Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

Minute Maillot SAL – day 7 (winners announcement)

Absolutely beautiful job this week, friends! We have see and admired so many gorgeous Minute Maillot swim suits that made our decision a very difficult one to  make. Without keeping you waiting any longer…

Congratulations Karolina Linden!

Karolina won a $20 store credit to Patterns for Pirates and a $25 Gift Card from Boho Fabrics.

As always, we have two winners:

Great job, Megan Marie!

Megan will receive a $20 store credit to Made for Mermaids and a $25 Gift Card from Boho Fabrics.

A huge thank you to Emily from Boho Fabrics who sponsored the Minute Maillot SAL and also provided the fabric I used for my swim suit.

Colleen will be letting you all know the pattern we will be sewing together in August soon.

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 1

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 2

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 3

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 4

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 5

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 6

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 7

Minute Maillot SAL – day 6 ( finish arms, legs and neckline)

We made it to the last day of the Sew Along!! You’ve all been doing amazing this past week. All we have left to do (for both the youth and adult Minute Maillot) is to finish the arms, legs and neckline opening. This consists of three steps, sewing the elastic in a loop, attaching the elastic to the opening and hemming.

Tip: Write on each elastic where you will be adding it, eg: arm. This way you make sure you don’t accidentally add an arm elastic to the leg opening.

I highly recommend sewing the elastic with a wide zig zag stitch to minimize bulk. If you prefer using your serger for this step, you can. It’s just not my first choice. When hemming I love using a wide coverstitch with wooly or bulky nylon in the looper. If that is not an option, a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine will work just as well.

You did it!! All you have to do now is post a picture of your finished Minute Maillot swim suit (modeled or not) in the comments of the day 6 photo of this sew along’s album. Reminder, only photos posted in the comments of DAY 6 photo will qualify for the prize. You are most definitely welcome to share on the wall as well (the SAL group and P4P group). Good luck!

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 1

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 2

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 3

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 4

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 5

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 6

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 7

Minute Maillot SAL – day 5 (sew side and crotch seams)

Almost there! Today the project will take swim suit shape when we stitch the side seams and the bottom seam. woohoo! 🙂 Grab your lining and main swim and let’s get started!

If you are making the partially lined version then your lining side seams are already sewn from day 3. For the fully lined option you will lay the lining and main fabric similar to the way you did the shoulder seams yesterday. ALWAYS triple check with the pattern instruction before stitching the side and crotch seam to make sure all layers are placed correctly.

Ruffles 

If you added ruffles to your little one’s Minute Maillot today you are adding them to the swim suite. I recommend using a disappearing pen like the Frixion to mark the placement of the ruffles.

Tip: use a Wash away Wonder Tape to keep your ruffles in place when while sewing them on with a zig zag stitch. It will not gum up your needles and as soon as the suit hits the water it will disappear.

Here is day 5’s video. Take a look and once you finish sewing the side and crotch seam, snap a picture of your progress and post it in the comments of day 5 photo of the MM sew along album.

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 1

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 2

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 3

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 4

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 5

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 6

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 7

Minute Maillot SAL – day 4 (sew shoulder seams)

Good morning, friends! Today is a short, quick sewing day. We are only sewing the shoulder seams. You can do this step on your sewing machine using a triple stretch stitch or a lightning bolt stitch or you can use your serger.

The most important thing is to layer the pieces exactly as instructed in the tutorial. This is imperative to ensure that the seam allowance in enclosed and feels comfortable against your skin. If you are adding the bust lining AND full lining you will have 6 layers at the shoulder seam, instead of 4.

Below is today’s video. Once you finish your steps post a picture in the comments of day 4 photo of the Minute Maillot SAL album in the Sew Along group.

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 1

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 2

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 3

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 4

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 5

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 6

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 7

Minute Maillot SAL – day 3 ( sew bust lining / prepare ruffles)

Ahoy, pirates! On day 3 of our sew along we sewing the bust lining if you are making the adult Minute Maillot and/or prepping the ruffles if you are doing the youth swim suit. You will need the bust lining if you do not want to fully line your MM or if you want to add cups to a fully lined one.

Bust lining

Note: If you are sewing the low back option you will have 3 pieces for the bust lining, one for the front and two mirrored ones for the back. For the mid and high back the bust lining is only two pieces, one front and one back.

For extra support, I have decided to add cups to my bust lining. The cups should be sewn to the wrong side of the bust lining, this way when worn, they will be sandwiched between the main print and the lining.

Ruffles

Tip: When gathering the ruffles use two rows of stitching 1/4″ away from each other. This will yield uniform gatherings and a “back up” should the one of the stitching break.

Take a look over the day three video below and post  picture of your progress in the comments of day 3  picture of the Minute Maillot SAL album.

 

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 1

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 2

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 3

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 4

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 5

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 6

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 7

Minute Maillot SAL – day 2 (cut fabric and gather supplies)

Welcome to day 2 of our Minute Maillot sew along. Today we will be choosing the fabric, cutting it and gathering all necessary notions. To make the MM you will need swim fabric, lining, swim elastic and optionally power mesh or swim cups.

Judy made this very in depth video about various swim fabric, notions and how to accurately take your measurements to create the perfect custom swim suit. I highly encourage you to watch it:

For my Minute Maillot I decided to go with a gorgeous nylon swim I got from Boho Fabrics. I will be making the low back, mid front, high leg option with a bust lining. I am using solid black swim, also from Boho, for lining and cotton swim elastic for the arms, legs and neckline.

The Day 2 video is posted below. Check it out and once you are done cutting your fabric post a picture of your prepped fabric in the comments of the Day 2 photo of the SOS SAL album in the M4M & P4P Sew Along group.

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 1

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 2

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 3

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 4

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 5

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 6

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 7

Minute Maillot SAL – day 1 (print and cut pattern)

Welcome to the Minute Maillot

Sew Along!

Day 1 is for purchasing the patterns, printing and cutting the size(s) you need. If you plan on sewing for yourself you can get the Minute Maillot here, if you’re sewing for your little one, the Youth MM can be purchased here and if you’re sewing for both of you (just think of the mommy and me matching outfits!) you can get the bundle.

This Sew Along will take place in our M4M & P4P Sew Along group so be sure to join the group not only for the exclusive discount code available for the patterns but also to post your progress this week. As always all daily posts will be here on the blog but you’ll be checking in with your completed steps in the group.

This sew along is sponsored by Boho Fabrics. Emily has graciously offered our pirates and mermaids a discount. Code MAILLOT20 (valid until July 14th) will save you 20% off swim fabrics, notions and mesh in case they needed other supplies for the perfect suit 😊 (Happy hour bundles are excluded from the sale code since they are already discounted )

Now that you have your pattern printed, time to cut the correct size(s). Patterns for Pirates drafts for 5’5″ height for the Women pattern so do not forget to adjust for height too. For swimwear, especially one piece swim suites like the Minute Maillot it’s important to measure your trunk as well. Measure inside shoulder, across your bust, down through your legs, over the booty and back up and over the shoulder.

P4P has an amazing blog that gives you tip for accurately taking your measurements. You can read all about it here. If your measurements put you in a different size for bust/waist/hips be sure to check out our P4P University blog and grade to achieve the perfect fit.

The Basics of Sewing Swim blog post has a lot of useful information, especially if you’re making swimwear for the first time.

Check out the day 1 video below and then comment “done” on the Day 1 picture of the SOS knit pants SAL album in the sew along group. We don’t allow pictures of the pattern pieces so this will count as your day 1 check in. Let’s get started!

 

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 1

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 2

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 3

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 4

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 5

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 6

Minute Maillot SAL | Day 7

SOS sal day 2 (cut fabric)

 

Welcome to day 2 of our SOS knit pants sew along. Today we will be choosing the fabric, cutting it and gathering all necessary notions. You should have your pattern pieces ready from yesterday. If you haven’t removed the top part of the pocket on the front pieces, now is the time to do it.

But first let’s talk a little about the right fabric for the SOS pants. As you can see in the video below I am using a gorgeous athletic knit from Kammie Lou Lou for my SOS skinny pants. This poly base knit is custom printed and the perfect medium weight. For the straight leg I absolutely love French Terry or Baby French Terry for a casual/sporty feel and ponte for a more elegant look. I highly encourage you to avoid thinner knits like double brushed poly, low weight cotton spandex or bamboo spandex.

Kammie Lou Lou is this sew along’s sponsor too, so one of you will be getting a $75 Gift Card to the retail shop so you can treat your to some gorgeous custom printed fabric.

You will also need 1″ or 1.25″ elastic for the waistband. Not all elastic is the same, so keep that in mind when you choose knit elastic vs no roll elastic.

The Day 2 video is posted below. Check it out and once you are done cutting your fabric post a picture of your prepped fabric in the comments of the Day 2 photo of the SOS SAL album in the M4M & P4P Sew Along group.

 

SOS sew along | Day 1 – Print and cut pattern

SOS sew along | Day 2 – Cut fabric

SOS sew along | Day 3 – Back: pocket, yoke, inseam

SOS sew along | Day 4 – Front: pocket, inseam

SOS sew along | Day 5 – Leg inseam, side seam, hem

SOS sew along | Day 6 – Waistband

SOS sew along | Day 7 – Winners announcement

SOS sal day 1 (print and cut pattern)

Welcome to the SOS knit pants

Sew Along!

Day 1 is for purchasing the patterns, printing and cutting the size(s) you need. If you plan on sewing for yourself you can get the SOS Knit Pants here, if you’re sewing for your little one, the Youth SOS pants can be purchased here and if you’re sewing for both of you (just think of the mommy and me matching outfits!) you can get the bundle.

This Sew Along will take place in our M4M & P4P Sew Along group so be sure to join the group not only for the exclusive discount code available for the patterns but also to post your progress this week. As always all daily posts will be here on the blog but you’ll be checking in with your completed steps in the group.

The SOS Sew Along is sponsored by Kammie Lou Lou fabrics and Stacy has graciously offered our pirates and mermaids 10% off retail with code “Sal10″.

Now that you have your pattern printed, time to cut the correct size (s). Patterns for Pirates drafts for 5’5″ height for the Women pattern so do not forget to adjust for height too. Make sure to check your inseam against the finish inseam of the style pants you chose. I am 5’5″ BUT my crotch to ankle inseam  is 28″ so I have to remove 2″ from the skinny pants since the finished inseam is 30”.

You will need your waist, hips and calf measurements in order to choose the correct pants. P4P has an amazing blog that gives you tip for accurately taking your measurements. You can read all about it here. If your measurements put you in a different size for waist/hips be sure to check out our P4P University blog and grade to achieve the perfect fit.

We always recommend making a muslin with the same type of fabric you plan to use for your “real” pair to make sure you get the perfect fit. Judy put together a great P4P University Blog that talks about pants and their wrinkles. You can read in there about some easy fixes for common problems.

Check out the day 1 video below and then comment “done” on the Day 1 picture of the SOS knit pants SAL album in the sew along group. We don’t allow pictures of the pattern pieces so this will count as your day 1 check in. Let’s get started!

SOS sew along | Day 1 – Print and cut pattern

SOS sew along | Day 2 – Cut fabric

SOS sew along | Day 3 – Back: pocket, yoke, inseam

SOS sew along | Day 4 – Front: pocket, inseam

SOS sew along | Day 5 – Leg inseam, side seam, hem

SOS sew along | Day 6 – Waistband

SOS sew along | Day 7 – Winners announcement

Sporty Piko – easy hacks

Ahoy, matey! As with most of our new releases, the P4P blog team has some easy hacks ready for you to help achieve even more looks. First stop by the shop and grab the Sporty Piko and Youth Sporty Piko, then let’s get started.

….

Solid Back

You might have noticed that both the Sporty Piko and the Youth SP feature a color blocked back to allow for multiple prints or color fabric to be showcased. Well, what if you want a solid back without the horizontal seam? Super easy hack!

Start by printing your preferred style. Now grab the two back pieces. At this point you can do one of two things- remove the 1/2″ seam allowance from each piece and tape together (shown in first picture). Shown in the second picture, you could also fold each piece up 1/2″ and butt the two pieces together, matching the FOLD line and the side seam and …boom! There you have your new back pattern piece.

 

Cut your pattern pieces and sew the shirt as per the tutorial. Simply skip the steps that show you how to sew the two back pieces.

Tadah! All done! One more option to add to the Sporty Piko styles.

My little man absolutely loves his new shirt but if you want to treat yourself to an adult Sporty Piko with a solid back, simply follow the same steps and enjoy!

 

…..

Elastic crop top

Maybe you want a cute crop but aren’t interested in fussing with the drawstring option?  I’ve got you covered!

Follow all of the instructions for the crop option, including the 1″ hem.

Top stitch around the entire folded edge, leaving around a 3″ opening to thread the elastic through.  (I like to position my opening on the back portion of my items, but it’s really a personal preference.

Using 3/4″ knit elastic, cut a length that is your waist measurement, minus 2″.

Feed the elastic through the opening.

Overlap the raw edges of the elastic, being careful not to twist it, by 1″.  Sew the overlapped pieces together, using a stretch stitch.

Close up the opening of the bottom hem, and enjoy your new crop!

…..

Banded crop top

Elastic… draw string… and now we’re bringing to you a third option to finish off your crop top versions- a banded option. This is a quick and easy way to finish off your top, especially for those of us who are opposed to the dreaded finishing hem! 🙂

To create this look, you will need to cut out all of your pieces needed for the cropped version, as well as a band (discussed later). Once you’ve cut out your pieces, you will want to trim 1″ off of both the front and back pieces (everything else will remain the same).

Assemble your shirt as per the pattern directions. Once you’ve completed your shirt, it is now time to attach the band. You will want to measure the total bottom hem of your shirt. To calculate the final width of your band, you will take your total measurement x 90%. Then add 1″ for the seam allowance. For the women’s version, I recommend a length of 4″ and for the youth, a length of 3-4″, depending on where you would like the finished length to be.

Using the instructions for the banded version in the tutorial, attach your bad. That’s it! Go off and enjoy that new shirt you’ve just finished up using one of our three finishing options.

~Erinn and Nicole

Now that you got your patterns and looked over our easy hacks, time to sew! Remember to share your creations in the P4P Facebook group so we can all admire them.

Newest Patterns