Patterns for Pirates

P4P stylish, modern, wearable patterns

Grace Dress- Easy Hacks

Ahoy pirates! The newest P4P pattern is here and it’s a must have. The gorgeous Grace dress features so many sleeves options but we just had to show you one more. We couldn’t let this release happen without showcasing probably the easiest hack in the history of hacks…the Grace flared sleeve.

 

Djem here, with another simple hack for some cool flared sleeves! Can’t decide between the flutter sleeve or the bishop sleeve? Want a mash of the two? Flared sleeves is the answer!

This can be done using either the 3/4 sleeve or long sleeve bishop options. Simply omit the elastic and then finish the hem using the narrow hem instructions for the flutter sleeve. Voila!

 

Facing Hack

If you, like me, are getting ready to cut out the fabric for your Grace Dress and realise that you have forgotten to buy your lining fabric, you can very easily make a facing instead. It won’t work if you are using a translucent fabric, like a chiffon (as you will be able to see the facing through the main fabric) but for the crepe I had picked out for my Grace, it worked perfectly. 

 

First of all you will start by taking your main bodice front and back pieces, and drafting your facing pieces. I use a projector these days, but if you have a paper pattern you can use a tracing paper or just re print the pages that give you the necklines of both bodice pieces. 

 

Take your front bodice and trace off the original neck cutline, then using a measuring tape or ruler mark 2 inches away along the length of the neckline. Then join the dots. You can use a French curve to help you here. 

 

Do the same for the back bodice neckline. These will be your facing pieces. 

 

Cut these out of your fabric and you will have two pieces that look like this. 

 

Then cut out the same facing pieces from a light weight interfacing. This will help stabilise the neckline and give a better finish. Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of your facing pieces following the manufacturers instructions.

Sew them together, rights sides together, at the shoulder seams. 

 

If you haven’t already, sew your front and back main bodice pieces together at the shoulder seam. Then lay your facing pieces, rights sides together with the main bodice pieces, matching the fronts and backs together and matching the shoulder seams.  Sew them together around the neckline. Making sure not to stretch the fabric as you sew. 

 

Finish the raw edge (the long, outer curved edge you haven’t just sewn to the bodice) of your facing using a serger or your preferred method.  Using a sharp pair of scissors, like these duck bill scissors, CAREFULLY trim down your facing seam allowance only to a ¼”. This will layer the seam allowances and reduce bulk. Then clip along the neckline, up to, but not through, the seam line. Turn through and give it a good press. 

 

You now have two options. You can use a hemming tape, like this Wundaweb, to fuse the facing to the outer which stops it flipping out, or you can top stitch the facing down. I did both! 

 

That’s it. You can now finish the rest of your garment as per the tutorial. 

Enjoy your beautiful new frock.

 

Happy Sewing! 

Dana x

 

How gorgeous do Djem and Dana look? I must admit, I will be adding these sleeves to my next Grace dress. I am thinking lace! I can’t wait to what your take will be on the Grace dress.

Kelli Dress Hacks

Straight Cut Skirt

I absolutely had to make this dress as soon as I saw Judy’s first sketches for the pattern. I love the cinched in waist and wrap over top and skirt, it’s just my kind of look. Sometimes it’s nice to have a little more coverage on a skirt, though, and I knew I wanted to try a really simple little hack to straighten the bottom edge of the underskirt piece, for a faux wrapover look.

The option is included for the full length skirt pieces, so it was the easiest hack to do and got me just the look I wanted for me.

The rest of the pattern is cut out as normal, the only piece we will be adjusting is the underskirt piece (the un-ruched skirt piece).

I was making the knee length, so I simply measured from the top of the skirt down to the knee length cut line on the right of the skirt pattern piece.  Then I took that measurement (for me making the plus 2X size it was 25 3/4″), and used it to measure down the same length on the left side, using the full length skirt piece as a guide.

I am projecting onto tracing paper here to make it easier for you to see, as my fabric was a bit busy!

Then just draw a straight line across the bottom of the pattern piece to create your new straight hem skirt piece.

If you are using a projector, like me, you can also bring up the handy measurement grid included with the file for calibration, and use that as a guide for drawing a nice straight line across the pattern piece.

 

As I said, this is the only pattern piece that needs adjusting.  Then just sew up your dress as per the tutorial for the pattern, until you get to the instructions for the skirt pieces.

Follow the instructions for the floor length skirt pieces and hem the bottom of the ruched skirt piece, then gather the side as per the tutorial.  Next construct the back skirt and then hem both the back and un-ruched skirt pieces (the piece we adjusted) separately.

Finally, lay the un-ruched skirt piece facing up.  Then lay the ruched skirt piece facing up on top of it. Baste them together along the top and sides, making sure the hems line up nicely with one another.  Here is a picture of the ruched skirt piece laying on top of the un-ruched skirt piece prior to basting.

Lastly, you will want to lay your back skirt piece, right side facing down on top of the two front skirt pieces.  Here pictured below with the bottom corner flipped up so you can more easily see the layers.

Sew the side seams, taking care to make sure the hems all line up together nicely.  Basting the first inch of each side seam at the hemline can help with that.

Flip the skirt through right sides out, and finish the construction of the waist seam as the tutorial instructs and you’re done!

Nice and quick and easy.  I hope you love your new straight hem skirt as much as I do mine (which is quite a lot!)

 

Happy Sewing!

Dana xxx

 

Side Seam Splits for Floor Length with No Slit

If you feel like you need a little more stride/walking room in the floor length with no split you can easily add a side split (or apply this same method to the back seam for a back slit).

Simply stop stitching the side seams of the skirt where you would like the slits to go to.  Press remaining 1/2″ seam allowance not sewn to wrong side and hem.

It’s that’s simple! Now enjoy your extra walking room in your floor length dress!

 

 

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! 

Cutie Briefs – easy hack

The Cutie Booty and Cutie patootie Boxer Briefs patterns have release and they are not one to be skipped! The pattern features a center front and a center back pieces as well as a separate lining pattern. In this easy hack, I wanted to show you how to fully line the center front and back. This hack is perfect if you want to enclose the briefs’ seams.  

Start by cutting the pattern pieces as instructed in the tutorial. You will cut two of the front center and two of the center back piece. You will not need the liner. 

Stitch the front and back main pieces right sides together at the crotch seam. Repeat with the lining. 

Matching the notches in the pattern (front and back), pin the main the the leg piece right sides together. Take the lining and pin it right sides to the wrong sides of the leg, making sure the notches are in the correct spot. Your leg piece will be sandwiched between the two lining pieces. 

Sew them with your favorite stretch stitch or serger. 

Turn the briefs right side out. They will look like the picture below. 

Pin the right side of the remaining leg to the right side of the lining piece, matching the notches. 

Bring the lining over and “stuff” the finished leg of the briefs inside the center “sandwich”. This is very similar to the burrito roll method used to create lined tanks. Pin it in place.  

Br

Sew the pinned side with a serger or a stretch stitch. 

Pull the briefs right side our through one of the openings. Tadah!! Magic! Now your Cutie Briefs center seams and fully enclosed. 

Finish the briefs as instructed in the tutorial. The example in this blog is the Cutie Patootie youth option but this hack can be done to the adult one too. Just imagine using lace for the leg pieces and a solid color for the center pieces. Va! Va! Va! Voom!

I hope you will give this easy hack a try! Can’t wait to see what you create!

Be Bold Bodysuit – Easy Hacks

The much anticipated Be Bold Bodysuit has now released. I couldn’t be more thrilled to share with you some easy hacks that the P4P blog team has prepared for you. We will show you how to add a your favorite P4P skirt to the crop top and make it a custom dress. Rachel is adding a faux placket to her Be Bold Bodysuit and Shannon is making a very cropped 😉 crop option. Ohh and did I mention that you can turn the BBB into an undergarment compression bodysuit? Djem is showing you how below. 

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Dress 

Let’s start off this easy hacks series with my favorite of all – a dress!! Hello, beautiful! The Be Bold Bodysuit includes a crop top option which makes an excellent bodice for many of the P4P skirt patterns. 

In the mini tutorial below, Judy shows you how to add the X Factor skirt to the Be Bold crop to to create a gorgeous, comfortable square neckline dress. Print the skirt portion of the X Factor pattern and cut the fabric. Sew the side seams right sides together. 

Mark the center of the skirt front and back as well as the centers of the bodice front and back. 

Matching the marked points, pin the skirt and bodice right sides together. Serge or sew with you favorite stretch and a 1/2″ seam allowance. 

Hem the skirt and enjoy your new Be Bold dress! 

I used the same method as above to make a Be Bold – Sweetheart mash. Instead of using the X Factor, I use the Sweetheart dress, Easy peasy! My next mash will be with the Boundless dress. If you chose to to the Be Bold crop with the Boundless gathered skirt, make sure that you use the cutting chart for the natural waist skirt, NOT the empire one. 

My dress below is bamboo spandex and Judy’s baby girl’s dress above is cotton spandex. 

Just look how stunning Sylvia looks in her Be Bold thin strap option mashed with the Sweetheart dress. Her polka dots fabric is double brushed poly. Just radiant! 

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Faux Placket

Adding a faux placket is an easy way to gain extra mileage from your Be Bold pattern. And it couldn’t be easier!

You can add a faux placket to any of the Be Bold styles, but I chose to add mine to the tank bodysuit.

Did I say that it couldn’t be easier? Keep reading…

Cut the pattern pieces for your preferred Be Bold style.

Cut an additional rectangle, 6.5” x 1.75”.

Optional! Finish the edges on your serger, without cutting off any of the seam allowance. It adds a bit of stability to your placket.

Fold the bottom and side edges in ¼” towards the wrong side and press into place.

Pin your placket piece to the center line of your bodice, aligning raw edges at the top of the placket and neckline. At this point, I like to use hem tape to secure the placket into place.

Edgestitch into place. Fun tip! Use your blind hem foot to help keep your topstitching super-straight!

Assemble the rest of the garment per the pattern instructions.

Add your buttons once your garment is complete so they don’t get in the way of your construction.

I mentioned it was simple, right?? Enjoy the newest addition to your spring wardrobe!

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Compression undergarment

Love the Be Bold Bodysuit, but want a little tummy control? No problem. It’s all about fabric choice. You’ll want to use a heavy athletic knit with a high spandex content, like supplex or compression tricot. In my navy bodysuit below, I used supplex for the main fabric and lined the front and back bodysuit with power mesh. I treated the supplex and power mesh as one layer and followed the tutorial as written. However, if you are looking for something compressive, that can be worn as an undergarment, you’ll want something a little more like the black bodysuit on the right.

 

For the black bodysuit, I used tricot for the main fabric and power mesh for the lining. The only adjustments were made to the front bodice pattern piece.

 

  1. Mark 1.5″ down from the armpit of the front pattern piece.
  2. Using the bottom curve of the Front Shelf Bra as a guide, create a line.

 

3.  Measure from your side seam to where you feel the start of your bra cup. Mine is about 3″, mark this measurement on your pattern.

4. From the top of the shoulder seam, mark 2.5″ down. Connect the lines as illustrated above.

5. Using a french curve ruler or whatever you have around (I used a drinking glass), create a curve connecting the shoulder seam line and the underbust line.

6.  Cut out that section, and you now have your new front pattern piece! Using this piece, cut out your main fabric and lining on the fold.

7. Follow the construction of the tutorial as written, treating the deep plunge as a normal neckline. You will want to use a 1:1 ratio for the picot, while slightly stretching along the curve.

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Very crop top

This very cropped cami and top are super comfortable and perfect to wear under low-cut tops and for loungewear. I will be living in these and the best part is they are so quick and easy to make. Here are the two tutorials for creating the crop. The first shows the tutorial using the thin strap option and the second is the tank option.

Very Crop Cami Using the Thin Strap Option:

  1. Take your lining pieces for your pattern. Simply cut 2 fronts and 2 backs following the thin strap tank lines to create a cropped cami with lining. 
  2. Sew the top together using the thin strap tank directions from the tutorial. 
  3. Once you have sewn the side seams, baste the main and lining pieces together along the bottom edge. Treat these two as one while you attach the picot as directed in the pattern.  

This cropped cami is great for pairing with low cut tops for some extra coverage. I made this option in white cotton jersey, lined with the same fabric and used bra strap elastic in place of fabric straps. (paired here with RTW Jeans and Top).

Very Cropped Top Using the Tank Option

  1. Take both your front and back bodice pieces and lay the front and back shelf bra liner pieces on top, lining up the shoulders. 
  2. Draw a line on your front and back main bodice pieces along the bottom of the shelf bra piece. 
  3. Cut your main bodice pattern pieces on this line and use this for your new pattern.
  4. Cut your main fabric for the very crop tank top using your new pieces and cut your lining from the shelf bra lining pieces. Follow the tutorial for sewing the tank top. Once you have the neckline, arms, and side seams sewn, baste the lining and main fabric together along the bottom edge. You will now treat the two fabrics as one piece. Last, apply picot elastic according to the tutorial for the shelf bra.  That’s it.

This very cropped top is great to wear in place of a bra or sewn up in athletic fabric to match with your favorite workout wear. This is not supportive enough to be a sports bra, but very comfortable for lounging, a sleep bra, or paired with your own bra as a very cropped top.

 

I hope you will get to give these easy hacks a try. Which one will you do first? Don’t forget to share them in the P4P Facebook group and on Instagram so we can admire your work too! 

X Factor Top and Dress Easy Hacks

 

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Mini or Peplum options

First easy hack that we waned to show you is how to shorten the X Factor dress to a peplum top or mini dress. For my example I decided to make a running dress with a mini skirt. I used swim fabric for this cute green dress.

You will start by grabbing the skirt pattern and marking your new cut lines, one for peplum and one for mini skirt. I used the Sweetheart dress skirt as my guide since that one includes all 3 option. The Sweetheart skirt is a full circle while the X Factor one is a half circle. Lay the X Factor pattern piece on top of the Sweetheart pattern matching the bottom edge. 

Mark the new cutting line starting with the “fold” edge. Using a French curve, or if you have a steady arm, just your hand, draw the two new curves. Make sure that you keep a constant distance from the bottom edge on both sides of the pattern. If you do not have the Sweetheart dress pattern you can measure 5″ up from the bottom for the Mini or 10.25″ up for the Peplum option. 

Once you created your new pattern piece, cut your fabric and sew the dress a instructed in the tutorial. I skipped hemming my swim skirt so mine final mini look is 1″ longer than intended. Your dress, your call! 😉

 

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Tie Back

Crop tops are back in a big way and the X Factor Crop is such a standout! It will take you from the gym to date night (if you’re not too sweaty, of course!)… there aren’t many garments that can do that!

The Patterns for Pirates team always loves to give you even more options. I’m so excited to share with you a tie-back hack for the X Factor! And, it really couldn’t be simpler.

Assemble and cut your preferred pattern pieces. For this make, I chose the cropped tank.

Modifications are so simple!

You will square up the cross-over pieces of the Front Bodice…


And cut 2 of the Back Band pieces (on the fold).

Assemble the top per the pattern instructions, stopping at the step for attaching the Back Band.

From here, you’ll attach your two band pieces, one to each end of the bodice cross-over.

At this step, I serged all of my edges. That is a matter of preference! You can leave them raw if you prefer.

Finally, finish all edges with a narrow hem.

Throw your top on, tie it up, and get ready to turn heads… no matter where you are! You can even experiment with tying and wrapping your top in different ways.

You’ve got the X Factor!!

  

 

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Separates

We couldn’t let this Easy Hacks series end without a separates option, especially since the top is already a stand alone pattern. So for the separated you just need to finish the skirt waist without attaching it to the top. You can do that in various ways. I opted for a simple waistband. I cut 2 of the back band pieces. After pressing them wrong sides together, open them back up and sew the two ends RST to create a loop. 

If your waistband piece has excellent recovery and stretch you can continue marking the quarter points. If you’re not sure, I would add 1-1.5″ wide elastic in the waistband to make sure it stays on throughout the day. 

Mark the skirt quarter point and pin the waistband to it matching said points. Attach the waistband using your favorite stretch stitch. All done. You just created a half circle skirt that pairs beautifully with the X Factor Crop top and not only. 

 

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Nursing friendly  

 

Last but certainly not least Djem is showing us how to modify the X Factor dress to make it nursing friendly. 

 
Prep the front bodice, add lightweight interfacing to the triangle notches. Complete the bodice per tutorial. 
Add elastic to the top of the front skirt using a zigzag stitch. Measure the top of the front skirt and multiply by 90% to get the elastic measurement. I found 1/2” and 3/8” wide elastic to work nicely. Optionally, serge the top of the skirt, without cutting anything off, to have a nicer finish. Continue with the tutorial for the pockets and sewing the skirt side seams. 
 
  Now the fun part! When attaching the skirt to the bodice, drop the front of the skirt at the side seams. 
 
 Find the center of the front skirt and mark. Sew the triangle notches on the bodice together with a stretch stitch. Pin or clip the bodice notches with the center of the front skirt. 
 Tack the bodice notches and skirt together. Keep your tack on the elastic. 
Voilà! 

Sunflower and Busy Bee Easy Hacks

It’s swimsuit season! The new Sunflower Swim Top and Busy Bee Swim Bottoms are the perfect addition to your summer wardrobe. Dana is showing you below how to make a longer ruffle while Rachel is taking the Sunflower Top and making is shorter. Enjoy these cute easy hacks! 

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Longer Ruffle

This is a really easy hack if you want a little extra tummy coverage or just want the look of a longer ruffle. 

Cut out all your pattern pieces as usual but when you come to the ruffle you will cut it a little differently. First of all you will want to decide how wide you want your ruffle to be.

I measured the original piece which is 2 inches wide and I decided that I wanted to increase this to 5 inches wide.

I simply laid my perspex quilting ruler out over the pattern piece and used it to help cut out the original length and the increased width. 

Here is my finished ruffle.  Measuring 5 inches wide, in comparison to the original pattern piece.

Then just sew it together as usual. Easy peasy! 

Happy sewing! Love, Dana x

 

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Shorter Top

Forget the itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-yellow-polka-dot bikini… bananas are so much more fun!

Here’s how you modify the pattern for Sunflower Swim Top if you’d like to sport a shorter length. You’ll be modifying the pattern pieces, but the actual construction of the top will follow the pattern instructions as written.

You’ll need the front and back pattern pieces and the shelf bra pattern piece.

With both the front and the back pieces, it is most important to preserve the curves at the bottom of the pieces. You’ll see how I did that in the pictures provided.

Cut the back piece into thirds as indicated in the photo below. You’ll be discarding the center piece.

Take the top and bottom thirds and line up the bottoms of the cut-out curve, where you see the green line in the pic. Tape together. I added a little snipe of paper, where the green circle is, to help visually with cutting my fabric.

And that completes your new back pattern piece.

Line up your front and back pattern pieces and mark the bottom of the back piece on your front piece. This will ensure that your front and back pieces line up when you’re constructing the top.

Place your shelf bra pattern piece on top of your front pattern piece and line up the “fold” edges. The left edge of the shelf bra piece should intersect the mark you made on the previous step.

Trace the bottom edge of the shelf bra and cut along this line to create your new front piece.

Once you have your pattern pieces ready, construct your top with the instructions provided. You can even work in a shelf bra at this length if you desire.

Isn’t sewing for yourself so much fun? I can’t wait to rock these bananas at the pool!

 

Rachel

Which one of these hacks will you try first? As always, post your creations in the Patterns for Pirates Facebook group so we all get a chance to admire them. 

Flutter Wrap – Easy Hacks

Bring on spring!! You have to admit that our latest release, the Flutter Wrap Dress is giving us all the spring and sunny vibes! I am so excited to share with you some easy hacks that the P4P blog team has prepared. Whether you like a thicker belt, neckbands or a split flutter sleeve, we have them all!

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Thicker belt/ties

Adding thicker ties to the wrap dress can be a cute variation to make them a feature of your sew.

Firstly, grab your pattern pieces for the waist ties. Measure the length of the short width and then double it. For example: if your ties measure 2 inches wide, then you need to cut them at 4 inches wide instead.

I like to remake my pattern pieces with the new measurements to make it quicker for cutting the ties out, but you could just as easily note the measurements and use a ruler and cutting tool to make your tie pieces too. Take your fabric and cut wider ties – one short and one long. Sew them as per instructions starting on page 17 in the pattern.

Next step is to sew a gathering stitch across the open end of the ties to reduce the width of the ties by half. Attach the ties as per the pattern instructions.

Happy sewing!

xx Katy

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Hemmed maxi flounce option

The wrap dress is gorgeous with the flounce option. However, I stumbled upon another beautiful way to finish the maxi length hem without the flounce or a straight hem line. All I did was cut my fabric using the flounce hem line then I sewed the hem with a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

The curve can be a little tricky. I recommend that you use a metal curved hem ruler, press your hem, and then clip it. If you don’t have a metal curved ruler, I suggest wash away hem tape. Either will give you a beautiful finish.

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Split flutter sleeves

For this hack, we are going to split the flutter sleeves for a fun and cute way to add a little extra detail to your flutter sleeves!

First, you will cut straight down the middle of the flutter sleeve pattern piece, then cut out your sleeve pieces. You will have four sleeve pieces instead of two. Begin constructing the garment as instructed, including the seam that is sewn to join the edges of the sleeve piece together.  

Next, lay the bodice face up with right sides out, place the sleeve piece on top with right sides together and match the top of the sleeve seam with the top of the bodice side seam. Pin in place all along the armscye, and butt the ends together once you get to the top shoulder seam. You may want to baste here where the edges meet together to prevent them from shifting around while sewing. Then stitch.

Press the armscye seam towards the shoulder seam, and repeat with the other side. Then construct the rest of the garment as indicated in the pattern. 🙂

Neckband

 

We’re going to show you how easy it is to replace the french binding on the gorgeous new Flutter Wrap Dress with a neckband.  Sometimes you may want a little extra coverage if you are planning on wearing the dress to work or if you are just quite large-busted, like me. It’s really easy to do and I hope you’ll love the results.

First of all you need to construct your dress as usual but do not cut out the ‘neck binding’ piece as we won’t be using it, however do remember to leave yourself a suitable piece of fabric to cut the neckband from later!  Follow the tutorial and stop when you reach the ‘finishing the neckline’ section. If you plan to add the flounce to the neckline along with the neckband then go ahead and follow the steps in the tutorial that show how to construct the neckline flounce and baste it into place.  In the example below I am not using a neckline flounce, to make it a little clearer for you.

 

 

You will need to measure the length of your unfinished neckline by measuring up the front of one bodice piece, along the top of the neck and down the other bodice piece.   The easiest way to do this is to fold the dress in half, matching the centre back and the ends of the two bodice pieces. I like to pop a few sewing clips on to hold it in place.

 

 

 

 My measurement from centre back to the end of the bodice is 28 inches.  Then I simply double this to find the entire neckline measurement: 28 X 2 = 56 inches. Then I take my 56 and multiply it by 90% to reach 50.4 (which I will round up to 50.5 inches).  This is the measurement I will use for the length of my neckband. The width of your neckband will depend on personal choice but I will use 3 inches, as once the neckband is attached with a ½ inch seam allowance I’ll be left with a 1 inch band width.  So my measurement is 3 X 50.5 inches, with the stretch going along the length of the band. Here is my band after cutting.

 

 

Then I attached my neckband as normal. Fold the fabric wrong sides together along the length.  Then find the middle of the band and mark with a pin or clip.

 

 

 

Attach the middle of the band, right sides together and raw edges up with the centre of the back bodice piece (it’s already marked by the centre seam).  Then you will need to stretch the band to fit the neckline up to the shoulder seams about the amount you would normally stretch a neckband to fit. I have included some photos for reference.

     

 

 

Next you clip the end of the neckband to the end of the bodice on the left side, and ease the neckband to the bodice front along its length.  You will need to slightly stretch the neckband to fit along the bodice length.  

 

 

 

 

 

Repeat for the other side of the bodice. Sew the neckband in place using a ½ inch seam allowance.  Flip the neckband up, press the seam allowance down and topstitch if desired.

 

 

 

 

You’re all done!

 

 

 

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Snap to Keep Neckline in Place

Sometimes when you have babies being held and tugging at you a true wrap top/dress can be risky if they pull the wrong way! Adding a quick and easy sew on snap right at the cross over of your vneckline is a super simple solution.  First grab some sew on snaps from your local craft shop or favorite online crafty retailer:

 

Try on your Flutter Wrap and mark with your favorite marking tool where you want your snaps.  I like to mark both sides exactly where I want each snap to make sure they’re nice and even.

 

 

Hand sew each snap on- I’m not a big hand sewing fan, but these only take a minute!

 

Enjoy your wrap stress free from moving around and exposing more then you want!

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Snaps instead of ties

 

Last but not least I wanted to show you how to replace the ties for the witty bitty flutter wrap dresses and tops. Some may find it easier to snap the outfit instead of tying it. For my example I used the knee length flutter sleeve option but this hack can be done to any of the styles. Let’s get started!

Cut the fabric pieces but skip the two ties (the long and the shorter one)! Using an erasable pen or tailor tack, make a mark 3/4″ away from the raw edge, between the two notches. See image below.

Sew the shoulder seam and add binding. I will show you now how to create a faux wrap with only one set of snaps. If you prefer a real wrap with two sets of snaps, scroll to the end of the blog. Place the dress front and back right sides together as shown below. Sew all 3 layers together on one of the side seams but only two layers (the ones that match at the arm opening) on the other side.

Hem the side of the overlapping piece as in the original pattern. You will now add two 3/4″x3/4″ of stabilizer to where the snaps will be placed. Use the initial marking points as a guide for the snaps.

Add the male snap to the wrap and the female snap to the other side. All done! The wrap dress look without the “hassle” of the ties.

As promised above, here is how to keep the wrap but still add snaps. Place the front and back of the dress right sides together as shown above and sew together the two layers ONLY on both sides, matching the armpit and bottom. Add snaps on both sides using the markings you did. Super duper easy!

 

Will you be sewing the first Flutter Wrap for you or for your little one? Regardless of your pick, we hope you will show it off in the Patterns for Pirates Facebook group and hash tag it on Instagram so we can admire it too!

Minute Maillot – Easy Hacks

Don’t let the name of the pattern fool you! While The Minute Maillot is a super quick sew, it is full of options. But you know us- we like to add more easy hacks that you can customize to your preference.

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Separates

Although I love the Minute Maillot as a one piece, I tend to wear a lot of two pieces in the summer and this pattern is so quick and easy to hack into a two piece!  Let’s jump right in!

Step 1 – Grab your both your front and back lining pieces.  All we need to do is add a bit of length to these pieces.  Add 1 1/4 inch to the bottom of each piece and then draw your side seam line down on a curve to match as shown here. You will do this on both your front and back piece.  NOTE: This is going to work best on the high back, the mid back will work but its going to leave you with a very thin back band.

 

Step 2: Cut out your pieces you will need one main and one lining of each the front and the back.  You will sew in your cups if using them just as instructed in the pattern but DO NOT sew on the underbust elastic! Assemble the top just as instructed in the pattern.

Step 3: Your top is now assembled and we just have to finish the bottom. Cut your 3/4 inch under bust elastic as stated in the chart and butt the edges together and zig zag in the round exactly like shown in the tutorial. .  Instead of attaching it to the lining only we are going to attach it in the same way as we did the neckline and arm elastic.  First we will quarter our elastic and suite and match them together.  The elastic will be on the lining side of the suite.  Baste your elastic to your suite making sure that the edge of your elastic matches the edge of both the lining and the main fabric.  I choose to serge my elastic on, you will need to slightly stretch the elastic to match your suite.  After you have it sewn in place you will flip it up to the lining side and top stitch in place, again just like all your other elastic in the suite you want to top stitch right on the edge of that elastic as close as you possibly can, this helps prevent the elastic from flipping out on you.

All done! Quick and easy and super cute! This would also work great in athletic fabric for a sports bra! I paired mine with the Hello Sailors bottoms but you could easily hack to make your own bottoms from this pattern as well!  You just need to figure out where you would like the top of your bottoms to hit and add 3/8th to that.  You would add 3/8 inch elastic to the top on the lining side and then top stitch in place!  You can also apply this same hack to the girls suit, just decide how long you would like your top you can make it as long or as short as you would like, add 1/2 inch to where you decided you would like it to finish and add 3/8 inch elastic to finish the bottom.  No measurements are provided for this but I would do an inch less then the finished measurement so you can stretch that elastic just a little bit.

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Low back strap

My favorite back option of the Minute Maillot is for sure the low one! I also feel like it gives me the opportunity to get even more creative. Let me show you how quick and easy it is to add a strap to the back.

Start by making the swimsuit’s low back option, any front option or leg you prefer. We will add the strap once the suit in completed. Place a quilting ruler at the bottom arm opening and measure the opening of the back at that level. In my case (1x) it is 9 inches.

Cut your back strap 6″ wide by the back opening you measured earlier. In my case I used a swim piece that was 6″x9″. This is a step you can customize to your liking. If you’d like a thinner strap you can certainly cut the fabric shorter than 6″. Fold the strap right side together lengthwise, sew along the top with a 1/4 or 1/2″ seam allowance (depending on your preference). Turn the strap inside out.

Bring back your swimsuit, back side up, and mark the point on the opening that matches the bottom arm opening.

Pin your strap in place making sure that the top of the strap matches the mark you just made on both sides of the back opening.

Sew the strap in place using a zig zag stitch, stretch stitches or your coverstitch. That’s all!

Tips: Using the same technique you can make the back with two or three thinner straps, two long ones  tied in a bow, two thinner ones crossed like an X….endless possibilities!

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Ruffles at the legs

Looking for one of the fastest way to make most little girls happy- add ruffles! For this hack, you will first need to cut and assemble your pattern according to the tutorial, stopping at the step which attaches the crotch seam. Once assembled, you will want to measure the width that you would like your ruffles to be. I choose to measure from the side seam to approximately the leg curve, giving me a 3″ area to add the ruffle to the front, as well as another 3″ to the back.

You will now cut the rectangles needed for the ruffles.  You will need a total of 6 rectangles, 3 for each side. To determine the total length needed, I took my 6″ I measured above and multiplied by 1.5. If you’d like a more full ruffle, you could multiply this width by 2. For the height, I cut each ruffle to 2″. My final ruffle measurements were 9″x 2″. After you’ve cut your rectangles, you will want to sew your gather stitches (the longest straight stitch on your machine). I like to sew two rows of stitches to help create more even gathers.

Beginning with your bottom ruffle, match the center of the ruffle with the side seam, then pin in place 3″ from the side seam on both the front and back bodice pieces. Pull your gather strings and adjust as needed.

Attach the ruffle using a narrow zigzag stitch. You may now remove the basting stitches.

Repeat these steps with both the middle and top layer, placing it 1″ above the previous layer.

After attaching the ruffles, finish sewing the crotch seam as directed in the tutorial and then finish by adding the elastic! Lastly, show it to that little cutie and see her face light up when she sees the added flair to her suit!


~Erinn

 

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Maternity

 

Hi Lovelies,

Today we are going to discuss how to hack the new suit to be maternity friendly. You’re going to need the Maternity Layer Me Up add on pattern piece and your front piece of the swimsuit. Okay, let’s get started!
First, before cutting fabric we will need to modify the front pattern piece.  You’re going to take the front piece of the swimsuit and you’re going to measure one inch above the High Leg cut line. From there you will have two pieces to add your LMU in the middle.
You’re going to tape the top area of the LMU maternity add on where the red line is in the picture by the bust line curve.
Then, you’re going to tape the bottom piece of the swimsuit by the bottom notches on the LMU pattern piece. You will now blend the bottom of the belly area on the LMU to bottoms swimsuit piece.
Now, you’ll use your newly drafted maternity front piece to cut out the front of your swimsuit (and your swim lining if you’re fully lining the front of your swimsuit).
Next, you will be gathering the center belly section. Instead of using elastic to gather like in the LMU add on instructions I did the traditional two basting stitches and gathered by hand to match the back swimsuit pattern piece.  You will start gathering at the top notch under the bust and go until the very last notch on the belly.
From here on out you will continue with the Minute Maillot instructions as normal. Bam, you’re done with your beautiful new maternity swimsuit!

Amanda S

 

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How Low Can You Go Back

I love a dramatic low back! The low back option included is a bit lower then natural waistline.  I kept seeing gorgeous Pinterest photos of super low backs and had to try one!

I marked a line from the high cut legline horizontally across my back piece.  Then marked a vertical line just continuing the back low cutline vertically down until it met with the horizontal line I already marked.  Using a french curve I drew the curve (you can also cut out and use the curve from the low option if you don’t have a french curve handy).

I sewed up the suit exactly the same, just lengthening the back elastic to match the lower line. (I didn’t measure, I just applied it as I sewed only stretching where needed).

Ta-Da! A super dramatic low back that would be stunning on any beach or romantic get away… I’ll have to try to get invited to one of those one day to show mine off 😉

Judy

So Classic Sundress Hacks

The So Classic Sundress has released so grab your favorite wovens and sew yourself or your little ones a pretty dress. In true P4P fashion we have gathered some easy hacks that you can make to the So Classic Sundress that will give you even more options than the many included in the pattern.

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Gathered Thick Straps

The first hack we have for you is a gathered strap. If you would like a little more shoulder coverage or just want a fun new option, this hack is for you. Cut your dress as per the pattern instruction and simply cut the straps wider. For youth 3M to 4 you will be cutting the straps 7″ wide by the length given in the pattern. For 5 to 14, your straps will be 8″ by the length. If you are making this hack for the women’s dress then your new width will be 8″ (XXS-S), 9″ (M-XXL) and 10″ (1x-3x). The length will be the one listed in the tutorial.

Fold the straps lengthwise, right sides together and stitch with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Trim the SA to 1/4″, press open and turn the straps inside out. Press and optionally top stitch.

Sew two gathering stitches at the top and bottom of the straps. One should be about 1/4″ away from the raw edge and the other 5/8″ away.

Pull the gathering stitches so the  straps are 3/4″ wide for sizes 3m to 4. Your finished gathered straps will be 1″ ( for 5-12 and xxs – xs), 1.25″ (m – xxl) and 1.5″ (1x-3x).

Repeat this step for all raw edges of the straps.

Continue sewing the dress as shown in the tutorial. Tadah! you have a brand new option added to the So Classic Sundress repertoire.

 

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Skirt

For this hack, we’re going to do something that we love to do to our dresses- create separates. In this case, we’re creating a classic style woven skirt using the bottom portion of your So Classic Sweetheart dress. This is a great hack for everyday wear or more professional look as well.

To begin, you will want to decide which version of the skirt you would like, plain front or button up, along with length. Once you’ve decided, you will want to cut out your skirt pieces as given in the tutorial chart. The only change you will need to make is to your waistband. You will want to double the length when cutting it out.

To assemble the waistband, begin by stitching your waistband pieces together using a 1/2″ seam allowance.

If you are making the button placket, you will now have a long waistband piece, that is constructed in the following order: front waistband, back waistband, front waistband. If you are making the plain front, you should have a tube. Trim seams and press open.

Fold waistband in half lengthwise, with wrong sides together. If desired, you can top stitch 1/8″ from top of waistband. Baste only your back waistband piece together.

Cut your piece of elastic to the appropriate length given in the tutorial chart. Using a safety pin or other tool, pull your elastic through the back waistband casing.

You will now stitch in the ditch at the waistband seams to hold elastic in place.

Your waistband is now ready to be attached to the skirt! Follow the directions as given in the tutorial and begin to enjoy that gorgeous skirt you just created!

~ Nicole and Erinn

(Nicole is wearing the button placket skirt and Erinn is wearing the plain front version)

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Ties Straps

I’m here to show you a super simple tie strap hack! This hack is great for tiny babies who are more difficult to get dressed, a grow with me length of strap that is super quick and easy, a way to get the perfect strap length every time, and of course, just another adorable detail to change the look up a bit.

Start by cutting 4 halter straps rather than just 2.

Follow the tutorial to finish the straps just as the halter straps are finished.

For placement use the suggested placement for the regular/traditional straps.

Finish constructing bodice and dress just as the tutorial instructs.

Enjoy the adorable bows on the shoulders!

Judy

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Simple Belt

 

While browsing Pinterest I saw a dress very similar to the So Classic Sundress that featured a real belt instead of a waistband so I knew I had to make a simple one and show you how to make your own belts.

Start by gathering your supplies. You will need fabric, any woven fabric will work, belt hardware (that I actually upcycled from an old one) and grommets.

Cut a strip of fabric 4 inches wide by 50-60″ long depending on the size you’re making.

Fold the fabric lengthwise with the right sides together and sew around the raw edge leaving a 2-3″ opening. Turn the belt with the right side out, topstitch around the edges so you close the opening and give it sturdiness.

Using a fabric marker or chalk, draw a 3/4″ line about 1.5″ away from the edge. This will be your buttonhole marking.

Sew a buttonhole using your buttonhole attachment. If you need a refresher on buttons and button holes check out the P4P University blog here.

Add the belt hardware as shown in the pictures below and sew in place. Optionally you can slide one additional metal belt loop on the belt.

Take the other side of the belt and mark your grommets positions. Make sure that you add your grommets to the right side of the belt so it matches the other end. I like mine spaced 2″ apart. Try the belt on to see if you need to add any additional grommets.

There you have it! You made your very own belt. Now think about all the fabric possibilities! 🙂

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Bow front

 

Adding a bow can be another way to add a pop of color or a cute detail to your dress. We’ve shown it here for the girls, but you could easily add this to the women’s as well using the same methods.

You will want to begin by cutting your rectangular bow pieces. You will need two rectangles. To determine the width, follow the graphic below (this is just a guide, you can make your bow wider or narrower, based on preference). For the length, you will want to make sure that it is wide enough to tie and fit across the bodice piece. It’s ok if it is too long, as you can always trim it down later.

Taking one of your rectangles, fold it in half with right sides together. Stitch, using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Repeat with other bow. Next, cut a “v” notch from the top of each piece, as shown below. Press seam allowance open.

Holding the bow slightly open, it should create a tube. You will want to align the stitched edge with the opposite side now, to create the curved edges of your bows (the seam should now be in the middle rather than the edge). Stitch around the curve, using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Repeat on other bow.

Trim along the curve’s seam allowance using either pinking sheers or scissors.
* If using scissors, make small cuts into the seam allowance, making sure to not cut through stitches. This will help your curve to lay smoother.

Using your favorite turning tool, turn bows inside out, smoothing out the edges and press. Top stitch if desired.

Taking your center bodice piece, position each bow and baste into place (make sure to leave enough length to tie the bow, as shown in the next step!). Trim any excess length. Attach side pieces as directed in tutorial.

You now have two options- You can either tie the bow in a simple knot, like this. 

Or, another option is to create a center tie to hold the bows together. If using this method, you will not need as much length when you baste your bows.

You will want to begin by creating a small tube. Cut a rectangular piece 2″ width and approximately 6″ long. Fold in half, right sides together, and stitch using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Press seam allowance open and turn tube right sides out. Press, making sure that the seam is in the middle back of the tie.

Overlap your bows and wrap the center piece around them.

Stitch across the center piece to create a loop (as shown where pin is placed above). Trim any extra length that you might have and rotate the seam to behind the bow. Finish dress as per tutorial.

~ Erinn

Piping

If you know me you know I’m a huge piping fan, store bought piping that is. If I can add it to a dress I will, so it is only normal that I added it to the So Classic Sundress.

After cutting your pattern pieces as instructed you will add the piping to the desired seams. I love it at the princess seams and the sweetheart neckline. You could add piping to the straps, the waistband and even the bottom hem if you’d like. I would not recommend adding piping to the back as piping doesn’t look nice gathered.

Sew the piping to the center princess seams using a zipper foot. Store bought piping are smaller than the 1/2″ SA included in the pattern so place it a little bit away from the edge.

Sew the princess seams with a 1/2″ seam allowance.

Take the front of the bodice and pin in place the piping at the raw edge. Start 1/2″ away from the side seam and stop 1/2″ away for the other side seam as shown below.

Sew in place and continue the dress construction as per the tutorial.

Such a fun detail and so easy to add!

 

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No Waistband

 

You might have noticed above that I skipped the waistband piece on the bodice. This is such an easy hack. All you have to do is use the lining pieces as the main piece. So you will be cutting two front linings (one in the main fabric and one in the lining), four front side linings (2 sets of mirrored pieces with the lining fabric and two with the main fabric) and two back lining pieces (one in the lining and one in the main fabric).

You can make this hack for all straps options and for both women and girls. 🙂

 

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Shirred back

The So Classic Sundress feature elastic casing at the back bodice but if you or your little one prefer the feel of shirring or would just like an extra option you can do that so easily. Construct the bodice as shown in the pattern and skip cutting the elastic pieces. and creating the casings and replace with shirring.

All you have left to do now is shirr the back using elastic thread. Follow the tips in the Shirring 101 blog we have for you as part of our P4P University. Easy peasy!

 

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Adjustable Straps

The pattern includes standard or suggested strap lengths, but some may prefer to have adjustable straps.  I adjusted the width of my straps to do spaghetti style and used “lingerie” sliders from Joann Fabrics.  There are wider width sliders and rings available from various shops (such as Bra-Makers Supply) if you prefer to keep a wider strap to cover your bra straps.

Cut 2 longer straps (these will be the adjustable section ) and then 2 short straps (this will be attached to the back portion of the bodice).

My straps were 1.75″ x 28″ (the length of the halter straps in the pattern).  In retrospect I think adding about 8″ to the shoulder strap lengths in the pattern would be sufficient enough.  My sliders ended up on top of my shoulders and I really didn’t need all that extra length.  The short strap is 1.75″ x 3″.

Fold each strap in half lengthwise right sides together and stitch.  Trim and press seam allowances open.

Now you have a completed set of adjustable straps. Treat them as a single strap and attach to the bodice as shown in the tutorial.  The shorter strap side should be attached to the back bodice. I also chose to do a criss-cross, so instead of placing them parallel, cross them over to create an X when attaching them to the front and back bodice.

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Front Bodice Cut-Out

The So Classic Sundress is a classic, vintage style but with this slight modification, you can make it edgy and on trend. You can adjust the size of the cut-out to your preference but I used the empire and princess seam as a guide as to where to place mine.

Construction is slightly different and since we will be enclosing our front bodice in the waistband you will not use the lining pieces in the pattern.  Instead, cut out 2 (mirror image) of all the main front bodice, main back bodice and front and back waistband pieces.

Now we will move on to construct and attach the waistband and skirt.

Now that you have all these extra options, go sew some So Classic Dresses and don’t forget to show them off in the P4P group !

Alex, Nicole, Judy and Erinn

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