Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

2018 Holiday Freebies :: Critter Clutch

Welcome back to the second day of our P4P Holiday Freebies 2018!  I’m not sure I can even handle the excitement I have over today’s free pattern.  I am so happy to have this idea out of my head and finally in pattern form, to share with all of you.  AND FOR FREE!

These Critter Clutches are simply adorable!  They take minimal amounts of fabric, with not too much time involved in it.  The hardest part is deciding which version to do first: Unicorn, Reindeer or Fox??!!

You will need:
— Critter Clutch pattern pieces + Eye Digital Designs for HTV (found HERE)
— 1/2 yard main fabric, 1/2 yard lining fabric
— Fusible Fleece: I like Pellon 987F (aff link)
— Buttons / Snaps / Velcro for eyes and closures

Recommended fabrics: quilting cotton, kona cotton, flannel, etc.

Cut out all pieces needed for your corresponding bag.

Prepping the Strap:

Cut 3″ long x 34″ wide strip of fabric.
**Note: Depending if you or the recipient will be wearing it cross body or straight down from one shoulder, you may want to adjust the width of this piece to your liking.

1. Fold in half, with long edges touching, wrong sides together. Press.
2. + 3. Open up, and fold each long edge into the crease you just created.
4. Fold, completely enclosing the raw edges.

Edge stitch along both long edges. Set aside.  Finished width: 3/4″.

Horn / Ear / Antler / Nose Pieces: 

*Tip: I added fusible fleece to these pieces to help them stand up better.  Some of our testers opted to fill them with a small amount of fiberfil.  Either way works!

Right sides together, sew along the outer edges using 1/4″ seam allowance. Leave the bottom open for turning.

Clip corners and allowance before turning to get a crisper edge.  Topstitch if desired.

I like to get a little funky with the unicorn horn and add some decorative stitches to it.  This also helps the horn’s stiffness.

Apply Interfacing:

Carefully trim away 1/4″ from each interfacing piece, to allow for easier turning.

Following the instructions from the manufacturer, apply interfacing to these pieces:

  • Front Main Piece
  • Main Gussett

Eyes + Closures:

I personally like to add the eyes and velcro / snaps to the front main piece before we assemble the bag.  It allows for all of the stitching or snaps to be enclosed inside of the bags, and it’s a lot easier to apply HTV to a flat surface.  You can wait until the end if you’d like!

The Fox and Reindeer’s eyes need to be a little more wide set.  And the Unicorn’s eyes work best if you apply them closer to the bottom of the bag front.

Velcro / button placement on front main piece:

  • Unicorn / Plain Bag: 2″ from the top, centered (4.5″ from either side)
  • Fox / Reindeer: 2″ from the bottom, centered

Velcro / button placement on Back Lining piece:

  • Unicorn / Plain Bag: 2″ from the top, centered (4.5″ from either side)
  • Fox / Reindeer: 1.5″ from the bottom, centered

REINDEER ONLY:

1″ from the top edge, pin and baste ears in place using 1/8″ seam allowance.

Back Main Assembly:

UNICORN ONLY: Take back main piece and mark the center along the top, straight edge.  Mark center of horn piece.

Right sides together, align and pin/clip horn in place.

Place ears on either side of horn.  **Be sure not to go outside of your seam allowance on the outer edges, or you’ll have trouble turning your bag because the ears will be stuck in the outer edges.

FOX and REINDEER ONLY:

Right sides together, place ears and antlers (not pictured) 1″ from the outer edge.

ALL ANIMAL BAGS:

Place top piece, right sides together. Stitch with 1/4″ seam allowance.

Press open, with horn, antlers and/or ears pressed toward top and seam allowance pressed down.

Follow the manufacturer directions and iron your fusible interfacing onto the back side of the back main piece.

Attaching the Gusset:

Mark middle bottom of back piece and middle of both long edges of outer gusset piece.

Right sides together, ease gusset around bottom edge of back piece.  Sew using 1/4″ seam allowance.

Repeat for front main piece, attaching right sides together to other edge of gusset.

Repeat for lining pieces. Only this time, leave 4-5″ gap in one of the lining curves, to allow for turning.

Using 1/4″ allowance, baste straps, centered, on side gusset pieces. 

Final Assembly:

With the lining piece right sides out and the main, outer bag piece wrong sides out, slide the lining inside and align entire top edge.

Sew with 1/4″ seam allowance. Clip all edges and curves for cleaner turning.

Locate the opening you’d left in the lining.

Turn bag right-side-out through opening.

Pin and sew the opening in the lining closed, using your favorite blind or ladder stitch.

Press bag.  Topstitch around top edge if desired.

Reindeer Nose:

Align the nose at the very bottom of the front flap piece.  Top stitch the entire circle, catching the flap in your stitches and affixing the nose to the flap piece.

YOU’RE FINISHED!  DO A HAPPY DANCE!

In case you needed it, here is some inspiration for the different designs sewn up by our amazing testers!

UNICORN:

REINDEER

FOX

PLAIN

I hope you love these little cuties as much as I do.  Don’t forget to share your finished projects in the Patterns for Pirates Facebook Group!  Happy Holidays, friends!

2018 Holiday Freebies :: Infinity Scarf with Hidden Zipper Pocket

Happy December, friends!!  It is my pleasure to be back again this year with an entire week of goodies for you.  AND THEY ARE ALL FREE!  That’s right, you are about to embark on a five day journey of free sewing patterns and tutorials.  I’m excited to get started!

Today’s freebie is a twist on a classic infinity scarf…we added a hidden, zippered pocket to it!  It’s a perfect little space to store your phone, keys, or anything that you’d like to carry with you but don’t want to need a purse or extra hand for. It’s a super quick sew and is at the top of my gift-giving list this holiday season.

Let’s get started!

Fabric Requirements: 2 yards of knit, flannel, or a light-weight woven.

You will need:
— Main Scarf Piece: 28″ W x 72″ L (can be woven or knit. If using a knit, you may need small strips of stabilizer where you’re attaching your zipper)
— 2 pocket pieces: 9″ W x 7″ L
— 9″ Zipper **You can make the pocket bigger / smaller by adjusting the size width of your pocket pieces to match the length of your zipper.

1.) With your main fabric laying RIGHT SIDE UP, lay your zipper FACING DOWNWARDS, 5″ from the edge of your fabric, along one of the long edges.

2.) Sandwich your zipper by laying a pocket piece on top, RIGHT SIDE DOWN.

3.) Pin/clip and sew along edge, using a zipper foot to get as close to zipper as you can.

4.) Flip your pocket piece up and away from the main fabric.

5.) Fold your pocket piece under the main fabric (their wrong sides should be touching now).

6.) Fold main fabric together, matching the long sides to each other.

7.) Making sure you’re still 5″ from the short edge, align the unsewn side of the zipper to the opposite long edge of your fabric. Once again, your zipper should be FACE DOWN.

8.) Sandwich your zipper by laying your other pocket piece on top, RIGHT SIDE DOWN.

9.) Pin/clip and sew along edge.

10.) For easier sewing on the next step, I like to unzip my zipper a bit, to get the pull out of the way.

11.) With fabric still RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, sew with 1/2″ seam allowance along long edges, and outer edges of pocket.

12.) This step might feel a little tricky, but it’s really not! You’re going to want to keep your fabric inside out, while folding it in half to still have right sides together, and the short edges meeting each other. I find it easiest to stick my arm all the way inside, grabbing the opposite short end, and then pulling it toward me from the inside, being careful not to twist it. Align the short edges to each other.

13.) Stitch the raw edges together with 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving a 4-5″ opening for turning.

14.) Turn scarf right side out, pulling the entirety of the fabric through the opening you created in the last step.

15.) Pin and close up the opening with a blind stitch. You’re finished!

Here’s a little inspiration from our fabulous group of testers, in case you needed it.

As always, we love when you share what you’ve made with us.  Head over to the Patterns for Pirates Facebook group and show off the fabulous Infinity Scarf that you’ve managed to make from our freebie pattern!  Happy Holidays, friends!

**Since there was such a high amount of requests for a video tutorial, here you go!

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