Cozy Wrap Sew Along – day 3

January 27, 2021

Good morning, pirates! What a wonderful start to the sew along it has been! Today we add the bottom bands. All Cozy Wrap lengths have the same bottom finish. The most important tip I can give you for today’s steps is to start by pressing all 3 bottom bands. Fold them wrong sides together along the length and give them a good steam press! This will help tremendously when you attach them to the bottom raw edge.

Unfold the back band and sew each side folded right sides together. Turn the band out! See how easy that was now that it was pressed. You’ll repeat this steps for the two front bands, except you will only be sewing on one of the sides for each, not both.

The bottom bands are cut at 1:1 ratio to the raw edge of the top so you will not be stretching them to fit. You can sew these steps with a sewing machine or a serger, just remember to keep a constant 1/2″ seam allowance. All you have left to do is give your stitches a good steam press to reduce any waviness from sewing.

You can see today’s steps in the video below. Remember to take a picture of your progress and post it in the comments of day 3 Cozy Wrap sew along album.

See you back here tomorrow!

Cozy Wrap SAL day 1 | Cut fabric

Cozy Wrap SAL day 2 | Sew shoulder and side seams

Cozy Wrap SAL day 3 | Add bottom bands

Cozy Wrap SAL day 4 | Add neckband

Cozy Wrap SAL day 5 | Add sleeves

Cozy Wrap SAL day 6 | Add waist tie

Cozy Wrap SAL day 7 | Winners announcement

Cozy Wrap Sew Along – day 2

January 26, 2021

Let’s start sewing! Today we stitch the shoulder seams and side seams. If you are making the midi length and your fabric has lots of vertical stretch I encourage you add clear elastic the shoulder seams. It will help prevent any stretching during wear. I am using a waffle knit with minimal vertical stretch for my tunic Cozy Wrap so there is no need for shoulder reinforcements.

Once the shoulder seams are done we sew the side seams. Yes! This Cozy Wrap pattern has the sleeves added in the round so we will do that in a couple of days. For the side seams you must use your sewing machine as well. Remember, the whole pattern can be sewn with a sewing machine (using stretch stitches). If you chose to use the serger, like I have, you do need to stitch part of the side seams with the sewing machine to ensure a nice clean finish. You can see in the video below achieved a beautiful side seams going between my two favorite machines.

Once you finish today’s steps, post a photo of your progress in the comments of the Day 2 photo of this sew along’s album. You can find the album (and lots of new sewing friends 😉) here, in the SAL group.

Cozy Wrap SAL day 1 | Cut fabric

Cozy Wrap SAL day 2 | Sew shoulder and side seams

Cozy Wrap SAL day 3 | Add bottom bands

Cozy Wrap SAL day 4 | Add neckband

Cozy Wrap SAL day 5 | Add sleeves

Cozy Wrap SAL day 6 | Add waist tie

Cozy Wrap SAL day 7 | Winners announcement

Cozy Wrap Sew Along – day 1

January 25, 2021

Welcome to the Cozy Wrap Sew Along!

Happy New Year! I’m so excited to start our 2021 sew alongs with the Cozy Wrap top. The pattern comes in Youth and Adult and you purchase the bundle and save. Don’t forget the Cozy Pants if you’re looking to pair your top with a new bottoms. If you are still undecided which style to make, our Round Up blog will give you an overview of all options included, from sleeve styles to top lengths. You can also use the Easy Hacks blog for added options.

Let’s start by taking the measurements needed for the best fit. P4P has an amazing blog that gives you tips for accurately taking your measurements. You can read all about it here. If your measurements put you in a different size for chest/waist/hips be sure to check out our P4P University blog and grade to achieve the perfect fit. Our most recent patterns include videos as well. On page 3 you will notice an active button that will take you to the video about adding or removing length. Please refer to it if you are taller or shorter than 5’5″.

Still debating which knit type will work best for your desired look? Take a look over our P4P University Knit Types blog. We also included a cheat sheet that you can print. If you are like me and sometime are just keen on using a specific print for a specific pattern, read our Different fabric, different fit blog post before you cut your fabric.

The Cozy Wrap patterns includes a shirt, tunic, knee and midi length as well as short sleeves, long hemmed sleeves and gathered sleeves. This pattern is drafted from light to medium weight fabrics with 20-30% stretch. The Cozy Wrap can be worn both as a wrap or as a cardigan. For my Cozy Wrap tunic I will be using January’s Fabric for Pirates. Fabric for Pirates is this sew along’s sponsor so our winner will get to enjoy their very own January box!

Day 1 video is posted below. I have used the projector file . Once you cut the fabric, post a picture of your pretty pile in the comments of DAY 1 photo of the Cozy Wrap album in the M4M & P4P Sew Along Group.

Cozy Wrap SAL day 1 | Cut fabric

Cozy Wrap SAL day 2 | Sew shoulder and side seams

Cozy Wrap SAL day 3 | Add bottom bands

Cozy Wrap SAL day 4 | Add neckband

Cozy Wrap SAL day 5 | Add sleeves

Cozy Wrap SAL day 6 | Add waist tie

Cozy Wrap SAL day 7 | Winners announcement

Sweater Weather – easy hacks

January 23, 2021

From brrrrrr to ummmm! This cold days, stay nice and warm with the newest P4P pattern, the Sweater Weather! Our blog contributors team has put together some quick and easy hacks to give you even more options to the pattern. Dana is showing you how to make a wonderful Sweater Weather dress, Jody ditches the side seams for a classic banded look and I took the sweater from winter to summer. Let’s get started!

…..

Dress

I live in sweater dresses in the winter months because it gets cold in the UK. I couldn’t resist doing a little hack to the new Sweater Weather length to recreate a Pinspiration I’ve had on my to-do list for a while.

I measured the front pattern piece and then held the tape measure up to myself to decide how much length I wanted to add. I decided to go with 6 inches extra added to the tunic length, which is a little more that I would normally add but there is a hi-low cutline, and so I wanted to make sure the front would be long enough for decency.

I use a projector these days and it was as simple as adding 6 inches extra length to the bottom of the front and back bodice pattern pieces, which I did on the fly with my perspex quilting ruler and rotary cutter.

However I also printed out the pattern piece so you could see how it would work on paper too. The pink paper is the added section. I then decided to mark the notch for my side slit 2 inches up from the bottom edge of the pattern, but this would be up to you. I chase a 7 year old and a puppy around all day so I didn’t want that side split going too high, but you could go with whichever height you choose. Then repeat for your back piece.

The only other change I made was to copy the bishop sleeve look from my inspiration pic, and I did that by just cutting the bell sleeve width to the slim cuffed sleeve length. Projector and paper pattern piece pictures below:

Then I cheekily used my overlocker/serger to gather the bottom of the sleeve by increasing my stitch length and differential feed to their highest setting and whipping round the bottom of the sleeve piece, which gathered it in just enough to fit the cuff. Perfect!

Finally just construct the rest of the garment as per the instructions in the tutorial, and you’re done!

Happy Sewing!

Dana x

…..

No side split

Hey everyone! I have another super quick hack for you. As fun as that side split is that comes in the pattern, I was wanting a most basic top, so I decided to do without the side split for this! It’s as simple as adding a bit of length to the front bodice piece, and sewing the two waistband pieces together in a circle! I’ll break it down for you below.

First, you’ll need to make your front and back bodice pieces the same length. I chose to do Top length for this one, and the front bodice piece was about a little over an inch shorter than the back. Since I also use my projector and don’t print out the pattern pieces, I marked the new Top cut line digitally on my PDF file on my computer. In order to figure out how much length to add, I measured from the Split Marking on the side seam down to the Top cut line on the BACK bodice piece. For my size, that distance measured 2.65 inches.

I then measured down from the Split Marking on the side seam of the FRONT bodice piece and marked where the new Top cut line should be. (Doing this with Paper pattern pieces, you would simply lay the back bodice piece over the front piece and see how much extra to add to the bottom of the front!)

This is what the new digitally measured cut line looks like when projected.

Once I cut my bodice pieces (following the newly marked cut line for the front bodice!) You can see that my front and back bodices are the same length now!

Next, you can sew up your shoulder seams, add the sleeves, and then sew your side seams. When sewing the side seams, instead of stopping your stitches at the split marking like you would have to do if you were making the side split, you can just keep on keeping on and sew right on down to the bottom! Like so:

Lastly, you’ll need to create and attach your waistband. Take your two waistband pieces and place them right sides together. Stitch them together along the short ends.

Now fold the waistband circle wrong sides together aligning the raw edges. You can now slip the waistband on the bottom of the sweater, aligning raw edges, and sew in place.

Now you have a comfy sweater without the extra side split!

Happy Sewing!

-Jody

….

Short sleeves

Last but certainly not least I wanted to show you how easy it is to take the Sweater Weather from chilly months to hot summer days. It’s as simple as using lighter fabric and making it short sleeves. For my example, I used custom bamboo spandex (my favorite fabric base!). There are not many modifications you need to do to get the look. Simply skip cutting the sleeves and sleeve cuffs when you gather your pieces.

Sew the shoulder seems and instructed. Press the sleeve opening 1/2″, wrong sides together as shown below. This will create a memory hem.

Sew the shirt side seams. Using your favorite stretch stitch (I used my coverstitch) hem the sleeves 1/2″. Press again for a crisp look.

Tadah! Easiest hack ever! Continue sewing your Sweater Weather top as per the tutorial.

ALTERNATIVE HACK: If you prefer a longer short sleeve, you can band it instead of hemming it. Before sewing the side seams, measure the opening. Cut two bands 4″ tall by the measurement you just did. Sew each band in a loop (at the short ends) using 1/2″ seam allowance. Press length wise, wrong sides together. Sew the shirt side seams. Attach the cuffs to the sleeve opening, matching the side seam. Press and optionally top stitch the seam allowance towards the sleeve. There you have it! A cuffed short sleeve.

How adorable is Teri? She tested the Sweater Weather top and made herself a tie die short sleeve one too.

How fun and easy were these? We can’t wait to see your take on these hacks. Share your creations in the Patterns for Pirates FB group or on any social media platforms you use!

2020, A Year in Review

December 28, 2020

This year was definitely a strange one…but you don’t need me telling you that. Let’s keep it light by recapping all of the fun things that happened in our teeny, tiny Patterns for Pirates corner of the world. I haven’t always done recaps, but it’s fun for me (and I hope for you too) to see just what we did during the year! So without further ado… here is what P4P accomplished during 2020:

We added 10 new patterns to the shop (20 if you count the youth and adult as separate patterns!):

In order of release:

I truly love each and every pattern we put out this year! (I might even be wearing some Cozy Pants and Cozy Wrap as I’m typing up this very blog post.)

We did some extra Free patterns this year because we felt like more people could use some smiles throughout this rougher year. So, here are all the freebies we released!

In order of release:

We also made an announcement about how our free downloads are handled. Starting 1/1/2021 when you check out with a freebie it will stay in your download section for 30 days. After 30 days it will expire. You can either download it to your own device or go through the checkout process again if you need to reprint in the future and didn’t save it. The freebies will always remain free and will always be there if you don’t want to save them to your own device/cloud/etc.

What else did we do this year? How about some special events we held…

Or what Sew A Longs we put on?

You can find each Sew A Long on our blog and as a playlist on our YouTube Channel:

I always love to see what the most popular patterns are through the year as well!

In order of popularity:

Gala Gown (Dec 2019),
Cocoon Cardigan (Jan 2017),
Oversized Sweater (Jan 2020),
Flutter Wrap Top and Dress (March 2020)
Runabout Romper- Bundle (May 2020).

It looks the Pirate Community as whole likes to be equal parts glamorous and comfy… exactly how I feel too!

Let’s look at the most popular freebies this year!

Here are some links in case you want to snag these favorite freebies for yourself:

And our most popular YouTube Videos while we’re at it! We worked hard trying to add more videos into Patterns for Pirates this year, I hope you enjoyed the added videos!

I was surprised to not see the Infinity Scarf with Hidden Zipper Pocket in the top freebies, but since it is on the blog and not downloaded that is probably why! You don’t need to “checkout” or download any pattern pieces to make one up. 😉

We work hard on all social media fronts to make Patterns for Pirates easy for you to find and enjoy. Here are some social media highlights from this year:

Our blog is run mostly by the wonderful Alex- you know her from our Sew A Longs! But we also have a team of contributors who help up write up blogs… together we managed to put out 6 more P4P University blog posts…these are great beginner blogs answering the questions we see asked the most frequently in the P4P FB group! So, if you ever have a basic sewing question hop onto the P4P blog and use that search… we are working on having the answers for you!

P4P University added this year: Waistbands , Elastics , Grommets , Easy Gathering Methods, Sewing Machine vs. Serger , Intended vs. Preferred Fit , and Sewing with Swim . You can also find all the P4P University blogs rounded up in the FB Group Album!

Here are a few more highlights from the different Social Media outlets we use to keep you in the loop! If you follow me on each one you will notice I use them all slightly differently. I tend to share more selfies, in the moment/candid pictures and sneak peeks on my Instagram. I use the Facebook Group and Page to announce new patterns, sales, etc. I use the Blog to keep all details from everything from new patterns, sales, how tos, hacks, etc. The YouTube channel of course has all our videos from sew a longs, P4P universities, and tutorial videos as well.

Thank you to all the new followers, members, etc and for everyone who was here already and stayed with us! I appreciate each and every single one of the follows, members, subscribers, etc!

I’m excited to see what 2021 will bring for Patterns for Pirates as well- I wish you all a Happy New Year!

2nd Annual Holiday Charity Week – 2020

December 20, 2020

I began an annual tradition last year of giving a large portion of profits from the week of Christmas to a charity. It makes my heart full to be able to reach out a helping hand, with the assistance of the Patterns for Pirates community. I just hope that our donations will allow a little extra support for those who need it.

We’ve opted to support the same charities that were benefactors last year. They may change in the future but for this year at least, they will remain the same.

I will be donating to both Action Against Hunger and a local North Texas Food Bank. With the hardships that 2020 has brought upon everyone, so many more families need help getting enough food on the table and I hope this week will help get more food to more tables in need both here locally for area and across the world with Action Against Hunger.

You do not need to do anything special for your purchase to count toward the funds being donated during charity week. 40% of every single pattern purchase during this time frame will be donated automatically. *Note- the Fabric for Pirates Fabric Subscriptions transactions will not go through until the 1st of the month, which means even if you sign up during this week the transaction will not apply to this charity week.

If you’ve been eyeing any patterns for your stash, now is the perfect time to grab it and help make our donation amounts even bigger!

Thank you and Happy Holidays,

Judy

Fall Into Fashion – November 30 :: Summer Cover Up

November 30, 2020

All November long, we are looking to “Fall Into Fashion” with some sewing and style fun. As the weather cools down, fashion heats up! This time of year can provide some of the best opportunities for styling yourself.

Have you ever heard the term “capsule wardrobe”? It is the practice of editing your wardrobe down to your favorite clothes (aka the items that fit your fashion sense, your body, and your lifestyle right now), remixing them regularly, and shopping/sewing less often and more intentionally.

Here at Patterns for Pirates headquarters, we thought it would be so fun to show you how to do this with your handmade wardrobe! We hired some incredible sewists from the Pirate Community and asked them to sew a pattern from our collection, and then show you how to get more wearability out of it. They are showing up each day to remix a different P4P pattern AND the pattern of the day will be on sale for that 24-hour period. So fun, right?

TODAY’S FEATURED PATTERN

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Pattern: Summer Cover Up

Quick Description: This beginner/intermediate pattern has all the style you need in a loose, flowy, comfortable cover up! The loose fit and trendy style will give you that effortless boho look with a super quick and easy sew, you will want one for everyday! Suggested fabrics are a lightweight knit, or lightweight specialty woven with a soft drape like chiffon, rayon challis, peachskin, ect. This is why I have intermediate (since these fabrics can be slightly more challenging to sew), otherwise this is a very easy, simple sew!

Includes options for straight hemline, curved hemline and robe length. Sleeves include banded, trim or hemmed options. Also includes sash option for robe/cover up.

This pattern is on sale only thru tonight, at 11:59pm CST. If you’ve had your eye on it, don’t wait to jump on the deal!

Make sure you check out Instagram and Facebook today, for more fun videos and photos from our featured sewist! But before you go, here are a few quick pics to keep you inspired!

Fall Into Fashion – November 29 :: Wiggle Dress

November 29, 2020

TODAY’S FEATURED PATTERN

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Pattern: Wiggle Dress

Quick Description: This classic, tight fit pencil dress can be an everyday dress in a more casual knit, or a real show stopper in the floor length and a structured knit! It is drafted for a more stable knit like ponte roma, stretch velvet, stretch lace, liverpool, but you can also use a more casual double brushed polyester, thicker sweater knit, or a spandex blend french terry.

It has a center seam along the back from a close fit along your curves. Some lengths include a kick pleat for walking ease. You can put in a zipper to make it easier to get on and off or leave it off and wiggle in and out of it 😉 . The traditional set in sleeves and off the shoulder both come with short sleeve, half sleeve, 3/4 sleeve and long sleeve to make sure you can sew it up for all seasons. Lengths include a crop at natural waistline, top at full hip, just above knee, just below knee, midi/calf length and the stunning floor length that has a mermaid flare at the bottom for such a flattering silhouette.

This pattern is on sale only thru tonight, at 11:59pm CST. If you’ve had your eye on it, don’t wait to jump on the deal!

Make sure you check out Instagram and Facebook today, for more fun videos and photos from our featured sewist! But before you go, here are a few quick pics to keep you inspired!

Fall Into Fashion – November 28 :: Twist Back Top

November 28, 2020

TODAY’S FEATURED PATTERN

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Pattern: Twist Back Top

Quick Description: This pattern is a quick and simple sew that will impress! It has a dropped dolman sleeve style with a loose, slouchy fit throughout the sleeves and body. It is semi-fitted through high hip. The tank option makes for a great work out or summery top. It also includes a short sleeve dolman sleeve you can add a bit more coverage with, but still keep cool in those warmer months. You can add long sleeves and create a super fun sweater or pull over for the colder months. The extra long sleeve length will make you feel like curling up and snuggling! This pattern includes both a tank neckline that is a classic crew and a wider neckline for the sleeved options. You can choose to add a back shoulder strap to keep the shoulders where they should be, or you can leave it off and have an off the shoulder style with wider neckline on the sleeved options…hello sexy, slouchy sweater.

This pattern is on sale only thru tonight, at 11:59pm CST. If you’ve had your eye on it, don’t wait to jump on the deal!

Make sure you check out Instagram and Facebook today, for more fun videos and photos from our featured sewist! But before you go, here are a few quick pics to keep you inspired!

Fall Into Fashion – November 27 :: Slim Fit Raglan

November 27, 2020

TODAY’S FEATURED PATTERN

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Pattern: Slim Fit Raglan

Quick Summary: The semi fitted design allows for almost every knit from lightweight to medium weight, favorites of mine are french terry, jersey, medium weight sweater knits, and rayon spandex.

Includes sleeve options of short, 3/4 hemmed or banded, long hemmed or banded, so you can wear this year round. Has both shirt length (hits at mid-booty) and tunic length (hitting below booty–perfect to wear with leggings) so you can pair with all kinds of bottoms perfectly. Both lengths have a hemmed or banded option. Also includes a curved hem option.

This pattern is on sale only thru tonight, at 11:59pm CST. If you’ve had your eye on it, don’t wait to jump on the deal!

Make sure you check out Instagram and Facebook today, for more fun videos and photos from our featured sewist! But before you go, here are a few quick pics to keep you inspired!