Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

Lumberjack Sew Along – day 7

Wow!! I am so in love with all your Lumberjack shirt! You have outdone yourselves this past week. My little one said this was one of his favorite sew alongs I did. Could it be because he was the recipient of this shirt? 😉 “Mom, it’s so cool. I’ll wear it today at school!” This Lumberjack shirt was less than $9 in materials. Score!

 

But enough about me! Let’s give out some prizes!

First winner is Tammy Richards! Tammy won a $20 gift card from Patterns for Pirates and a mystery Fabric 4 Pirates package. Look at these 3 ( yes, THREE!) beautiful Lumberjack shirts she made for her loved ones. 

Our runner up is Barbara Wong. Barbara won a $20 gift card from Made for Mermaids. The Lumberjack she made looks so cozy and those covered buttons are mighty cute!

Thank you so much for joining the P4P sew along for January. I pass the baton to Colleen for the February SAL. See you back here in March! 

Lumberjack Sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Lumberjack Sew along – day 2 | chest pocket, shoulder seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 3 | sleeves, side seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 4 | cuffs

Lumberjack Sew along – day 5 | hood/collar

Lumberjack Sew along – day 6 | hemming, closures

Lumberjack Sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Lumberjack Sew Along – day 6

Good morning friends! You did it!! You made it to the last sewing day. All we have left to do today is to hem the bottom and add the closures.

HEMMING

The Lumberjack features a 1/2″ hem allowance and a curved hem. Since the shirt is woven, I find it easier to run a serger stitch along the raw edge and press 1/4″. Stitch down then fold again 1/4″. Sew with a slightly longer stitch going very slow where the front plackets are. That part is pretty bulky. Give your hem a good steam press so that you eliminated any waviness from sewing the curved hem.

CLOSURES

Time to put the finishing touch on your Lumberjack. Choose your favorite closure and mark the placement. The pattern includes a marking guide that you can print, no additional tools needed. If you add buttons and buttonholes, take a look over our  Buttons 101 P4P University blog. I give you some tips and tricks for a smooth process. For my Lumberjack I opted for metal spring snaps. I love the look of these metallic snaps and how easy they are to install. You can see how I added them in the video below. 

Great job!! All you have left to do is add your final photo to the comments of day 6 photo in the Lumberjack SAL album. That’s where the team will pick the two winners. There is still time to catch up. Winners will be announced on Tuesday. 

Lumberjack Sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Lumberjack Sew along – day 2 | chest pocket, shoulder seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 3 | sleeves, side seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 4 | cuffs

Lumberjack Sew along – day 5 | hood/collar

Lumberjack Sew along – day 6 | hemming, closures

Lumberjack Sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Lumberjack Sew Along – day 5

Hello, friends and welcome to day 5 of the Lumberjack Sew Along! We are almost there! I love seeing all the beautiful shirts being created this week. Today we tackle the collar or hood. 

Hood

For a more sporty look and “easier” construction you can add a hood to your Lumberjack. The hood can be made of either knit fabric or woven so you can get really creative with it. Line the hood with sherpa for a super cuddly one or line it with a fun minky print for an extra little something. Once you sew the hood pieces right sides together along the curve, place the lining and main right sides together. Sew along the face opening, turn right side out and top stitch. All you have left to do is attach the hood to the neck opening and finish the raw edge with single fold bias tape. I highly encourage you to use store bought bias tape, it will save you so much time. In a pinch, you can certainly create your own. 

Collar

Oh the dreaded collar! Let me guess! It’s the “scariest” part of shirt! I hope I can convince you today that collars can be fun and not so difficult. The key to a great looking collar is making sure that the seam allowance is correct throughout. Another advice I have for when creating the collar is to press as you go. Remember to fuse the interfacing to the lining pieces of both the collar and the collar stand. If you added woven cuffs yesterday, you will find that the process is pretty similar today. Do not skip pressing 1/2″ hem on the collar stand bottom lining! Just as for the cuffs, prepressing this fold helps tremendously when enclosing the raw edge of the neckline in the collar. 

You can see in the day 5 video how I added the woven collar to my Lumberjack. Once you finish your collar or hood, post a picture of your progress in the comments of day 5 photo of the Lumberjack  sew along album. 

Lumberjack Sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Lumberjack Sew along – day 2 | chest pocket, shoulder seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 3 | sleeves, side seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 4 | cuffs

Lumberjack Sew along – day 5 | hood/collar

Lumberjack Sew along – day 6 | hemming, closures

Lumberjack Sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Lumberjack Sew Along – day 4

Welcome to the 4th day of the Lumberjack sew along. Today we finish the sleeves with either cuffs. 

Knit cuffs

The simplest way to finish the sleeves is with a knit cuff. Make sure that the fabric you use has great recovery and stretch. My favorite bases for cuffs are cotton spandex, rib knit and french terry. It is very important that you follow the grain of the fabric when cutting the cuffs. Lastly, press! Press and press some more! You will love the finished cuffs much better if you press throughout.

Woven cuffs

I opted for the woven cuffs for my Lumberjack. I love the classic look. If you have not done the vertical slits marked on the pattern pieces, now is the time to add them. You will now bind the opening with the fabric piece that is cut on the bias. Remember, the lining is the interfaced piece. 

Tip: Do not skip pressing the lining 1/2″ along the bottom. It will make a world of difference when you stitch the cuff on. 

If you need any visual help, take a look over today’s video. I show you step by step how to add  woven cuffs to your Lumberjack shirt. Once you finish the steps, post a photo of your progress in the comments of day 4 photo of this sew along album. 

 

Lumberjack Sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Lumberjack Sew along – day 2 | chest pocket, shoulder seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 3 | sleeves, side seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 4 | cuffs

Lumberjack Sew along – day 5 | hood/collar

Lumberjack Sew along – day 6 | hemming, closures

Lumberjack Sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Lumberjack Sew Along – day 3

Ahoy, pirates! Today, on day 3, we add the sleeves and sew the side seams.

Sleeves

Start by running a basting stitch along the curve of the sleeve. Gently and ever so slightly pull on the basting threads so it creates a faint gather. This will help when easing the sleeves into the sleeve opening. Pin the sleeves to the bodice, matching the shoulder seams with the notches. Stitch down with a 1/2″ seam allowance making sure that there are no puckers or folds along the curve. 

If you are doing the unlined option, finish the raw edge with your serger or a zig zag stitch. If you are sewing the lined option, repeat these steps for the lining. 

Inseam pockets

Before you sew the side seams you have to add the pockets. You will notice that the pattern features two different pocket shapes depending on whether you line or not your Lumberjack. While the unlined pockets may seem “odd” they, are drafted this way so they will be stitched into the front placket. This will ensure that the pocket won’t peek out from under the shirt when worn. 

Make sure that you add the pocket placement slits/marking from the pattern pieces! It’s highly important that you follow the marking instructions. 

Side seams

Once the pockets are sewing in the side seams, place the shirt right sides together matching the underarm points. Sew with a 1/2″ seam allowance. If you opted for the unlined style, finish the raw edge with your serger. If you are doing the lined style, sew the side seams of the lining as well. Place your lining into the main, wrong sides together. Going forward you will treat this as one piece. 

Front placket

Press the front placket along the first fold line, then along the second one. Pin the lining front or the unlined option pockets in the front placket fold. Stitch down and press. 

You can see today’s video below. Once you complete the steps, post a photo of your progress in the comments of day 3 photo of the Lumberjack SAL album. See you back here tomorrow when we will sew the cuffs. 

Lumberjack Sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Lumberjack Sew along – day 2 | chest pocket, shoulder seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 3 | sleeves, side seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 4 | cuffs

Lumberjack Sew along – day 5 | hood/collar

Lumberjack Sew along – day 6 | hemming, closures

Lumberjack Sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Lumberjack Sew Along – day 2

Welcome to day 2 of the Lumberjack sew along. Today we create and sew the chest pockets and the shoulder seams. This shirt features two optional chest pockets that tie the lumberjack look together. I would not skip them. Judy is showing you some tips to help you sew the chest pocket below.

I sew my chest pockets slightly different so definitely check out today’s video as well. I give you my tips and tricks for achieving a beautiful looking chest pocket. Once you added the chest pockets to the two front pieces, you are ready to sew the shoulder seams. 

If you are doing the lined option, you will be sewing the shoulder seam right sides together of the lining pieces as well as the main. I opted for the unlined style for my Lumberjack shirt so we will be sewing the shoulder seams using the burrito method. First, place the outer yoke and back piece right sides together. Now sandwich the back piece in between the right sides of the outer and lining yoke. Stitch in place and top stitch. Roll the back piece into a “burrito” and bring it up so that the front shoulders are sandwiched in between the RTS of the back yoke lining and main fabric. Stitch and optionally top stitch. 

You can see all these steps in today’s video. Once you complete day 2 steps, post a photo of  your progress in the comments of day 2 photo of the sew along album. See you back her tomorrow for day 3! 

Lumberjack Sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Lumberjack Sew along – day 2 | chest pocket, shoulder seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 3 | sleeves, side seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 4 | cuffs

Lumberjack Sew along – day 5 | hood/collar

Lumberjack Sew along – day 6 | hemming, closures

Lumberjack Sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Lumberjack Sew Along – day 1

Welcome to the Lumberjack SEW ALONG! 

Let’s get the Lumberjack party started! If you have not purchased the Lumberjack pattern(s) you can grab them here:

Lumberjack Youth

Lumberjack Hourglass 

Lumberjack V figure

And of course, our bundle for the whole family

Before you select which style you are sewing along, take a look at the Round Up Blog where we show you all options available.

Now that you have the patterns it’s time to select which file format you would like to use. Both the Youth and the Adult come in A4 and Letter format to print at home, A0 format to print with a plotter or at a copy shop AND a projector file. If you use the projector file you will not have to print anything!! That’s definitely my favorite way! You can see in today’s video how I use the file to cut the fabric. 

Note: The tutorial is now a separate file from the pattern pieces. 

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. All 3 Lumberjack shirt patterns have straight side seams and relaxed fit so it is a little more giving when it comes to grading for the waist. 

Let’s talk fabric! The Lumberjack pattern is drafted for woven fabrics like flannel, light weight denim, light weight wool or medium weight cotton woven. For the lining you can use minky, fleece, flannel, french terry, sherpa…pretty much your preferred soft, cuddly fabric. For this sew along I am using a brushed flannel that I got from Joann fabrics. For the closures I am going to add spring snaps. Buttons are an option too 😉

Day 1 video is posted below. Check it out and once you are done cutting your fabric post a picture of it in the comments of the Day 1 photo of the Lumberjack SAL album in the M4M & P4P Sew Along group. If you sew more than one,  post each one in a separate pic!

Lumberjack Sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Lumberjack Sew along – day 2 | chest pocket, shoulder seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 3 | sleeves, side seams

Lumberjack Sew along – day 4 | cuffs

Lumberjack Sew along – day 5 | hood/collar

Lumberjack Sew along – day 6 | hemming, closures

Lumberjack Sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Lumberjack – Reversible Hack

It’s here! It’s here! And I don’t mean only the cooler weather! The updated Lumberjack Shacket is here and now it it’s available in V figure (based on men measurements) and Hourglass figure (women’s measurement). Everyone gets a Lumberjack shirt or shacket!

The pattern includes a lined and an unlined option so today on the b log I wanted to show you how to take the lined option and make it fully reversible! Yup, one shirt that can be worn both ways. 

Let’s get started! Print and cut the pattern and fabric as instructed in the tutorial. Make sure you use the lined option. For this tutorial I used a nylon, poly blend woven (the solid black) and a custom minky (the green one) for the lining.

NOTE: the hood I used for this hack is 1″ smaller on the front that the final pattern. If you want to achieve this exact look, remove 1″ from the hood pieces as show below. If you use the pattern hood as is, make sure to read below what small adjustments you need to make.

Once all pattern pieces are cut sew the main bodice and add sleeves and pockets as instructed in the tutorial. Repeat with the lining. Set the bodices aside for now. Sew the hood as per the lined tutorial. Place the hood (lining out) right sides together on the lining neckline. The hood will be about 1/2″ shorter than the lining neckline. 

Sew the hood in place with a 1/2″ seam allowance, making sure to stitch through all 3 layers. 

If you use the pattern hood, you will place the lined hood right sides together with the MAIN, not lining. The center back will match the neckline back and the front point will reach the fold line of the inner fold line. Sew it in place. Lay the lining over, right sides together and stitch along the neckline. The hood will be sandwiched between the right sides of the bodices. 

Tip: Tie the two sleeves in a knot for both main and lining so they are out of the way when you sew. 

Place your main and lining right sides together matching the raw edges of the neckline and bottom. Pin them in place.

The main will be longer, that’s the way it is supposed to be.

Sew along the neckline, the hood will be sandwiched in between the main and lining. Sew the bottom edge too. Seam allowance for these steps is 1/2 inch. 

Turn the jacket right side out. We will now top stitch the neckline and bottom hem.

When top stitching, fold the excess fabric down (or up) 1/2″ on the placket part. See picture below for how it will look both at the neckline and bottom hem. 

Following the first fold marking, press the front placket once on both sides. Pin in place. I like to add a strip of water soluble double sided tape to the raw edge of the lining. It will help tremendously when sewing.

Note: if you used the bigger hood, it will go all the way to the fold on both sides. 

Fold the placket one more time along the second fold line. This will no overlap over the raw edge of the lining, right where the double sided tape is. Press it down with your fingers. If you don’t have any DST handy for this step, you can always pin it in place. Sew the placket down.

I also like to top stitch all around the placket, on all 4 sides. Once you finish these steps (and your jacket looks like the pic below) set it aside. 

CUFFS

Let’s work on the cuffs. Press both cuffs, length wise. Open them up and press the top of each cuff 1/2″. Thus will create a memory hem. With the cuffs opened up, sew each at the short end to create a loop. 

Refold the top memory hem over the loop. 

Place the unfolded raw edge of the cuff on the lining sleeve opening. You will stretch the cuff to fit the opening. Match the sleeve seam with the cuff seam. Sew in place with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Repeat this step with the other cuff and lining sleeve.

Time to make it look like a shirt! Push the lining sleeve through the main sleeve so they are wrong sides together. 

Fold the cuff along the middle crease that we pressed earlier. The edge is still folded 1/2′. Once you bring the cuff over, the sleeve raw edge will be inclosed in the cuff. Pin the edge of the cuff on the sleeve all around. 

Stitch the cuff down. Look how beautiful is the cuff with no raw edges on the lining! Take a second to admire your work!

BUTTONS

Sew the button holes on one of the plackets. Let’s add the buttons now! To make this Lumberjack fully reversible I added buttons on both sides of the placket. I hate to say it but the easiest way to do this is to hand 🖐 stitch 🖐  the buttons on both sides simultaneously. Make sure that you don’t pull the thread extremely tight. You need wiggle room for the buttons to be able to be fastened. 

All done! This is how to take the newest Lumberjack pattern and turn it into a fully reversible shacket. 

I am very excited to see if you take on this project! Don’t forget to share it in our Facebook group and on Insta! 

Petite Pegs – easy cuffs hack

How adorable are the new Petite Pegs? So much cuteness in such a small package. If you haven’t downloaded your FREE copy, do that here. Today on the blog I wanted to show you how to add cuffs to the Petite pegs.

We will start by shortening the length of the Petite Pegs by 1″. To do that simply grab a ruler and draw a line 1 inch above the ankle cut line. This will be your new pegs ankle length. Cut the two mirrored legs using this new cut line.

You will now be cutting the cuffs. I did the math for you so just follow the cutting chart below. Remember to cut two cuffs, one for each leg.

 

*If you babywear a lot you might find it helpful to double the cuff length.  This way the long cuff can be folded down over the heel. It’s a popular way to wear pants when you’re babywearing because otherwise the pant legs hike up and then the baby ankles stick out.

Sew the Petite Pegs as per the tutorial. Grab your little cuffs and fold them to create a memory hem. Press and steam.

Sew the cuffs to create a loop and fold them. Take a moment to look over the tips I gave you in the Knit Cuffs 101 blog. They will definitely come in handy when attaching these itty bitty cuffs to the little pegs.

Attach the cuffs to the leg opening with your serger or the sewing machine following a 1/2″ seam allowance. Make sure you match the cuffs’ side seams to the leggings inseam. Stretch the cuff to fit the leg opening.

When attaching the cuffs you can place your serger foot on the outside of the leg (as pictured above) or inside the leg (as pictured below). You will be working with a pretty small loop so go slow!

Tadah! There you have it, Petite Pegs with cuffs! I can’t wait to see your little creations!

Note: You may find it easier to attach the flat cuff to the leg instead of sewing the inseams and the cuff in a loop. You can certainly do that, you will be sewing the inseam after you attach the cuffs. You can read about some ways to finish your serger seam here.

P4P University – knit cuffs

Ahoy Pirates! In our first P4P University blog of the year I wanted to give you a few tips and tricks to make adding knit cuffs to your projects easy peasy. Whether you’re sewing for yourself, your significant other or your little ones, adding cuffs to your sleeves or leg openings can be a tedious job. We can change that!

*Choose the right fabric for the cuff!

As I mentioned in the Neckbands 101 blog post, choosing the correct fabric for your cuffs will make a huge difference. The best one is rib knit or ribbing. If you do not have any ribbing handy or the colors you have do not work for your project the next best thing would be cotton spandex. I mainly use cotton spandex in for my kids’ shirts and joggers cuffs as I like to coordinate it with the main fabric. Whatever fabric you pick, make sure it has at least 50% stretch and excellent recovery.

*Always cut the cuff with the greatest stretch horizontally.

Always cut your cuffs cross grain! Even if the fabric you use stretches over 50% in both directions, you should never cut against the grain. Read all about the importance of “the grain” in Roberta’s blog post, When It Goes Against the Grain. 

*Press your cuffs!

I know I talk about pressing a lot in my blogs, but you have to believe me, it makes your sewing life so much easier. I recommend grabbing those cuffs and giving them a good steam press as soon as you cut your fabric. This will create a memory hem that will make it so much easier to fold them once you sew the “loop” closed.

Press your cuffs after you sew them on too! 🙂

*Snip the seam allowance to create less bulk

This is one of tricks for creating less bulk at he seam. Once you sew the cuff to create a loop, grab your sharpest scissors and make a cut as close to the stitch as possible without, of course, snipping the stitch.

That little snip will make it so easy to please the seam allowances on opposite sides when you sew fold the cuff. In doing so, you will have so much less bulk at the seam, your serger will thank you! 🙂

*Place your sleeve inside the cuffs

Mark the quarter points on the sleeve (or leg) opening as well as the cuffs. I find that for the smallest of sizes, marking just the half point is sufficient.

To make sure you will not have your seam allowance on the outside of your sleeve (or ankle) 😉 place the right side of your sleeve inside the cuff and match the quarter (or half way) points.

*Sew or serge with the presser foot inside the sleeve

Most of the time the sleeve opening is pretty small so I find that it is easier the place the presser foot of my serger (or sewing machine) inside the sleeve as opposed to stitching on the outside. This is especially important when you make Baby Bear Joggers or and kids shirts with cuffs, like the Jolly Roger Raglan or the Yo Ho Henley.

*Do not topstitch.

As opposed to necklines, I find that cuffs and waistbands look a lot better if you do not topstitch them down. I do encourage you to press your garments when you finish sewing it, including the cuffs.

There you have it! 7 easy tips to follow when adding cuffs to your favorite P4P knit patterns. My boys are both rocking the JRR with add on cowl neck from the pack and faux layered sleeves from the blog.

Which one will you be making first? Make sure you post your creations in the P4P group and let me know if adding cuffs is now an easier “task”. 🙂

 

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