  Then sew the side seam with a 1/2″ seam allowance.  Repeat on the other side.

Your bra is now almost finished, you just have to stitch the elastic to the bottom.  Butt the edges of the elastic together and sew them together using a wide, short zig zag stitch.  Then quarter the elastic and the bottom of the bra and sew the elastic on as per the instructions in the 24/7 Tank tutorial.

 

You’re all done!  I hope you love your comfy new lounge bra.  They’re so quick to make you can whip up another in next to no time.

 

Happy Sewing!

 

Dana xxx

 

 

Sugar Maple Skirt :: Easy Hacks

Have you heard the news?  P4P just dropped our latest pattern and it’s the swishiest, twirliest thing we’ve put out in a while!

The Sugar Maple Skirt is an a-line skirt with a full circle drop yoke.  It is designed to be worn at the natural waist and comes in four lengths: mini, knee, tea and maxi.  The top yoke has a flattering, body skimming silhouette, while the fuller part of the skirt joins just below the booty.

Whichever length you choose, each provides for ALL the swishy, twirly goodness that you could hope for in a skirt. The Sugar Maple is a great basic skirt pattern to have, an excellent sewing project for beginners, and it comes together so quickly that you’ll end up making multiple before you even know what happened!

Before you do anything else, go read all about the newest pattern: the Sugar Maple Skirt!  It’s available in Adult – Hourglass and Youth sizes and is just the sweetest.

But guess what we went and did?  We made it even sweeter by giving you some super easy, super fun pattern hacks to take the pattern a little further!

Dress Hack

The best way to get a little bit of twirl into your life is with the new Sugar Maple Skirt, I think we can all agree on that! If you love the twirly, whirly skirt but like the ease of a dress then this hack is for you. My daughter is now 8 and insists on picking her own outfits, but some of her choices can be pretty adventurous and she loves a colour clash. For me, a dress is the easiest option every time. I matched the Sugar Maple Skirt with the bodice of the Rainbow Dress Youth

They meshed together perfectly!

All I had to do was cut out the bodice of the Rainbow Dress and Sugar Maple Skirt as normal and just omit the waistband for the skirt.  I sewed them each up individually as per their instructions and then laid them down next to each other to check they would fit together nicely at the waist.

I had to shave a smidge off the side seams at the waist of the bodice to get a perfect fit, but it was only 1/4″ either side.  Then quarter your bodice and skirt pieces at the waist, using clips or pins.

Flip the skirt up and over the bodice so they are right sides together, and clip them together.

Finally, just sew the skirt to the bodice and you’re done.  It’s as easy as that!

Twirl away to your heart’s content.  I hope you love your new dress as much as we do. Happy Sewing! Dana xx

Skort Hack

As soon as the testers started talking about their plans for the Sugar Maple Skirt, many of them decided that it’d be the perfect skirt to turn into a skort — and we have the perfect pattern to help create that with the Peg Leg Leggings!  Many thanks to Kalene Bartlett, our tester extraordinare, who photographed her steps of making the ::perfect:: skort! My sisters-in-law are big runners and I think they’d adore a running skirt like this!  But I’ve also heard that plenty of mommas would love to have some added coverage for chasing littles around during the warmer months….not to mention it’s a perfect solution for fighting off that dreaded thigh chafing experience while rocking skirts. Because the Sugar Maple Skirt is meant to sit at the high waist, you’ll want to cut the Peg Legs pattern at the high-waisted cut line. You’ll need:

  • Peg Legs Leggings, in shortie / biker length…depending on the length of your skirt (assembled per the pattern instructions)
  • Sugar Maple Waistband
  • Sugar Maple Skirt top + drop yokes (assembled per the pattern instructions)

Mark the quarter points on both the Peg Legs and Sugar Maple skirt.  Slide the Peg Legs inside of the skirt, right side of the Pegs facing the wrong side of the Sugar Maple.  Pin/clip in place.

Find the quarter points of the waistband, and slide over the Sugar Maple / Peg Legs pieces…matching previously marked quarter points.

Sew all 3 pieces together, stretching the waistband and Peg Legs slightly to match — careful not to stretch the skirt opening.

Flip waistband up.  Hem skirt and shorts.

You’re finished!  Now go be like Kalene and be cut, comfortable AND covered in your new Peg Legs / Sugar Maple Skort!

I am beyond excited to see the Sugar Maple Skirts that you make!  Head on over to the shop and grab yourself a copy of these new patterns!  They are available on sale (no code needed) through 11:59pm CST, April 17, 2022.

Sugar Maple Skirt – Adult | Sugar Maple Skirt – Youth | Sugar Maple Skirt BUNDLE

Hoping for a little inspiration before diving into some Sugar Maple sewing?  Head over to our Facebook group where you can see tester albums full of amazing images!

Sugar Maple Skirt: Adult Album | Sugar Maple Skirt: Youth Album

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