Sugar Maple Skirt :: Easy Hacks

April 12, 2022

Have you heard the news? P4P just dropped our latest pattern and it’s the swishiest, twirliest thing we’ve put out in a while!

The Sugar Maple Skirt is an a-line skirt with a full circle drop yoke. It is designed to be worn at the natural waist and comes in four lengths: mini, knee, tea and maxi. The top yoke has a flattering, body skimming silhouette, while the fuller part of the skirt joins just below the booty.

Whichever length you choose, each provides for ALL the swishy, twirly goodness that you could hope for in a skirt. The Sugar Maple is a great basic skirt pattern to have, an excellent sewing project for beginners, and it comes together so quickly that you’ll end up making multiple before you even know what happened!

Before you do anything else, go read all about the newest pattern: the Sugar Maple Skirt! It’s available in Adult – Hourglass and Youth sizes and is just the sweetest.

But guess what we went and did? We made it even sweeter by giving you some super easy, super fun pattern hacks to take the pattern a little further!

Dress Hack

The best way to get a little bit of twirl into your life is with the new Sugar Maple Skirt, I think we can all agree on that! If you love the twirly, whirly skirt but like the ease of a dress then this hack is for you. My daughter is now 8 and insists on picking her own outfits, but some of her choices can be pretty adventurous and she loves a colour clash. For me, a dress is the easiest option every time. I matched the Sugar Maple Skirt with the bodice of the Rainbow Dress Youth

They meshed together perfectly!

: Sugar Maple Skirt

: Rainbow Dress bodice

All I had to do was cut out the bodice of the Rainbow Dress and Sugar Maple Skirt as normal and just omit the waistband for the skirt. I sewed them each up individually as per their instructions and then laid them down next to each other to check they would fit together nicely at the waist.

I had to shave a smidge off the side seams at the waist of the bodice to get a perfect fit, but it was only 1/4″ either side. Then quarter your bodice and skirt pieces at the waist, using clips or pins.

Flip the skirt up and over the bodice so they are right sides together, and clip them together.

Finally, just sew the skirt to the bodice and you’re done. It’s as easy as that!

Twirl away to your heart’s content. I hope you love your new dress as much as we do. Happy Sewing! Dana xx

Skort Hack

As soon as the testers started talking about their plans for the Sugar Maple Skirt, many of them decided that it’d be the perfect skirt to turn into a skort — and we have the perfect pattern to help create that with the Peg Leg Leggings! Many thanks to Kalene Bartlett, our tester extraordinare, who photographed her steps of making the ::perfect:: skort! My sisters-in-law are big runners and I think they’d adore a running skirt like this! But I’ve also heard that plenty of mommas would love to have some added coverage for chasing littles around during the warmer months….not to mention it’s a perfect solution for fighting off that dreaded thigh chafing experience while rocking skirts. Because the Sugar Maple Skirt is meant to sit at the high waist, you’ll want to cut the Peg Legs pattern at the high-waisted cut line. You’ll need:

Peg Legs Leggings, in shortie / biker length…depending on the length of your skirt (assembled per the pattern instructions)
Sugar Maple Waistband
Sugar Maple Skirt top + drop yokes (assembled per the pattern instructions)

Mark the quarter points on both the Peg Legs and Sugar Maple skirt. Slide the Peg Legs inside of the skirt, right side of the Pegs facing the wrong side of the Sugar Maple. Pin/clip in place.

Find the quarter points of the waistband, and slide over the Sugar Maple / Peg Legs pieces…matching previously marked quarter points.

Sew all 3 pieces together, stretching the waistband and Peg Legs slightly to match — careful not to stretch the skirt opening.

Flip waistband up. Hem skirt and shorts.

You’re finished! Now go be like Kalene and be cut, comfortable AND covered in your new Peg Legs / Sugar Maple Skort!

I am beyond excited to see the Sugar Maple Skirts that you make! Head on over to the shop and grab yourself a copy of these new patterns! They are available on sale (no code needed) through 11:59pm CST, April 17, 2022.

Sugar Maple Skirt – Adult | Sugar Maple Skirt – Youth | Sugar Maple Skirt BUNDLE

Hoping for a little inspiration before diving into some Sugar Maple sewing? Head over to our Facebook group where you can see tester albums full of amazing images!

Sugar Maple Skirt: Adult Album | Sugar Maple Skirt: Youth Album

Go Team Patterns :: New Pattern Releases!!

October 15, 2021

IT. IS. GO. TEAM. TIME. We have been working our bootys off on a set of four amazing patterns and today is the day, y’all! We are ready to release them to our favorite pirate community!

Let’s talk allllll about the Go Team Jerseys and the Go Team Dresses!!

Whether you’re a fan of a sports team or just a fan of looking and feeling great, the Go Team Jersey is a great t-shirt for your wardrobe. The relaxed fit is super comfortable and the sporty details set it apart from your everyday tee. The front and back yoke give a great opportunity for mixing fabrics, decorative stitching or adding wording. The sleeve stripes are another great detail you can add for a sporty feel. You can pick from crew or V neckline, or even add a hood instead. This pattern works great year around with short, 3/4, long hemmed or long cuffed sleeve options. Shirt length options for average, short, and tall heights along with separate sleeves for each height.

The options for the Go Team Jersey includes:

Crew, V and Hooded Necklines.
Short, 3/4, Long Hemmed, and Long Cuffed Sleeve Lengths.
Adult sizes include Short, Average and Tall lengths for Sleeves and Bodice.
Stylish front + back yokes.
Optional Sleeve Stripes.

The youth sizes range from 3m – 14 and the adult sizes are for the full, newer size chart, extending from XXS – Plus 6X! Please make sure to check the size charts, as there were slight adjustments made to accommodate the new size range for adults.

Goooo Team! Whether your “team” is for sports, foodie, fan fiction, or anything else, the Go Team Dress is the perfect way to show off your team spirit! Or you can take this pattern and make a plain top for a great basic tee…while also allowing the perfect opportunity for fabric mixing with the front and back yoke. The stripes on the sleeves are another fun sporty detail you can add or leave off. You can choose from a crew, V or hood neckline. Don’t worry about what time of year it is because this pattern has you covered with short, 3/4, long hemmed or long with cuff sleeve options. Have a certain bottom you’re plaining on pairing your Go Team Dress with? No worries there… you can opt for crop, which goes great with high waisted bottoms, shirt, that hits mid booty, tunic, that hits under booty, curved hemline, also below booty, and dress, that hits at a flattering couple inches above knees. The semi-fitted, figure skimming silhouette is comfortable and flattering at the same time.

For this pattern, the youth sizes range from 3m – 14 and the adult sizes are for the size ranges from XXS – Plus 5X!

The options for the Go Team Dress includes:

Crew, V and Hooded Necklines.
Short, 3/4, Long Hemmed, and Long Cuffed Sleeve Lengths.
Adult sizes hem lengths: Crop, Shirt, Tunic and Knee.
Youth sizes hem lengths: Shirt, Tunic, Curved Hem, and Dress Lengths.
Stylish front + back yokes.
Optional Sleeve Stripes.

*Want to learn more about how to measure yourself for these pattern? We’ve got you covered with an in-depth blog HERE. And in case you’re new to Patterns for Pirates and PDF patterns in general, we have a great blog full of new-user tips HERE to help you get started! As with all of our current releases and updates, the pdfs now include our layers feature and can be found in Letter, A4, A0 and projector sizes. And for even more helpful fun, we have a free* printable that you can use to help record your measurements as you take them.

Let’s take a look at the different ways we can sew up these patterns!

GO TEAM JERSEY + GO TEAM DRESS – NECKLINES

GO TEAM JERSEY + GO TEAM DRESS – SLEEVE LENGTHS

GO TEAM JERSEY + GO TEAM DRESS OPTIONAL SLEEVE STRIPES

GO TEAM DRESS – HEMLINES

What are you waiting for? Head on over and grab yourself a copy of the Go Team patterns! They are available on sale (no code needed) through 11:59pm CST, Friday October 22, 2021.

GO TEAM JERSEY | GO TEAM JERSEY – YOUTH

GO TEAM DRESS | GO TEAM DRESS – YOUTH

GO TEAM DRESS + JERSEY BUNDLE

Maybe hoping for a little more inspiration before you make the purchase? Head over to our Facebook group where you can see tester albums full of amazing images!

Go Team Jersey Album | Go Team Jersey – Youth Album

Go Team Dress Album | Go Team Dress – Youth Album

All Buttoned Up :: New Pattern Release!!

September 9, 2021

Guess what day it is?! PATTERN RELEASE DAY, y’all!! It’s always so much fun when we get to launch patterns that we’ve been working hard on behind the scenes. The All Buttoned Up patterns (in both adult and youth sizes) are S.O. G.O.O.D. — we think you’re going to just love them so much!

The All Buttoned Up is a staple in every wardrobe. Nothing beats having a great cardigan to throw on when you’re chilly, and this one happens to be incredibly versatile!

You can wear it buttoned up as a shirt or dress or over another layer as an open cardigan. It’s slim enough to wear another layer over comfortably for even colder times. The multiple sleeve lengths and top lengths give this pattern year round usage. The V-neckline and crew neckline mean you can create the perfect pairings for any layers you need it to match. Fitted enough to look sleek, but still has room to grow and stay in their closet for great usage. Casual enough to wear buttoned up with jeans or dressed up over a nice dress.

This one cardigan pattern will you give you miles of usage over the seasons and years with it’s timeless look and options.

The All Buttoned Up is drafted for a high stretch fabric like sweater knits, double brushed poly, spandex rib knits, and the like. Options include: crop, shirt, tunic, and knee lengths; short, 3/4, long hemmed and long with cuff sleeve lengths, v-neckline and crew necklines. The adult pattern features a back seaming (meaning you don’t have to worry about any pooling around your lower back waist) and it also has an additional lower scoop neckline.

The options include:

Multiple lengths: Crop / Shirt / Tunic / Knee
Multiple Sleeve lengths: Short / 3/4 / Long Hemmed / Long Cuffed
Multiple Necklines: Crew / Vneck (with an additional Scoop option for the adult sizes)
The adult pattern features a back seam on the bodice, with a built-in sway back adjustment

Let’s take a look at the different ways we can sew up these patterns!

HEM LENGTHS

SLEEVE LENGTHS

NECKLINES

What are you waiting for? Head on over and grab yourself a copy of the All Buttoned Up patterns! They are available on sale (no code needed) through 11:59pm CST, September 17, 2021.

ALL BUTTONED UP | ALL BUTTONED UP – YOUTH | ALL BUTTONED UP – BUNDLE

Maybe hoping for a little more inspiration before you make the purchase? Head over to our Facebook group where you can see tester albums full of amazing images!

All Buttoned Up Album | All Buttoned Up – Youth Album

But wait! There’s more! Before you go, take a look at all of the Easy Hacks that our team put together, to help take your patterns a little further!

Rainbow Dress :: New Pattern Release!!

August 13, 2021

Happy pattern release day, y’all!!

We are SO SUPER DUPER EXCITED to share all about the newest pattern releases we have over at Patterns for Pirates today! The Rainbow Dress is drafted for both adult and youth sizes and you are about to be as smitten with the pattern as we are!

The Rainbow Dress is such a fun and unique pattern that can be used to create a classic and simple dress or top or add all the fun details and create something extrodary! No matter what the dress option will have you feeling twirly and beautiful! The sleeve options will take you all year round.

Rainbows aren’t really your thing? That’s okay too, we included a plain skirt option as well. And to make sure you weren’t left with no fun details we also added a fun gathered sleeve option, pockets, and an adorable peter pan style front collar.

The Rainbow Dress is drafted for high stretch knits like cotton spandex, double brushed poly, spandex rib knits, medium weight sweater knits, ITY, DTY, and the like. The peter pan collar however can be made in a woven, so you can use that non-stretch lace that looks so classic and cute.

This dress was designed by my very own Rainbow Baby who happens to love rainbows. I couldn’t imagine doing a rainbow dress without also supporting our friends in the LGBTQAI+community with the pattern, so a small proceeds of all sales will go to the Trevor Project and Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support (10% calculated at the end of each year). So, if you purchase this pattern you can not only enjoy the fun, twirly, unique design, but also feel great that you’re helping support communities in need.

The options include:

Gathered Sleeves w/cuffs (in short, 3/4 and long lengths)
Fitted sleeves (in short, 3/4 and long lengths)
Full circle skirt (plain or rainbow colorblocked)
Crop and Top length shirt bodices
Two necklines + optional Peter Pan collar for the higher version
Optional pockets

Let’s take a look at the different ways we can sew up these patterns!

GATHERED SLEEVES

FITTED SLEEVES

PLAIN / RAINBOW COLORBLOCKED CIRCLE SKIRTS

CROP + TOP LENGTH SHIRTS

HIGH / LOW** NECKLINE / PETER PAN COLLAR

**Low Neckline option for adult pattern only.

OPTIONAL POCKETS

What are you waiting for? Head on over and grab yourself a copy of the Rainbow Dress patterns! They are available on sale (no code needed) through 11:59pm CST, August 20, 2021.

RAINBOW DRESS | RAINBOW DRES S – YOUTH | RAINBOW DRESS – BUNDLE

Maybe hoping for a little more inspiration before you make the purchase? Head over to our Facebook group where you can see tester albums full of amazing images!

Rainbow Dress Album | Rainbow Dress – Youth Album

Paperbag Pants + Skirt :: New Pattern Release!

July 8, 2021

Guess what day it is?? It’s pattern release day!!! And we’ve got a doozy of a pattern to tell you all about. It checks off SO MANY requests that we’ve had come in over the last few years.

Let’s talk all about the new Paperbag Pants + Skirt patterns, in both youth and adult sizes!!

You will have so much fun sewing up these simple bottoms with the adorable paperbag ruffle top! They’re on trend and comfortable with an elastic waistband. They’re perfect for woven fabrics with no stretch, stretch wovens or even a stable knit. The ruffle along the top of the waistband is adorable and fun to wear year round paired with a tank or a cardigan. You can pink the perfect length shorts from 3″ or 5″ inseams. The above ankle capri pant is an adorable more fitted pant you can easily dress up or down with different tops and shoes. You can go short with a mini skirt or longer with a knee length.

Pair any of these options with adorable patch pockets big enough to fit your giant cell phone in comfortably! You can go all out and add belt loops and a tie belt to tie everything together as well!

The options include: Options include: 3″ or 5″ inseam shorts for adult/ shorts, 26″ capri pants, mini for adult/mid thigh skirt, knee skirt, patch pockets, belt loops and tie belt.

Let’s take a look at the different ways we can sew up these patterns!

SKIRT LENGTHS (MINI + KNEE)

SHORTS (3″ INSEAM / 5″ INSEAM ADULT)

ABOVE ANKLE PANT LENGTH

PATCH POCKETS

BELT LOOPS + BELT

What are you waiting for? Head on over and grab yourself a copy of the Paperbag Pants + Skirt patterns! They are available on sale (no code needed) through 11:59pm CST, July 19, 2021.

PAPERBAG PANTS + SKIRT | PAPERBAG PANTS + SKIRT – YOUTH | PAPERBAG PANTS + SKIRT – BUNDLE

Maybe hoping for a little more inspiration before you make the purchase? Head over to our Facebook group where you can see tester albums full of amazing images!

Paperbag Pants + Skirt Album | Paperbag Pants + Skirt – Youth Album

If you’re looking for even more options, we show you a few more ways you can use this pattern in our Paperbag Pants + Skirt Easy Hacks post.

Sunflower Swim top SAL – day 7

June 30, 2021

What a splashing fabulous week! Thank you so much for joining me in the Sunflower Swim Top sew along. We loved seeing you get ready for a P4P summer. It is time to announce the two winners, so without further ado….

Congratulations Melissa Powell! As our first winner, Melissa will receive a $20 Patterns for Pirates gift card and a $50 Oh So Pretty Custom Fabrics one. I can’t wait to see those smiling faces sporting some OSP/P4P creations!

Jenny Sherman Richards is our second prize winner. She won a $20 gift card to Made for Mermaids and a $25 Oh So Pretty Custom Fabrics one.

A big THANK YOU to Oh So Pretty Custom Fabrics, our Sew Along sponsor, who also provided the swim fabrics for the videos.

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 1 | Cut fabric

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 2 | Shelf bra

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 3 | Straps and side seams

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 4 | Attach lining

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 5 | Neckline and elastics

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 6 | Add ruffle/hem and finish swim top

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 7 | Winners announcement

Sunflower Swim top SAL – day 6

June 26, 2021

Hello, pirates! We have made it to the last day of our sew along. Today we add the optional ruffle, hem the bottom and finish the back loops.

If you are not adding the ruffle, sew the elastic along the bottom (just like we did yesterday) with an stretch stitch. Fold 3/8” and hem. If you are adding the ruffle, start by gathering the strip of swim. For the closed back style, the ruffle will be one loop, for the open back it will a straight piece.

Remember to stitch the ruffle 3/4” away from the ends of the swim top bottom. You will add the elastic after you sew the ruffle on. If you opted for the closed back you have finished. For the open back, you need to fold each of the loops 3/4” towards the lining and stitch down. Thread the straps through the loops and tie knots at the end.

That’s it! You finished your beautiful swim tops! I whipped up a pair of coordinating Busy Bee swim bottoms to go with my Sunflower top. I absolutely love my Minnie Mouse inspired swimsuit.

Here is the last sew along video. Once you finish your Sunflower post a picture of your completed swim top in then comments of day 6 sew along album. Feel free to share your creations all over Facebook but don’t skip adding it to the day 6 check in photo, that’s where the the P4P team will pick the winners. We will announce them here on the blog on Tuesday.

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 1 | Cut fabric

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 2 | Shelf bra

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 3 | Straps and side seams

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 4 | Attach lining

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 5 | Neckline and elastics

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 6 | Add ruffle/hem and finish swim top

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 7 | Winners announcement

Sunflower Swim top SAL – day 5

June 25, 2021

Welcome to day 5 of our Sunflower Swim Top sew along. I reserved today to adding all elastics to the neckline, armcyce and back curves. Another easy day but a very important one. Do not skip sewing elastic in the seams of your swimsuits!

If you are sewing the closed back style, you will have a two elastics to sew, one in the neckline and another one in the armscye and along the top of the back. If you are creating the open back top you should have 1 elastic for then neckline, 2 form the armscye and 4 for the back C curves.

You should stitch the swim elastic along the wrong side of the main print with a stretch stitch on your sewing machine or your serger. Remember to disengage the serger blade! The elastic and edges it goes on should be then same length, no stretching needed.

In today’s video I show you how I add the elastic to the open back Sunflower top. Once you finish your steps, snap a picture of your progress and add it to the comments of day 5 photo of the sew along album. Tomorrow we add the optional ruffle and finish then swim top. See you back here!

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 1 | Cut fabric

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 2 | Shelf bra

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 3 | Straps and side seams

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 4 | Attach lining

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 5 | Neckline and elastics

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 6 | Add ruffle/hem and finish swim top

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 7 | Winners announcement

Sunflower Swim top SAL – day 4

June 24, 2021

Ahoy, matey! Welcome to the mid day of our Sunflower sew along. Today is the fastest sewing day so it makes a good opportunity to catch up on past days, start a second swim top or join us if you still haven’t started.

First off we need to baste or pin in place the front straps. If you are sewing the halter top, you’ll pin the straps 1.25″ away from each side. If you did the scoop neckline (like me) then you are centering the straps in the pick ups. Once the front straps are basted in place, stitch the back side too. You are only sewing in the back straps for the closed back style.

Place your lining and your main right sides together making sure that the straps are out of the way. Stitch along the top ONLY for now. For the closed back option, you are all done. If you are creating the open back then you will also need to stitch around the 4 “C” curves at the back.

You can see in day 4 video below how I attach the lining to my scoop neck, open back Sunflower swim top. Once you finish today’s steps, post a picture of your progress in the comments of day 4 photo of the Sunflower Sew Along album. See you back here tomorrow!

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 1 | Cut fabric

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 2 | Shelf bra

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 3 | Straps and side seams

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 4 | Attach lining

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 5 | Neckline and elastics

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 6 | Add ruffle/hem and finish swim top

Sunflower Swim Top SAL day 7 | Winners announcement

Sunflower Swim top SAL – day 3

June 23, 2021

Hello, pirates! On day 3 we create the straps and sew the side seams. The Sunflower Swim top includes a full back and an open back option. The covered back straps are much shorter than the open back ones.

One of the most important tips I have for you for today is to not skip the elastic in the straps, regardless of which style swim top you chose. The straps are pretty much holding the rest of the suit in place. That, and the fact that swim fabric tends to “relax” in the water makes the straps elastic mandatory.

You can serge the elastic to the wrong side of the straps as Judy has in her videos or you can zig zag it on, as I did. Optionally, you can top stitch the straps along the center. Just make sure you use a stretch stitch or a chain stitch for that.

Last steps for today are sewing the side seams of the main and then of the lining. If you opted fro the open back style, your main and lining will be a flat piece. For the closed back style, once you sew the side seams you will have two “loops”.

In today’s video you can see how I create the open back straps and sew the side seams. Keep in mind that if you are doing the closed back option, the Sunflower pattern does include videos for that option as well. Once you finish today’s steps, post a picture of your progress in the comments of day 3 photo of this Sew Along album.