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Vintage Jumper – Easy Hacks

October 1, 2020

The Vintage Romper is here and we couldn’t be more excited to share with you the blog team’s take on some easy hacks. Grab your patterns and let’s get started!

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Pants/skirt

Do you love shorts like we love shorts?! Then you’re in the right place. I’m going to spend a little time today showing you how to hack the new Vintage Romper into a shorts or skirt only piece. It couldn’t be easier and I have even filmed a little tutorial showing you how to adapt the waistband pattern piece and then put the waistband together too, which you can find here:

However, if you like it old skool here is the written blog post.

First you will want to cut out your skirt or pants pieces as per the regular tutorial. Then take your waistband piece and double the height of it. I used the Youth pattern to make mine and this measured 2 inches in height so I doubled it to make it 4 inches tall and then cut the length out as usual. I wasn’t going to use the strap pieces so I extended the waistband height out over the strap piece here, just to save paper. Cut your waistband lining piece out in the same way.

Waistband piece cut with the height doubled

shorts pieces, pockets, waistband outer and lining.

You will then have your pants/shorts/skirt pieces; pockets if using; extended waistband pieces; interfacing if using. Construct the rest of your garment as usual until you get to the section where you have to attach the waistband. You will attach the waistband as per the tutorial, the only difference being you don’t have the bib and straps to sandwich between the outer and lining of the waistband pieces. So you will attach the waistband outer right sides together with the pants/skirt.

Waistband with overhang

You will have an overhang of the waistband over the edge of the pants piece . This is correct, it enables you to attach a fastening for the top of the waistband at the end, like a button and buttonhole or poppers. Then sew the lining right sides together with the outer, up one short edge, along the top and down the other short edge.

Clip your corners, turn it through.

Topstitching after pressing

Press and topstitch around the entire waistband.

Then finish off your garment as per the regular tutorial instructions and you’re done!

We style them with tights, Doc Martins and a crop length Hepburn. I loved it so much on the shorts I had to do it for the skirt too!

Anyone else find that their child turns into a karate expert as soon as you turn on a camera?!

Obviously you can also just sew this up with the regular height of the original waistband too. The choice is all yours!

Happy sewing!

Dana x

Front zipper

Up next we wanted to show you a different style jumper that can be achieved with the new Vintage pattern. Let’s add a zipper to the front instead of the side. This a s great opportunity to show off your favorite zippers and pulls. For my example I am using zipper by the yard with a fun rainbow finish zipper pull. I also went with a Doodles French Terry instead of stretch woven. Cut your pattern as instructed in the tutorial. You will make two changes. Remove the part of the waistband beyond the notch on both ends. Repeat for the waistband lining. The other modification would be for the bib. Cut two 2 mirror images instead of 1 set mirror pieces and the lining on fold.

After sewing the darts on the back pants pieces, sew the back crotch seam and the two side seams. The pants will not be sewn at the front crotch just yet.

Prepare the bib by sewing the left side main and lining piece right sides together along the top and slanted side raw edge. Repeat for the ride side bib. You will now have two bib piece that will have raw edges on the vertical center seam and bottom.

Attach the main print waistband to the pants right sides together by matching the center to the center back and the raw edged to the front raw front seam.

Pin the straps matching the strap placement notches. Place the bib on the top edge of the waistband, right sides together matching the raw edges. Repeat on the other side with the other half of the bib. Place the lining on top, right side down, sandwiching the bib in between the main and lining waistband. Stitch in place.

Mark the place of the zipper stop on the wrong sides of the fabric. Place the front of the jumper right sides together matching the front raw edge. Baste in place from the top to the marked point and sew in place down from that point along the front crotch seam. Attach the zipper using the same technique as in the Vintage Jumper tutorial.

Finish your jumper by attaching the straps to the front and hemming. All done! I can’t wait to see your take on this hack.

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Overall buckles

Love the Vintage Jumper, but you’re terrified of button holes? Never fear! Buckles are here!

Adding buckles as a button replacement is an easy and super cute hack… no extra sewing involved!

For the Vintage Jumper, you’ll need 1 ¼” buckles. I ordered mine from WAWAK and they came within 2 days, but you can also order from Amazon or pick them up in your local fabric store.

I’ve put together a video tutorial, but if you prefer written instructions, just scroll a bit further!

Mark your button placement on the bib with tailor’s chalk, 1” from the top and side edge of the bib.

Take your button post and push it through the backside of your bib, at your chalk mark, going through all layers of your fabric.

Protecting the front side of your button (as I’ve done here with a simple cloth bag), hammer the button post into the button.

Thread your straps through the buckles, starting with the top…

Running through the bottom…

Back through the middle…

And behind the front of the strap, back through the top loop.

Give yourself plenty of play in your straps to make fit adjustments

5. Adjust the straps to your preference and you’re done!

I have always loved overalls! I am so glad to have this updated pair in my wardrobe. As with all Patterns for Pirates makes, you can’t stop with one. I already have the fabric ready to make another pair soon.

I hope you enjoy your new jumper!!

Rachel

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Skip the Zip

If you’d rather skip the zip you can choose a fabric with high stretch and recovery and slip it on/off. It’s a very simple modification, just make sure your fabric is stretchy enough to slip on and off with the snug waistband at natural waist. You will want a fabric that is more stable and can “hold” that waistband shape nicely. Or you can add some 1″ elastic into the waistband to help keep the shape.

Cut out all your pieces the same, except the waistband. You will need to trim off the extra 1″ on each end since we will not have them overlapping for a button. If you’re adding elastic I cut mine just slightly shorter then my new waistband piece so it would be snug to her waist.

Instead of sewing your zip into your side seam you’ll just stitch it up. Stitch your waistband pieces into a circle. If you are adding elastic sew it into a circle as well.

You will follow the same steps as the tutorial attaching the main waistband piece, sandwiching the straps and bib between the main and lining waistband, and top-stitching band. You will just be sewing in a complete circle rather then having the ends that overlap for a button.

All done, now you can just slip it on/off with no zip!

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Zipper Guard

If the feeling of the zipper on your skin bothers you- you can add a simple zipper guard quickly and easily. You will cut out 2 rectangles (you can curve the bottom edge if you’d like I did or leave it a rectangle) a little longer (1-2″) then your zipper and about 2″ wide.

Stitch your pieces right sides together along one long and short edge like a L (J if you curved your corner like me) shape. Trim seam allowance and flip right sides out. Press and stitch.

Place your zipper guard along the side seam with zipper with the raw edges aligned to the seam allowance of the front pant/skirt. Stitch guard to seam allowance (do not stitch through pant/skirt).

Pin in place from front. Stitch in the ditch along your zipper seam on the front pant/skirt through the zipper guard.

You can also continue to stitch in the ditch across the bottom and up just a little to help keep the guard in place when taking on/off. This is what it will look like after with the zipper guard keeping the zip from touching your skin:

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Add some Ears

Adding a little face and ears is always a way to make my daughter super happy with something I sew her. She requested a kitty for this one after seeing one similar at a store. It was such an easy little modification. I simple free-handed the ears… but we do have some ears in the Oversized Sweater-Youth pattern and I used the faces from our free Animal Faces for our Jolly Roger Raglan. I only freehanded the ears to make sure they fit perfectly and…. well… I didn’t want to print anything 😉

Stitch the ears up and sandwich them between the main and lining bib. Ta-da… that’s it! So cute and simple!

What an amazing line up! We look forward to seeing your own “”hacked” Vintage Jumper creations on Facebook and Insta.

P4P University- Waistbands

September 21, 2020

Ahoy Pirates! Today, we’re talking waistbands. We’ll cover some of the different types of waistbands that you’ll generally see in P4P patterns, the best fabrics and materials for constructing them, and some helpful tricks and tips to getting the very best results.

Types of Waistbands

There are many different types of waistbands out there in the wide world, but today I’ll cover some of the most common ones you’ll see in apparel sewing and in many P4P patterns.

First off, let’s talk about knit waistbands. These waistbands can be normal or high-rise, and are stretched to fit a garment’s waist. Knit waistbands will need to be made with knits with excellent stretch and good recovery. You’ll want to look for fabrics like brushed polyester, cotton lycra, or cotton ribbing to make these. This type of waistband is easy to sew, with no casings, elastic or fancy stitching required. Hurray!

Generally with this type of waistband, you’ll line up the short ends of the waistband piece, right sides together, and stitch. Next, flip the waistband so the right side is up, then fold in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. From there, you will quarter the band with pins and attach (more on quartering waistbands and other tips later)!

Here, I’ve used double brushed poly to sew a knit waistband onto a pair of Peg Legs. I’ve simply attached it by stretching it evenly, and sewing it to the garment with my serger, although a sewing machine will work just as well. Make sure to use a stretch stitch, like the lightening bolt, at the longest length setting!

Next up, we have tall/yoga waistbands. Yoga waistbands are made and constructed similarly to regular knit waistbands, but are simply “taller” and meant to be folded over for a even more comfortable fit. I especially like using yoga waistbands on clothing for children, as they are super comfy to wear! Brushed polyester and cotton lycra are excellent choices for these. I’ve used a yoga waistband here on a pair of Baby Bear Joggers, using brushed polyester.

Next, we have enclosed elastic waistbands. Generally, this type of waistband is used for knit garments that have a little less vertical stretch or recovery and need a little “help” holding the garment up around the wearer’s waist.

To construct, you will sew together the short ends of the waistband casing, right sides together. Next fold lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Set aside. Take your elastic piece, and sew short ends together, using instructions for the specific pattern being used. Generally, you will be instructed to either overlap the two short ends and sew, or “butt up” the ends- pushing them together and sewing with a wide zig-zag stitch, but not overlapping. Next you will slip the elastic loop into your knit waistband casing, and sew together as one piece onto your garment. You may topstitch this seam afterwards, if desired.

Here, I’ve made a pair of SOS Knit Pants with an enclosed elastic waistband. Although the fabric I used was a jegging material with little vertical stretch, the added elastic I used helps give the little bit of extra “oomph” needed to keep the pants up around my waist and snug-fitting.

Another style of waistband you’ll see often in apparel sewing is exposed elastic waistbands. These are waistbands that you’ll see in many applications, such as athletic shorts or undergarments. These will be generally created using plush back, underwear, or soft waistband elastics. It’s important to use these types of elastic, especially for undergarments, as they are much more comfortable and soft, and elastic will be up directly against the wearer’s skin.

On patterns such as the Fierce Undies pictured here, the elastic used will be “butted” together before being sewn, not overlapped. This is because overlapping will make the exposed elastic waistband too bulky.

Tips and Tricks

Just as there are many different types of waistbands out there in the sewing world, there are just as many tips to make sewing them easier! Here are just a few to help you along the way:

1. With knit, yoga, and enclosed elastic waistbands, serge or baste the raw edges together once you’ve folded lengthwise, wrong sides together, and before attaching to the garment. This will essentially take those two layers of fabric of the folded waistband and turn them into one, making it easier to attach them to the garment in a clean and professional-looking way. Remember, if you serge the raw edges of your waistband before attaching it to your garment, DO NOT CUT ANY OFF!

2. ALWAYS quarter your waistbands before attaching them to a garment! What is quartering? It’s equally dividing the waistband into fourths, so you can better ensure that the waistband will be evenly stretched across the garment’s waist. It’s easy to do:

First, sew the waistband or elastic together at the short ends, as directed by the pattern. Pin or mark the point of the seam.

Next, fold in half to find the half point. Pin or mark the half point.

Now, take the two marked points (the seam and half point) and fold the waistband or elastic so that they meet in the center. Pin or mark the folded edges on either side to find the quarter points.

And there you have an evenly quartered waistband! This might sound like an extra step, but trust me, it’s one that will save you time by ensuring that you don’t have an unevenly stretched waistband (hello, seam ripper!) and will give you the most professional- looking finish.

3. SAVE your scraps! Especially with youth apparel, waistbands usually take very little fabric, and can be excellent scrap-busters. So next time you make something with a stretchy fabric with great recovery, make sure to stash those extras away for a rainy day!

That’s it for now! Just a few examples of some of the waistbands you’ll encounter while sewing some gorgeous, handmade apparel. No matter which waistband is required for your pattern, always make sure to quarter those bands, have fun, and share your beautiful makes with us over at Patterns for Pirates’ Facebook page!

Caitlin

The Peg Event :: Peg Legs – Going Out Style Inspiration

September 12, 2020

Welcome back to the FINAL DAY of The Peg Event! We hope you are loving our newest release of the Peg Legs – Colorblock Pack and update to the beloved Peg Legs, and Peg Legs – Add-On Pack!

Before we get to the main event, I’d like to remind you that we’ve got a sitewide sale happening from now until the end of the day today….Saturday, September 12. In addition to that, we’ve got an awesome giveaway happening, with 14 amazing prizes (and 14 amazing prize winners)! You can read all about The Peg Event HERE.

We’ve got another set of incredible testers that wanted to help provide some P4P Style Inspiration! They always seem to know just what to wear, and how to look amazing at all times. So we asked what their favorite things to pair the Peg Legs / Peg Legs – Colorblock Pack / Peg Legs – Add-On Pack with were…and here’s what they came up with for some casual, every day looks.

Gillian MacMichael paired her Peg Legs with a Sweet Tee.

Stacey Clements paired her Peg Legs with an XFactor Crop.

Jessie Krisher paired her Peg Legs with a Twist Back Top.

Feeling inspired yet? I am! Here are some links to all of our FREE leggings patterns, so you can get to sewing!

PEG LEGS | PEG LEGS – ADD-ON PACK | PEG LEGS – COLORBLOCK PACK

Before you go, we’ve got giveaway prizes to tell you about! Sponsoring today’s portion of The Peg Event an amazing fabric company!

THE FABRIC FAIRY – www.thefabricfairy.com
FACEBOOK GROUP | FACEBOOK PAGE

The Fabric Fairy specializes in cutting edge, high quality fabrics for fun-loving children, teens, and young-at-heart adults. Fabrics that are great for the Peg Legs pattern are: Zen, Olympus, Repreve, and Dharma.

One lucky winner will receive a $30 gift card! And on top of that, there is a 10% discount in their shop September 12-13 using the code: PEGLEGS

**Daily and Grand Prize winners will all be announced together on Sunday, September 13.

X Factor Sew Along – day 7

September 1, 2020

Congratulations to all participants in this month’s sew along. You are all winners in my book! We absolutely loved seeing all the X Factor crop and dresses made last week. Without further ado…

Our first winner is Jeanne T Weidner! Jeanne won a $20 gift card from Patterns for Pirates and a $25 one to Mily Mae Fabrics. The X Factor was Jeanne’s first sew along and she did fantastic!

Congratulations go out to Kaitlin Schwartz too! Kaitlin will receive a $20 gift card for Made for Mermaids and a $25 store credit to Milly Mae Fabrics. Her little girl just shines in her mini X Factor dress.

A huge THANK YOU to our sponsor, Mily Mae Fabrics who set our winners up with store credit and provided the gorgeous bamboo Lycra I used during the videos. You too can grab some here.

September is Mermaids month in the M4M & P4P Sew Along group. Colleen will be announcing which pattern we will be sewing together this month.

X Factor Sew Along – day 6

August 29, 2020

Last sewing day is here…and it’s probably the most rewarding one. Today we will get to see the project come to life. For the crop option you will be attaching the band to the bodice matching the side seams. Keep in mind that it is much easier to sew a couple of inches on each side of the center seam with your sewing machine (using a stretch stitch!) than it is to sew all around the waist with only the serger. If you are sewing the dress option, you would need to make sure that the waistband is sandwiched between the skirt and the bodice, right sides together.

Last steps of this sew along are hemming the sleeves and skirt. If you did the crop tank, you are already done. The sleeves are hemmed 1/2″. Did you make your memory hem a few days ago? Well now it comes in handy. The skirt is hemmed 1″ while the sleeves are hemmed 1/2″. In the video below you can see how I finish the dress option including the 1″ hem.

Thank you so much for joining us this week. We loved watching your creations come to life! Don’t forget to post your final photo in the comments of day 6 check in picture of the sew along album. We will pick two winners and announce them here on the blog Monday evening or Tuesday.

X Factor Sew Along – day 5

August 28, 2020

Welcome to day 5 of our X Factor sew along! Today we create the skirt by adding the optional pockets and sewing the side seams. If you are making the crop top style, today is a rest or catch up day. No need for any check in pictures.

You might have noticed in the first video of this sew along that I added the pockets to my pattern piece (removing the seam allowance) so I will not have to stitch them. One less step 😉 In the video below I show you how I use my serger to sew the side seams instead of a combination of sewing machine and serger. Both methods work great so chose the one you are more comfortable.

Reminder: the patten includes two links to complete sew ups of the X Factor so you can also follow Judy’s method of sewing the side seams when the skirt has pockets. And why would you even consider skipping the pockets? 😊

If you are doing the dress option, check in for day 5 in the comment of today’s photo of the sew along album. See you back here tomorrow for the final steps!

X Factor Sew Along – day 4

August 27, 2020

Day 4 is here! Today we add the neckband and the back band. If you are new to sewing with knits or simply would like a refresher, take a look over our P4P University Neckbands 101 blog post. This blog shows you how to create the crew neck. The most important thing to keep in ming when creating and adding the crew neckband is to press, press, press!

In the Day 4 video below I walk you through creating and adding the V neckband. This is a slightly different way of creating the neckband than I showed in the P4P University V neckband blog. This time we will overlap the ends creating the V point that way. I highly encourage you to add the V part of the neckline with the sewing machine, instead of a serger. It will make for a more precise stitch and a neater look.

Last step is to stitch the back band to the front one. Keep in mind that the front band is attached to the bodice. Overlap the parts that will become the waistband one time (doesn’t matter if you overlap left on top of right or vice versa). With the right sides together sew the side seams of the band following the 1/2″ seam allowance.

Don’t forget to add your check in photo to the comments of Day 4 in the X Factor sew along album. See you back here tomorrow!

X Factor Sew Along – day 3

August 26, 2020

Ahoy, pirates! Today’s steps include adding the sleeves or armbands (for the tank option) and sewing the side seams. I have decided to make a long sleeve dress to wear on chillier Florida days.

For the short, 3/4 and long sleeves start by pressing a memory a 1/2 hem. If you are doing the cuffed long sleeves style, you will not be needing the memory hem.
If you opted for the tank style, start by pressing the bands lengthwise, wrong sides together. Open them up and sew the short ends to create a loop.

Tip: when pinning the sleeved to the arm opening start with the shoulder seam, then pin the two outer corners. This will make easing the sleeves into the opening very easy. There shouldn’t be any stretch, but you will ease the concave curve into the convex one.

When adding the arm bands to the tank option, you want to avoid stretching the band too much on the front and back. The most stretch should be at the armpit and shoulder. This will help ensure that the bands lay nicely when worn.

Day 3 video is below. As always, don’t forget to add your progress photo to the comments of today’s check in photo in the sew along album.

X Factor Sew Along – day 2

August 25, 2020

Welcome to day 2 of our X Factor Sew along. Today is a pretty easy and quick day. We sew the front seam of the bodice and the shoulder seams. Place the two mirror front bodice pieces right sides together, matching the center seam. Using your sewing machine, stitch a couple of inches at the bottom with a 1/2 seam allowance. You can sew the rest of the front seam with the serger if you prefer.

Once this step is completed you will sew the shoulder seams right sides together, following a 1/2″ seam allowance.

Tip: Add clear elastic to the shoulder seams to strengthen them and make sure the shoulders don’t stretch throughout the day.

We have included two FULL pattern sew ups in the tutorial (see page 7). Judy has covered all options in the two videos so you can always refer to them throughout the week.

Upon completion of today’s steps snap a picture of your progress and add it to the day 2 check in photo comments in the X factor SAL album located in the P4P & M4M sew along group.

X Factor Sew Along – day 1

August 24, 2020

Welcome to the X Factor Crop and Dress sew along!

In the next 6 days we will be sewing together the newest P4P pattern. Join us for a chance to win some fabric and pattern money and have fun alongside our community! If you have not purchased your copy yet, you can buy the adult X Factor here, the youth one here, or you can get the bundle and save. If you are still undecided which style to make, our Round Up blog will give you a glance at all options included, from sleeve lengths to necklines. 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. The X Factor 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″.

Unsure about 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 P4P team has started adding Projector Files to our new patterns. If you are looking to skip printing, buying rims of paper and ink, this new innovative way of cutting your patterns may be the option for you. I am using a mix of printed and projected pattern pieces for my dress.

The X Factor is drafted for high and 4 way stretch knit fabric. My personal recommendations are rayon spandex, bamboo lycra, ITY, Cupro and double brushed poly. You can also use athletic knit and certain sweater knits. During this sew along I will be making the V neck dress style using a stunning Mily Mae Fabrics burgundy bamboo spandex. MMF is also this sew along’s sponsor so two lucky winners will receive gift certificates to their shopping website.

You can see the first video below, including how I use my projector file for the bodice. Once you cut the fabric, post a picture of your pretty pile in the comments of DAY 1 photo of the X Factor album in the M4M & P4P Sew Along Group.