Sew-A-Long Archives - Page 13 of 14

Peg Legs SAL: Day 2 – Printing and measuring

April 27, 2017

Today we will be printing the pattern in the size needed. In order to do that it is very important that you take your most accurate measurements. You will need your waist, hips and inseam measurements in order to choose the correct Peg Legs size. P4P has an amazing blog that gives you tip for accurately taking your measurements. You can read all about it here.

If you are like me you may need to grade between sizes. My hips put me in a larger size than my waist….or maybe I should say my waist puts me in a smaller size than my hips? 🙂 Worry not! We have a blog post for easy grading too!

Two things are very important to remember when grading the pattern.

Smooth transitions between sizes!
Grade both the front and the back of the legs.

Now that we established which size(s) we need it’s time to print the pattern. Did you see that the new updated Peg Legs and Add On pack feature layers now? How amazing is that? Save that ink and print just what you need. Haven’t used layers before? Check out this blog before you do so. If you need to grade between sizes you just need to select the sizes needed when you print. Easy peasy.

Day two will not require you to post any pictures in the Peg Leg SAL event. See you all back here tomorrow!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Peg Legs SAL: Day 1 – Choosing the fabric

April 26, 2017

Welcome to day 1 of our big 50K celebration Peg Legs Sew Along! With all the amazing things happening this week it was a given that we would sew together the new updated and FREE Peg Legs and add ons patterns.

Let’s get started by selecting the fabric. This step is very important as choosing the right fabric is extremely important ensure proper fit. Weather you choose, double brushed polyester, cotton spandex or performance knit, it is a must to check the vertical and horizontal stretch. The Peg Legs require the use of fabric with 50% horizontal AND vertical stretch. Typically fabric with 5% spandex or more will work.

Cotton Lycra/spandex (note- Lycra=spandex). Medium weight is usually 10oz or more
Rayon spandex. This is typically thinner so may not be opaque.
Nylon spandex / Supplex – great for performance wear. This usually has a higher content of spandex and will feel tighter, much like compression wear.
Polyester spandex – brushed polyester spandex is what many of the boutique leggings are made from however, it is a slightly harder to find the fabric in retail stores. Be sure to check the vertical stretch percentage as some may be less than the 50% require stretch.
Stretch Fleece – Fabrics such as Polartec Powerstretch are a 4 way stretch fleece. Regular fleece, like blizzard, anti-pill and cuddle fleece found in retail stores are NOT recommended.

Our Peg Leg 101 blog is full of useful information for first time Peg makers and not only so be sure to bookmark it.

Have you decided which add on will you be using? So many choices, right? I will be making the color block option with a pockets for this SAL. Make sure you also check out the awesome hacks we have been showing you this past week.

I decided to use a this Cosmic Thunder nylon spandex and accent it with Lime moisture wicking poly spandex (both from Made Whimsy fabric). If you would like to mix and match fabric types I recommend using fabrics with similar weights and stretch. Remember to always prewash your fabric before cutting it! If you’d like to know more about the various types of knit fabrics out there, be sure to check out Knit Types blog here.

Once you decided which fabric(s) you will be using post a picture of them in the Peg Leg SAL Event and hash tag it #pegsalday1

We could not end day 1’s blog without telling about the awesome prizes. Make sure you sew along with us this week and post your daily pictures in the Peg Legs SAL event because 5 lucky winners will be receiving P4P store credit and fabric from our sponsors.

Thank you:

Smoogie Fabric and Design

Sitka Fabrics

Star Dust and Moon Beam Textile Company

Levana Fabrics

Midnight Mountain Fabrics

Little Bear Fabric and Trim

Fabricmail Sweet N Charmed

Phat Quarters, Pretty Posh Prints

Little Ladybug Fabrics.

50K Fan Celebration :: PegLegs Update + Re-Release!

April 17, 2017

We are celebrating reaching 50K fans in our Facebook group! To say the least, it is unbelievable that I have added so many ladies into the tiny group it started from. I’m so honored to help each and every member learn a little more about sewing. It makes my heart so happy to see posts about first time sews and the community answering questions with nothing but a kind heart. I love the P4P group so much! So, we tried to think of something AMAZING to say thank you for supporting us! To make it a party, our beloved PegLegs pattern just got an update AND some new add-ons.

The Peg Legs original pattern has gotten more reviews and feedback than any other P4P pattern hands down! So, naturally we took that feedback and tweaked them slightly. We also updated them to include the newest features P4P offers: layers feature, as well as A0 and International print options. Just like before, we have four different length options (ankle, capri, bike and shortie). *If you already have the Peg Legs in your account you will simple need to redownload them to have the new updated files.

We’ve also added a different rise option, for those of you who like a little higher waist. You can choose from high AND low/mid rises for your perfect leggings fit. The low/mid rise is the same as the original peg legs.

Now to really bring the celebration up a notch– the Add Ons! But what do the add-ons include? So many things!
We are giving you color blocking options, pockets (in the waistband AND along the side panel), a contoured high waistband, and a gusset. All extra options that you can mix-match to your heart’s content.

And, for all of you gorgeous pregnant mommas: a maternity add-on! You can take the basic Peg Legs pattern and add an under belly, under belly v, or an over belly waistband for your new favorite maternity wear.

We also updated all the Freebies to NO CODES NEEDED. We loved having everyone join the FB group and amazing community it has built, but we want them to be easy for everyone to get their hands on too! So, we hope everyone will still join the support group as well as enjoy the ease of grabbing the freebies with no codes 🙂

Before you go running to your machine to sew up your own leggings, make sure to read our PegLegs 101 blog post. This way, you’ll have all the the information you’ll need to make the perfect pair before you even cut into your gorgeous fabric.

But wait, there’s more! After any good party is an after-party. We are taking it one step further and sharing some easy hacks that’ll bring even more flavor to your favorite leggings pattern!

We hope you check them out, make your new favorite pair of leggings, and know that we appreciate every single one of you amazing sewing guys and gals!

Here are our hacks / tutorials / latest tricks:

*****These will be made live as we post them throughout the next week! *****

Lace Waistband Alternative | Drawstring Waistband Tutorial
Exposed Elastic Waistband | Stirrup Pant Hack
Ruched Ankles Adjustment | Decorative Topstitching Tutorial
Ruched Side Panel Hack

Still want more?!?! Join us for our Peg Legs Sew-A-Long!

And of course one LAST thing to celebrate reaching 50.000 FB members is a SITE WIDE SALE! Enjoy 30%off your total purchase with coupon code: “50ksale” now through April 25th (ends 11:59PM the night of the 25th US Central Time Zone). *Bundle Discounts will not work with site wide sale code.

Thank you for giving this little work from home mama the chance to do what she loves! I hope each and everyone of you enjoys the updated pattern, the add ons, the hacks, the sew-a-long and the site wide sale 🙂

<3 Judy

P4P Raglan Week: Adding Stripe Accent

September 25, 2016

We’re rounding out the end of #RaglanWeek and I’m excited to share another way you can add some flare to your raglans!

I love the sporty look for my little guy since he is so active! Adding a simple stripe accent to raglan sleeves is such an easy, cute, sporty look!

Here is how you can add them to your raglans!

Decide how thick you would like your stripes. Cut your stripe of knit fabric double that for the length and as wide as your sleeves where you will be adding the stripe.

Example: I wanted my stripes just a bit over 1″- so I cut my strip 2.5″ and the width matching the sleeve width.

Press the strips in half lengthwise and create a crease. Please excuse my ironing board… I swear taking pictures of it makes it look 1000X dirtier than it looks in person!

Press bottom raw edge up to center crease.

Press top raw edge down to center crease.

I used a fabric pen to mark a straight line across my sleeve. Since they’re both knit fabrics you can find your self ever so slightly off easily, so I’d highly recommend this for a flawless stripe!

Pin your stripes carefully along your marked line or lines if you’re doing multiple stripes. I did 2 on each sleeve for mine. You can also use a wash away hem tape to hold them in place while you stitch. I recommend not doing this with your baby in the room— or you MIGHT sew the stripes onto the back piece of the shirt rather than the sleeve 😉 OOPS!!

Edge stitch along the top and bottom fold of your stripes. I used my single chainstitch on my coverstitch for mine- you will want a stretch stitch since we’re working with knits.

Complete the shirt as the tutorial directs you— only noting to align your stripes carefully along the sleeve seam when you stitch up your sleeve and side seam.

I also added a little number 4 since Little Guy is about to turn 4 next week.

He also picked out the pirate theme lining for the hood for a little pop of “coolness” 😉 .

His Jolly Roger is a size up from his width measurement in a thick and cozy sweatshirt fleece. I kept the length what he measures on the chart, this is the banded shirt length, long sleeve with cuffs and regular hood from the new Jolly Roger Add on Pack.

He’s not much for modeling for Mama!

But, we were both so happy with his new hoodie he has already requested another one!

If you’ve added some fun stripes to the sleeves of your raglan during P4P Raglan week, we would love for you to share it with us! Head over to the Facebook Group or share on Instagram. And be sure to use the tag#P4PRaglanWeek so we can find you!

Curious about what else has been happening during our raglan-loving week of fun?

Just take a look at our schedule!

Monday, September 19:Jolly Roger Raglan Pattern Update + Jolly Roger Add-On Pack Pattern Release

Tuesday, September 20:JRR Woven Fabric Hack

Wednesday, September 21: JRR Animal Faces Add-On

Thursday, September 22: Contrast Band Hack for Kangaroo Pockets

Friday, September 23:Women’s Keyhole / Scoopback Raglan Hack

Saturday, September 24:Off-The-Shoulder Raglan Hack

Sunday, September 25: Adding Stripes to Your Raglan Sleeves

We’ve had such a blast seeing everyone’s raglans this week! We will be picking a winner from those who shared with hashtag #P4PRaglanWeek! Tonight is the last chance to pick up any of the P4P Raglans on sale- though midnight US CST.

P4P Raglan Week: Contrast Bands Hack

September 22, 2016

Say you bought this really pretty cotton interlock with zero stretch recovery and you just had to use it for a raglan with a kangaroo pocket. The things is, you know your darling little rock collector isn’t going to understand that she can’t actually use her pocket or the openings will get stretched out. The solution? Stretchy bands on the pocket openings.

If you haven’t bought your Jolly Roger Raglan and Add-ons, go do it now.

I’ll wait while you buy, print and glue.

Perfect. Now, cut out your kangaroo pocket, mark and cut off a half inch from each pocket curve. I marked on the back with the ruler and a fine tip washable kids’ marker.

Next, you want to measure your curve by carefully, without stretching, pulling the curve straight along the ruler. Make sure you measure the curve after you’ve trimmed off the extra half inch.

Subtract half an inch and cut out bands that length by 2 inches wide. If you don’t have a rotary cutter and mat, you need one. Trust me, it makes a whole world of difference cutting out bands.

I’ll wait while you go buy one.

There, wasn’t that easier??

Press bands in half lengthwise.

Pin band to the right side of the curve by pinning each end first and then stretching to fit.

Serge or sew on, stretching to fit the pocket curve. Do not stretch the pocket fabric.

Press the bands back.

Now continue with the pattern tutorial to complete your shirt.

Now put it on your adorable child and snap pictures to share with us on Facebook!

– Patty Hamm

If you’ve hacked a kangaroo pocket of a raglan during P4P Raglan week, we would love for you to share it with us! Head over to the Facebook Group or share on Instagram. And be sure to use the tag #P4PRaglanWeek so we can find you!

Curious about what else has been happening during our raglan-loving week of fun?

Just take a look at our schedule!

Monday, September 19: Jolly Roger Raglan Pattern Update + Jolly Roger Add-On Pack Pattern Release

Tuesday, September 20: JRR Woven Fabric Hack

Wednesday, September 21: JRR Animal Faces Add-On

Thursday, September 22: Contrast Band Hack for Kangaroo Pockets

Friday, September 23: Women’s Keyhole / Scoopback Raglan Hack

Saturday, September 24: Off-The-Shoulder Raglan Hack

Sunday, September 25: Adding Stripes to Your Raglan Sleeves

P4P Raglan Week: Jolly Roger Raglan Update + Add-Ons Release!

September 19, 2016

Welcome to the first day of the P4P Raglan Week! It’s looking like you are just as excited as we are! Let’s get the party started with Day 1: the Jolly Roger Raglan update + Jolly Roger Raglan Add-On pattern release!

Let’s talk the Jolly Roger Raglan update first! It’s one of the most tried and true patterns for kids in the Pattern for Pirates family, and we did a little tweaking to make it even better. First, we added the layers feature! We also gave the entire tutorial and pattern an overall facelift to make sure everything was perfect from neckband to hem and everything in between.

We have also adjusted the angle of the raglan-sleeve to better match the style of our two women’s raglans (the Relaxed Raglan and the Slim Fit Raglan). Our testers went through several rounds of the sleeve being adjusted before we all agreed on the fit. I think you will all love it too!

**If you already own the Jolly Roger Raglan, 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.

Now let’s talk the highly requested Add-On Pack for the Jolly Roger Raglan! You are going to love it so much! **You must own the Patterns for Pirates Jolly Roger Raglan as well, since this is an add-on and not a stand-alone pattern.

The Add-On Pack is full of super fun options:

Two hood types (traditional and cross-over funnel hoods)

Kangaroo Pocket

Cowl Neck

Inseam Pockets

Funnel Collar

Thumbhole Cuffs

Ruffle Hem

You can mix-match these options a million times over and still want to make more! (Just ask our fabulous testers!)

The Jolly Roger Raglan is available for purchase HERE.
Find the Jolly Roger Add-On Pack for purchase HERE.
Or, you can bundle the Jolly Roger + Add-On Packs together HERE.

Be sure to head over to our Facebook Group and check out all of the amazing tester creations for the Jolly Roger Raglan and the Jolly Roger Add-On Pack! They will provide for endless amounts of inspiration if you’re ever needing it!

Are you joining us for P4P Raglan Week? Be sure to share your creations on Instagram or in our Facebook group and use the tag: #P4PRaglanWeek !! One lucky person will be featured on the blog and win a P4P pattern of their choice!

Here’s the rest of the schedule for the week:

Monday, September 19: Jolly Roger Raglan Pattern Update + Jolly Roger Add-On Pack Pattern Release

Tuesday, September 20: JRR Woven Fabric Hack

Wednesday, September 21: JRR Animal Faces Add-On

Thursday, September 22: Contrast Band Hack for Kangaroo Pockets

Friday, September 23: Women’s Keyhole / Scoopback Raglan Hack

Saturday, September 24: Off-The-Shoulder Raglan Hack

Sunday, September 25: Adding Stripes to Your Raglan Sleeves

P4P Raglan Week! It’s Coming!

September 18, 2016

Arrrrrrrre you ready for some raglan-sewing tips, tricks and add-ons? We sure are!

In case you missed Nicole’s sneaky announcement yesterday, here’s another teaser to get you excited about the week ahead. Patterns for Pirates is dedicating an ENTIRE week to all things Raglan! And boy do we have the best week planned out for you!

We are constantly being asked what the best patterns are for beginners. Raglan-style shirts are excellent because of the sleeve type. They’re super fast to sew, fun to mix/match fabrics and prints with, and leave an unlimited amount of style possibilities. In fact, the Relaxed Raglan was the first ever P4P pattern that I (Katy) made for myself and I haven’t stopped making them since. I do hope you join us for all of the fun we are about to have!

Just take a look at our schedule!

Monday, September 19: Jolly Roger Raglan Pattern Update + Jolly Roger Add-On Pack Pattern Release

Tuesday, September 20: JRR Woven Fabric Hack

Wednesday, September 21: JRR Animal Faces Add-On

Thursday, September 22: Contrast Band Hack for Kangaroo Pockets

Friday, September 23: Women’s Keyhole / Scoopback Raglan Hack

Saturday, September 24: Off-The-Shoulder Raglan Hack

Sunday, September 25: Adding Stripes to Your Raglan Sleeves

You can follow along on the blog here, or in our Facebook group. Search #P4PRaglanWeek to be able to find our posts all over social media. And please feel free to sew-along with us on one or all of the days. The more the merrier!

But wait, there’s more! We wanted to create a friendly pirate-y competition with our P4P Raglan Week!

Between tomorrow and Wednesday, September 28, sew up a Patterns for Pirates raglan shirt shirt using one of our add-ons, hacks, or keep the pattern as-is. Share your photo with us on Instagram or in our Facebook group and use the tag#P4PRaglanWeek We will pick our favorite and the winner will win a free P4P pattern of choice AND be featured on this blog. Fun right?

To make it even better we have put all the raglan patterns in the shop on sale all week (no code needed)!

Now get out there and sew some raglans, matey!

Sweetheart SAL: Recap

March 21, 2016

Holy potatoes you guys! For our first Sew-A-Long, this was an amazing way to make it happen. Last week was an absolute blast and we’d like to thank you for hanging with us the entire time. There were so many remarkable dresses and peplums sewn in the last week…I can’t even handle it.

If you’d like to look back on the Sweetheart + Me Hearties dresses and peplums that were sewn and shared, go check out the album HERE.

Now let’s talk about the friendly little competition we were having. We had our gorgeous gals put their finished items into the album on Facebook and let the rest of the P4P family vote (with “likes”). Here are the three lucky gals that are walking away with some new P4P patterns! Congratulations ladies!

Fan Favorite: Molly Wynne Stonesifer

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Admin Pick: Brianna K. Karle

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Random Draw (but also incredibly gorgeous dress!): Heidi Hilmerson

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I hope you all had as much fun, and got as much out of it, as we did. Now go rock those circle skirts all over town!
Day 1: Fabric Selection.
Day 2: Printing + Measuring.
Day 3: Cutting Fabric.
Day 4: Bodice + Sleeves.
Day 5: Skirt + Hemming.
Day 6 & 7: Catch-Up Days.
Day 8: Recap + Winners Announced!

Sweetheart SAL Day 5: Skirt + Hemming

March 18, 2016

This is it! Your dress is almost finished! Today we are attaching the skirt to the bodice and hemming it. So excited!

floral

Since there is no gathering involved in the skirt portion, it is super easy and fast to attach the skirt. But because it’s a circle skirt, the bottom hem is vast…yet totally manageable. Here are some hem options that we like!

Hem option #1: Traditional Hem

For this, you simply fold the fabric up 1/2″ toward the wrong side, press, then fold another 1/2″ and topstitch. I like to run the serger around the edge of the fabric first, so there’s more of a solid edge to work with while folding. But it’s not necessary.

hem1

Hem option #2: Bind/Use Trim

Just like you did for the arm and neck openings, you can use knit binding, FOE, trim, or even a lace. Make sure you aren’t stretching your bindings at all. And be aware that this will make your length 1 inch longer. (The circumference lengths are already included in the pattern, to make it even easier on you!)

hem2

If using a trim, simply stitch your trim to the skirt edge, right sides together. Flip the trim down and topstitch.

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Hem option #3: Coverstitch

This gives you a more professional finish on your hems, but requires a coverstitch machine. (If you don’t have a coverstitch machine, you can simulate this look by serging the edge of your fabric, folding your fabric up 1/2 inch, and sewing with a double needle.)

Hem option #4: DON’T HEM!

Sound too good to be true? Perhaps. But in some cases, it just makes sense to leave the edges raw.
I totally left this new dress of mine with a raw edge on the skirt and I loved it. So much so that it called for a one-woman dance party.

sweetheart finished dance

**Hem tape is HUGELY helpful. With all versions of hemming, really. Some prefer a wash-away tape (like THIS), while others like to use a different type of stabilizer (like THIS).

YOU GUYS! We did it! You made it to the end and have finished a new, amazing, custom-fit, piece of clothing. We are so proud of you! If you’re sewing along with us, be sure to tag @PatternsforPirates and #P4PSWEETSAL on Instagram. And don’t forget to join us on the P4P event page: Sweetheart SAL on Facebook.

Thanks for sewing with us! Come back tomorrow to catch the linkup/contest for your completed Sweetheart or Me Hearties outfit. It’s going to be so amazing to see what you’ve made!

Day 1: Fabric Selection.
Day 2: Printing + Measuring.
Day 3: Cutting Fabric.
Day 4: Bodice + Sleeves.
Day 5: Skirt + Hemming.
Day 6 & 7: Catch-Up Days.
Day 8: Recap + Winners Announced!

Sweetheart SAL Day 4: Bodice + Sleeves

March 17, 2016

So. You’ve printed your pattern, figured out your size, and now cut your fabric. What’s next?

Let’s get to sewing! Today is about the top half of your pattern. We are going to stitch your bodice together. And we’ve got a trick to get a lower neckline (if that’s what you’re wanting in your pattern) as well as a sleeveless option for the Me Hearties pattern. Let’s get to it!

There are a ton of options for the bodice part of the Sweetheart/Me Hearties dresses. You can colorblock, do an overlay, choose your sleeve lengths, use FOE (fold over elastic)/trim/t-shirt neckband bindings, etc. Pick your poison when it comes to how you want to style your dress. The sky is the limit!

But let’s say that you wanted a lower neckline than what the pattern calls for. Can we do it? YES WE CAN!

I have a larger than average bust and tend to like a lower neckline on my shirts. Luckily, when you sew for yourself, this is super simple to do. Cut your front bodice piece out and determine where you’d like the neckline to sit.

**Keep in consideration your neckline finishing. For this particular top, I used a standard tshirt binding for the neck. But using FOE or trim will give you a wider neckline opening. So just make your adjustments according to your final vision for your top/dress.

Because we are adjusting the actual size of the opening, we will need to figure out new measurements for the neckband. Once your front and back bodices are pieces are sewn together at the shoulder, fold your piece out flat at the neckline. Without stretching your fabric, lay it flat and measure the opening. Multiply that number by 2. This is your new neckline circumference.

But what is your new neckband/FOE length requirements?
Neckline circumference X .85 + 1″ (for seam allowance) = Neckband/FOE length

Use your new length and finish the neckline however you’d like!

~SLEEVELESS AND OPTIONAL NECKLINE AND ARMHOLE FINISHING METHODS~

The girls Me Hearties does not have a tank option in the pattern but we are going to show you how to hack it… two ways! You can also apply these methods to the Sweetheart if you want a wider sleeveless option as well.

For both methods, you will calculate the bands the same. For consistency and as shown in the pattern, I did the bands in the flat. You can do it in the round if you prefer but will need to adjust your band measurements to include a seam allowance (like the neckband measurement shown above). If using the Trim Method, trim your pattern pieces first, then calculate your armbands.

How to calculate armband measurements: Sew one shoulder seam with 1/2″ seam allowance. Measure the armscye (as shown below) and multiply by .85.

TRIM METHOD: For this method, you will use your existing pattern pieces for the bodice (either the full front and back bodice or the top front and back of the color-block) and trim 1/2″ off each armscye. Proceed with the instructions in your pattern and use your favorite method to finish the neckline and armholes. (FOE, traditional knit binding, or lingerie elastic)