Pirate Costume: Complete!

The pirate costume is done! I don't have along-the-way pictures on this one, because I was so focused on making as much progress as possible in those few moments where I had free time and wasn't exhausted.

Simplicity 2561: Toddler Pirate Costume

Pattern Description: Pirate costumes for toddler girls and boys. Includes hat, coat, skirts, pants, and shirt/vest combo. I made The pants from the right (B) and the shirt/vest from the left (D).

Pattern Sizing: Toddler sizes. I made size "2".

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Absolutely!

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes and no. When I got out of my head and looked at the pictures a lot, it flowed very easily. However, this was my first time making any kind of a collar and the directions really confused me. It took me a long time (and a wasted set of collar and interfacing pieces) to figure out that "facing" in the instructions didn't necessarily mean the pattern pieces that were labelled as facing. Still, this was probably a beginner mistake. Everything else was simple!

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I was amazed by how perfectly and effortlessly everything fit as it was coming together. Marks lined up without any stress. It came together so well! Part of this could be my beginner-level skills, but I was amazed by how well it all came together. I've worked with other patterns (maybe my error on the precision of my work) that didn't come together well at all.

That being said, there were a few places I thought the directions lacked. The bottom of the vest is unhemmed. The directions call for using a seam glue stuff to seal the bottom edge, but it doesn't tell you to do that until the very end of the project. If your fabric frays at all, you'll have a right mess by then. Since my vest fabric was a poly faux suede, I burned it instead.

I also struggled with the vertical slash that makes up the v-neck. There is nothing on the pattern that suggests you might want to keep track of the vertical line at that point, but when you are making that slash, the directions expect you to line it up to that vertical (now invisible) line. Also, when you are working on that portion of the top (sewing the line that becomes the fold for the V), you are expected to work to the markings on the facing piece. However, you are working on the back of the interfacing at that point. Since I marked with thread, I took the threads out before I interfaced. Again, maybe that was a rookie mistake, but trying to mark the back of the interfacing on the facing piece when it was already sewn in (and assuming I got the vertical alignment right) was tricky and probably not very precise. I'm not exactly sure how to improve on that. Maybe mark the back of the interfacing from the get-go? I don't think keeping the threads in while the interfacing was applied would have been a good idea. I'm reasonably sure they wouldn't have come out cleanly. Pencil marking the fashion fabric wouldn't have helped either, since it almost certainly wouldn't have shown through the interfacing.

What techniques did you use, learn, or want to use next time: This is probably to be expected, but there was nothing at all in the instructions about finishing the seams. I completely forgot about the need to do this until I was about halfway through construction of the shirt. I managed to go back and finish all of the seams, mostly with an overcast stitch, although on the sleeves I did a pseudo french seam by turning in the seam allowances (is that the right word?) and stitching them together.

I did a horrible job matching up the pants' stripes. For some reason, when I was cutting out the pants pieces, I decided that matching didn't matter since the pants were one piece per leg. Really, what it came down to, is what I have researched for matching patterns didn't apply in this circumstance. I still could have matched the fronts/backs and the seam on the legs better. Something to try to do better next time!

Something that went well: I used tailor's tacks to mark the various circles and marks on the patterns. I was really pleased with that method and think it was definitely a part of how well the pieces fit and came together. In the past, I have always used pencil marks, which I feel are less precise.

Fabric Used: Several, actually. The white shirt bits are a cotton gauze. This fabric was a gorgeous for the huge puffy sleeves. However, the marking and cutting out phases were difficult. The fabric had a lot of give, and tended to move under pins instead of being pierced by them. I figured it out as I went, and definitely thought it was worth the trouble. I was concerned that it would be too flowy and/or soft for the collar, but standard JoAnn's Pellon lightweight interfacing did the trick!

The black vest part is polyester faux suede from JoAnn's. I can be a bit of a fabric snob and tend to shy away from polyester, but this fabric was a dream to work with. It iron well, it cut well, it sewed well. I will definitely use it again when I want a suede look, especially for costume pieces.

The pants are a heavy cotton stripe I found from FashionFabricsClub. Definitely a bottom-weight fabric. Very easy to work with.

The sash is silk dupioni from my local Denver Fabrics. I didn't wash the silk before I worked with it, and loved working with the stiff dupioni. Also, my thread all but disappeared into the fabric. I cheated a little and top-stitched closed the opening for turning the sash.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: None. This was my first time making a shirt, and I wanted to follow the directions precisely.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I probably won't sew it again, just because how much need does one have for more than one toddler pirate costume? But I would highly recommend it. I can't speak to the coat or hat, but the parts I made were easy and look fantastic! My one gripe would be that the shirt is very open in the back, which is fine for a costume, but if you live anywhere that it gets cold at all in the fall, your toddler will probably need an undershirt, which will almost certainly show through the v in the front.

Conclusion: Love this pattern! Most especially, I love the confidence that it has instilled in me to try more complicated projects! I am very, very pleased!