sew along Archives - Patterns for Pirates

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 7

March 29, 2022

Hello, friends! Thank you everyone who joined us last week for the Kelli and Charli sew along. I thoroughly enjoyed making the stretch velvet Kelli dress…plus , I am Christmas ready with month and months to spare. I know you are here to find out the winners so without further ado, here they are!

Congratulations, Stevie Puckett-Perez ! She is our first winner. Mel won a $20 gift card from Patterns for Pirates and a $25 gift card from Mily Mae Fabrics.

Congratulations go to Cathryn Larkin as well! Cathryn won a gift card from Made for Mermaids valued at $20.

A huge THANK YOU to our sew along sponsor. Make sure you check out Mily Mae Fabrics on Facebook to keep up to date with their sales and fabrics.

I am passing the baton to the mermaids! I’m excited to see what’s next in the sew along group.

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 2 | shoulder seams and facing

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 3 | gather front and sew side seams

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 4 | add sleeves

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 5 | create skirt

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 6 | attach skirt and hem

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 6

March 26, 2022

Welcome to the final day of the Charli and Kelli sew along!

All we have left to do today is attach the skirt to the bodice and hem. If you have not basted the two front skirt pieces yesterday, I recommend you do so today. Find the center point of the skirt’s front and back ad well as bodice front. With the right sides together, match the side seams and center marks on the skirt and bodice. Pin in place.

Tip: If you are using a fabric with vertical stretch or on the heavier side, add clear elastic to the waist seam. This will prevent the bodice from stretching too much when worn.

Sew the skirt to the bodice using a stretch stitch. I love a triple stretch stitch for this step. Press the waistband to reduce any waviness from sewing. Remember that a lot of the fancier fabric require a pressing cloth to be used.

Final steps of this sew along are hemming the skirt and the sleeves. If you opted for the split skirt and cap or sleeveless you are done with your Kelli and Charli projects. Our P4P University hemming knits blog post gives you a few tips for an easy and successful process. I have “discovered” the overcasting stitch on my sewing machine and I found it to just perfect for hemming stretch velvet. Give it a try!

All done! I love the classic look of my glitter velvet Kelli, it will be just perfect for the holidays.

Here is the final construction and hemming video. Post your finished Charli and Kelli dresses in the comments of day 6 photo of the sew along album. I look forward to admiring your beautiful dresses!

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 2 | shoulder seams and facing

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 3 | gather front and sew side seams

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 4 | add sleeves

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 5 | create skirt

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 6 | attach skirt and hem

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 5

March 25, 2022

Welcome to day 4 of the Kelli and Charli sew along! Today we create the gorgeous skirt. I opted for the knee length with slit for my glitter velvet one. Both the adult and the youth patterns include various options and length so everyone can find a favorite.

The Charli skirts and the long overlay Kelli one are similar in construction. Start by hemming the oberlao piece. This step can be done on a sewing machine or a coverstitch. Once hemmed, gather the side seam to match the notched on the skirt side seam. Baste the overlay to the front skirt at the side seams and top. You will now treat this piece as one. All you have left to do is sew the back of the skirt, right sides together, at the side seams. We will hem tomorrow.

Press the side seams to reduce any waviness.

The construction of the split skirt, whether mini, knee or long is slightly different. The first step is to sew a few inches of the side seams at the bottom. We need tom hem this skirt prior to add continuing creating the skirt. I like to sew this step on a sewing machine so I can press the seams open. Hem the bottom of the skirt using a twin needle, coverstitch or zig zag stitch. You are now ready to gather the one side. Remember on day 2 when we gathered the top? We will do the exact same but on the skirt. Once you have matched the notches, pin the side seams of the skirt, right sides together.

TIP: double check to make sure the skirt in not twisted before you sew the side seams!

I like to baste the top of the two front pieces together so they stay in place when we add the skirt to the top. It’s optional, you can just pin them together.

In day 5 video below I show you how to create the slit skirt. Once you finish the steps, post a picture of your progress in the photo comments of day 5. That will be your check in for today. See you back here tomorrow for the final assembly!

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 2 | shoulder seams and facing

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 3 | gather front and sew side seams

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 4 | add sleeves

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 5 | create skirt

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 6 | attach skirt and hem

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 4

March 24, 2022

Good morning, friends! Today we add the sleeves. I love the options included in the Kelli and Charli dress patterns. The lined cap sleeve is adorable for warmer weather. I opted for the 3/4 sleeve for a more ” winter friendly” dress.

3/4 and long sleeve: This pattern features sleeves that are sewn in the round so you will start by sewing the seam right sides together. Don’t forget to press a memory hem. This will make hemming a lot easier after you add the sleeves.

cap sleeve: Start by sewing the hem part of the cap sleeves, main and lining, right sides together. Press and under stitch! Sew the side seam along the main and lining.

Find the notches that correspond to the front and back of each sleeves. Pin the sleeves to the arm opening matching the shoulder notch and side seams. Using a 1/2″ seam allowance and a stretch stitch, sew the sleeves to the bodice.

TIP: when sewing smaller sizes, especially little kids’ ones, I like to place the presser foot inside the opening. It make stitching a lot easier.

In today’s video, you can see how I add the set in sleeves to the Kelli dress. Once you complete the steps post a photo of your progress in the comments of day 4 photo of this sew along album. See you back here tomorrow to start working on the skirt!

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 2 | shoulder seams and facing

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 3 | gather front and sew side seams

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 4 | add sleeves

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 5 | create skirt

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 6 | attach skirt and hem

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 3

March 23, 2022

Welcome to the third day of the Kelli and Charli sew along. Today we work on the front gathers and the side seams.

FRONT GATHER

Let’s start by setting the sewing machine to a gathering stitch. I like mine set to the longest length stitch (five) and lowest tension (zero). Find what works best for you and your machine. Run two gathering stitches (without backstitching) at approximately 3/8″ and 5/8″ from the raw edge on the front piece that has a longer side seam. In doing so, one of the gathering stitches will be in the seam allowance, one will be out of it. Pull the two threads (bobbin thread is easier to pull) so that the notches on the side seams match the on the front and back.

If you are doing the facing style, you will not add gathering stitches to the facing, only the main fabric. Once you gather the side to match the notch on the back side seam, tie knots at the start and the end of the basting stitches to keep them in place. I also encourage you to baste the facing to the gathered front side seam, wrong sides together to keep it in place.

SIDE SEAMS

I like to baste the two front pieces at the side seam first. Make sure that the gathered one goes on top. Now you will treat the two front pieces as one. Pin the front and back bodices at the side seam and stitch with a stretch stitch or serger. The sleeves will be added in the round later on.

You can see in today’s video how I work on the bodice. Once you finish the steps, check in with a photo of your progress in the comments of day 3 photo of the Kelli/Charli sew along.

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 2 | shoulder seams and facing

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 3 | gather front and sew side seams

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 4 | add sleeves

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 5 | create skirt

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 6 | attach skirt and hem

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 2

March 22, 2022

Ahoy, pirates! It’s time to start sewing our beautiful Kelli and Charli dresses. Today we work on the bodice. Start by sewing the back pieces, right sides together. Kelli has a seam down the back so the it fits those beautiful hourglass shapes perfectly.

TIP: sew this project on the sewing machine if you are going for a very elegant, luxurious look. Press all your seams open as you go.

Sew the shoulder seams right sides together. You can add clear elastic in the seam allowance for a very good hold. I encourage you to do that if the fabric you are using is on the heavier side or you are making the floor length dress. If you opted for the facing style, repeat the steps with the facing pieces.

As you saw in yesterday’s video, I am sewing the elastic neckline finish for my Kelli dress but I know some of you prefer the facing style. In the bonus video below I show you how to create the facing sleeveless tank using the “burrito roll” method.

If you opted for the elastic neckline, start by “exercising” your 1/4″elastic. You will now stitch the elastic to the wrong side of the neckline, at the raw edge. I like to do this step using a ride zig zag stitch. Fold the elastic over towards the wrong side and sew down with either a zig zag stitch, an overcasting stitch or a coverstitch.

In day 2 video I show you these steps using exclusively my sewing machine. Once you complete the steps, post a picture of your progress in the comments of day 2 photo of the Kelli and Charli sew along album. See you back here tomorrow for day 3!

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 2 | shoulder seams and facing

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 3 | gather front and sew side seams

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 4 | add sleeves

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 5 | create skirt

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 6 | attach skirt and hem

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 1

March 21, 2022

Welcome to the Kelli and Charli sew along!

Remember the sew along poll we did in the Patterns for Pirates facebook group back in early January? You all made your voices heard. The Lumberjack vs Kelli/Charli sew along preference was such a close poll that I knew we had to have a dress sew long after the button up shirt. If you missed the Lumberjack Sew along definitely check it out.

If you have not purchased the Kelli and/or Charli patterns, join the M4M & P4P sew along group! Not only for the daily sew along check in and prizes but also to grab the exclusive coupon code we have for the patterns.

Kelli and Charli Bundle

Kelli dress

Charli dress

As always, day 1 is reserved to cutting the fabric and gathering any additional supplies. So let’s talk FABRIC! Both the Kelli and the Charli dresses are drafted for light to medium knit fabric that has 40% – 50% horizontal stretch. Some vertical stretch is recommended too, not lot but some, to make the dress more comfortable when worn. Examples of fabric bases that would work nicely with this patterns are:

* stretch velvet

* stretch lace

* the ohh so popular DBP (double brushed poly)

*cotton spandex

*some athletic knits

*sweater knits

*ribbed knits

*waffle knits

* some poly blend knits

For the Kelli dress that you will see me sew throughout the week, I will be using a gorgeous burgundy glitter velvet from Mily Mae Fabrics. MMF is also this sew along’s sponsor so our lucky winner will receive a $25 gift card to shop their website. Mily Mae Fabric stocks some of to most beautiful non inspired fabrics in a huge variety of bases. You can definitely find some for the whole family.

Now that you have your fabric picked, it’s time to select the size(s). Make sure that you get an accurate measurement for the bust, waist and hips. Here is a very help blog post about measuring yourself. The Kelli dress is fitted so you do not want to skip blending sizes if you need too. Take a look over our Grading blog post to get an idea of how best tom blend the pattern sizes.

Both the Kelli and the Charli dresses are packed with options. From sleeve length to skirt styles, there is something for every occasion. If you are not yet convinced of the style you’re making for the sew along, a great place to start is the Round Up release blog where you can get a breakdown of all options as well as some tester inspiration.

In day 1 video, I show you how to cut the Kelli dress using a projector. If you are new to Projector for sewing, check out our informative blog. Once you complete today’s steps, post a picture of your cut fabric in the comments of Day 1 photo of the Kelli/Charli SAL album. You can find the album in the M4M & P4P sew along group on Facebook. See you back here tomorrow!

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 1 | cut fabric

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 2 | shoulder seams and facing

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 3 | gather front and sew side seams

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 4 | add sleeves

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 5 | create skirt

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 6 | attach skirt and hem

Kelli and Charli sew along – day 7 | winners announcement

Rainbow Dress SEW ALONG – day 7

August 31, 2021

Hello, friends! Thank you so much for joining me last week. We absolutely loved seeing your Rainbow dress creations. Without further ado…

Our first winner is Patricia Mastin ! Patricia won a $20 gift card to Patterns for Pirates as well as a $50 shop credit to Hissy Fit Fabrics.

Congratulations Azure Glowacki Bednarcik ! She is our second winner! Azure won a $20 gift card from Made for Mermaids and a $50 shop credit to Hissy Fit Fabrics.

A big THANK YOU to our sew along sponsor. Make sure you check out Hissy Fit Fabrics on Facebook to keep up to date with their sales and preorders.

Thank you for joining us this week and make sure you share your gorgeous creations in the P4P Facebook group and Instagram. Stay tuned in the Sew Along group for the mermaids’ next sal announcement.

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 1 | Cut fabric

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 2 | Create rainbow skirt and add optional pockets

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 3 | Create collar

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 4 | Sew shoulder seams and add neckband

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 5 | Add sleeves and sew side seams

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 6 | Add skirt and hem

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 7 | Winners Announcement

Rainbow Dress SEW ALONG – day 6

August 28, 2021

Wooohoo! You did it! Last sew along day is here and all we have to do is add sew then skirt to the bodice and hem it. Easy peasy!

Mark the center of the front and back bodice with a pin or a clip. The skirt pattern has notches to show its center. Pin the skirt to the bodice, right sides together, matching the center marks and the side seams. Sew with the serger or a stretch stitch. Optionally you can top stitch the seam allowance up.

Lastly, hem the bottom of the skirt by folding 1” and PRESSING! Do not skip steam pressing before you sew…and after. You sew the hem using your sewing machine’s twin needles option or your coverstitch as I have. Before you start, take a look over our Hemming blog because we have a few tips for easy and successful hemming. If you are finishing the bottom hem using twin needles, a good refresher blog is the P4P University Twin Needles Tips.

Last Rainbow dress SAL video is below. Once you complete your project, post a picture of your finished dress in the comments of day 6 photo of the sew along album. That’s where the team will pick the two winners. I will announce them on the blog on Tuesday.

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 1 | Cut fabric

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 2 | Create rainbow skirt and add optional pockets

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 3 | Create collar

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 4 | Sew shoulder seams and add neckband

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 5 | Add sleeves and sew side seams

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 6 | Add skirt and hem

Rainbow Dress SAL – day 7 | Winners Announcement

Rainbow Dress SEW ALONG – day 5

August 27, 2021

Ahoy, matey! We are almost there! Today we finish the bodice by adding the sleeves.

The Rainbow Dress includes 2 style sleeves, a fitted style and a gathered one. Both available in short, 3/4 and long length. The fitted sleeves are finished with a hem. The gathered sleeves are banded.

I opted for the gathered style, so you can see this option in today’s video. Start by sewing two rows of stitches, one about 1/4” and one 3/8” away from the raw edge, in between the two notches. Use the longest stitch length your machine allows. Do not backstitch! Leave long tails at the beginning and end of each row. Pull on then tails to gather the sleeve, matching the 3 notches on the arm curve with the ones on the bodice (front, shoulder seam, back). Pin in place and stitch.

Sew each of the arm bands, right sides together at the short ends to create a loop. Gather the bottom of the sleeves to match then arm bands. All you have left to do is sew the bands to the sleeves, right sides together, and press.

Here is day 5 video. Once you finish the bodice, post a picture of your progress in the comments of day 5 photo in the sew along album. See you back here tomorrow for the final steps!