Katherine: Drafting a Pirate Shirt (Pt. 2)
Last week I taught you how to use a bodice sloper to create the torso portion of a pirate shirt, including a front and back yoke and a gathered shirt. Now we just need to add the sleeves! I also wanted to add a few ideas for how to alter this pattern slightly to make it look completely different.
Instructions
Fig. 1. A sleeve sloper without any darts, copied onto white pattern drafting paper, with three darts marked along the sleeve head and a straight grainline marked in the center of the sleeve. Beside it is the cardboard version of the sloper that was used to trace onto the paper.
1. Just like the torso, start with a simple long sleeve sloper! The one that I am using does not have any elbow darts and is just a simple set-in sleeve. Make sure to add in your notches! Mine include a back and front matching notch, as well as a notch to match up to the shoulder seam. Also include your grainline (which will be in the center of the sleeve, since both side seams are too slanted for it to run parallel to).
Fig. 2. The same sleeve sloper as the past photo, with three lines drawn parallel to the grainline.
2. Just like the gathered torso piece, we are going to split this sleeve into three pieces. Use your grainline as one slash line, then draw two more directly parallel to the grainline.
Fig. 3. Sleeve with all three slash lines cut up to the sleeve head. Each separated piece has been moved 4 cms apart and taped down to another piece of drafting paper. It also has a curved hem, dipping down at the back half and up at the front half.
3. Now to slash the lines. You can either do the same thing we did with the gathered torso piece (slash them fully and separate evenly a few centimeters to add fullness to both your sleeve head and at the cuff). I am going to show you a different method this time, to create a bishop sleeve. Slash from the cuff of the sleeve up to but not through the sleeve head. Leave each piece a tiny bit attached to use to swivel the pieces. Separate the cuff of the sleeve a few centimeters apart (I separated each 4 cm apart). This will give you a smooth sleeve head with lots of fullness at the cuff.
4. Find the midpoint of your sleeve hem (this does not have to be perfect). Dip the back quarter of the sleeve down between 5 mm and 1 cm, and the front quarter up the same amount. This will give your sleeve a subtle curve to give space for movement.
Fig. 4. The sleeve now has the grainline marked and an even seam allowance around all sides, and is labelled with the date and pattern name (Pirate Shirt).
Fig. 5. A close-up of the labelling on the sleeve pattern: “Pirate Shirt Sleeve. May 2021. SA = 1.5 cm. Cut 2.”
5. Add your seam allowance! It is the same all the way around, whichever seam allowance you prefer to work with. I use 1.5 centimeters, the usual amount used in sewing patterns.
Fig. 6. A rectangle with even seam allowance on all sides, labeled as a cuff.
6. Next: the cuff! This is just a simple rectangle. Measure your wrist and add 3.75 cm (or 1.5”) for ease and for overlap, although you may need to add a bit more if you are planning to use very large buttons. For the width, choose how wide you would like your cuff to be and then double it, since it will be folded in half. Lastly, add your seam allowance to all sides and label it. Add in your grainline where your cuff will be folded in half.
Fig. 7. An isosceles trapezoid shaped piece with the longer side slightly curved down to create the points of a collar. Seam allowance has been added to the piece, as well as a grainline and labels.
7. Lastly, here is a simple collar option. This is a similar process to making the cuffs. Start with the measurement of your yoke neckline, and mark a line that length on your piece of paper. Decide how wide you would like your collar – I have made mine 4 cm here. Draw a second line that distance away from your first line, but make it slightly longer than the first one. Connect the lines to create an isosceles trapezoid. Finally, shape the longer side, curving it a bit lower. This will be the point of your collar. All that you need to do after that is label your piece, add in your grainline (fold your piece perfectly in half; your grain line will be along that fold), and add your seam allowance.
Before cutting out your fabric, make sure to make a quick mock-up of your draft so that you can see exactly what it looks like in 3D. From there, you can make whatever adjustments you feel are necessary.
For easy ways to switch this up, you can always play around with the collar shape. Making a steep V at the end of the collar would give it a fun 70s flair, and a rounded shape would give you a Peter Pan collar. You can even forgo the collar altogether and just sew the yoke to the yoke lining for a clean finish.
Another place where you can change up the look quickly is with the cuffs. If you would like wide cuffs, make sure to also measure the widest part of your forearm to give it space, and add more button closures. Another option is to add ruffles! You could always add a quick ruffle along the hem, the edge of the collar, the end of the cuffs, or do a wide ruffle at the neckline of the yoke. The fabric that you choose, as well as details such as the buttons and hem width, are all ways to personalize it as well.
I hope these posts helped you dip your toes into the deep waters of pattern drafting, and got you excited for new projects! I am thrilled to share some tricks about pattern drafting, and I hope that you bring some of them into your sewing life.
Katherine is smiling and wearing a blue dress while sitting on a half wall in front of an old library. There is a striped woven basket beside her.
Katherine (she/her) is a queer seamstress from Alberta, Canada. She started sewing when she was seven years old, and since then has designed and created garments for multiple fashion shows across the country. Katherine is inspired inspired by vintage and historical fashion, especially the 1930s and 1940s. She believes wholeheartedly that fashion should be for everyone, and learning how to sew for yourself is a skill that can help you create the wardrobe that you have always wanted, and that actually fits you the way you want it to. She can be found on Instagram at @funk_katherine or on her website at https://funkkatherine.wixsite.com/mysite.
Sew Queer is a community, and we welcome comments and discussion. In order to create a welcoming and multivocal space working towards a more just and equitable future, we review every comment before approval. Comments promoting racism, classism, fatphobia, ableism, or right wing political ideology are not allowed and will not be approved. For more details on commenting, visit our commenting guidelines.