Sewing audition piece

[LadyStitch]

In 6 months I am costuming a large cast of pirates for a show.  After a terrible expereince with a seamstress who was originally hired to help me on this show. (How do you mess up a peasant blouse out of muslin? )  I am going to be "auditioning" new stitchers for the show.  Here is where I need your help.  Are there any big 3 patterns for pirate shirts, coats and pants that would work for generic pirate costumes that you would recomend?

The idea is that we will give them pattern,  enough fabric to make an xx small (boys size 12)  and men's 5XL (men's chest 54) shirt and pants.  Then they have 7 days from when they recieve to package to finish it and do quality work.
Who ever does it the best, get's the job.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Lady Stitch!!

You can check what SIMPLICITY, McCalls, and BUTTERICK have for Pirate patterns. As far as for men in the 4X and 5X category, good luck.  BUTTERRICK has nice Pirate shirt patterns that can be  tweaked for the 5X sizes.

I wish I could be of help in the sewing department, but I am going to be busy at that time with my own work load.

[lady serena]

This McCalls pattern, http://www.mccallpattern.com/item/M4862.htm??tab=list/costumes&page=all  fits my hubby and he is a 54" chest and it's cut at a size 2xl if I remember correctly, not the 3xl as they recommend. I tired the 3xl and he drown in it so the best I could tell you is try a muslin one first and then move up if you have to. As far as pants use a PJ pattern, that is what I use for my faire pants and no one is the wiser. For the Jacket I would recommend one of the patterns from Reconstructing History but they only go up to a 54" I'm sure with a little tweeking you could make it work. https://www.reconstructinghistory.com/patterns.php?c=22&d=36&w=24&r=Y

[LadyShadow]

I agree with the pants.  I use a pajama pants pattern for my boys and Hubby.  And instead of an elastic waste I make it a drawstring waste.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

The Jack Sparrow pattern from Simplicity is a good pattern to go with in that the pants have the drop front that is buttoned for a more 18th Century look. The pants aren't too baggy and can be tucked into boots easily. That pattern comes XL at the largest. Surely it can be expanded all around by 5/8" to accomodate each size up  beyond XL.


#4923

[LadyStitch]

In 6 months I am costuming a large cast of pirates for a show.  After a terrible expereince with a seamstress who was originally hired to help me on this show. (How do you mess up a peasant blouse out of muslin? )  I am going to be "auditioning" new stitchers for the show.  Here is where I need your help.  Are there any big 3 patterns for pirate shirts, coats and pants that would work for generic pirate costumes that you would recomend?

The idea is that we will give them pattern,  enough fabric to make an xx small (boys size 12)  and men's 5XL (men's chest 54) shirt and pants.  Then they have 7 days from when they recieve to package to finish it and do quality work.
Who ever does it the best, get's the job.

After talking to some seamstresses in my area there is a "labor" issue.  You can't have some one actually do labor as part of the hiring process.  Unless we want to pay them for the work they do for us as part of the audition process we can't do it. ::holds head::

One person had  recommended using an extremely simple Pirate shirt pattern but don't do hems or seam finished and do 2 inch seam allowance.  That way I can slowly make those over the next 6 months.  So them in S-XL, them some of the more extremes. (I have one guy who is a 60 girth, but 30 inch arms, then another who is 54 but 6'9". 

I agree with the pajama pants.  I have been using a pajama pattern for everything from my husband's pirate pants, to bloomers,  to a kid's breeches. 

Muslin is easy to come by and the shirts shouldn't be AS big a problem if the could be done over time.


As for the coats has anyone ever made the Jack Sparrow Pattern from Simplicity's coat pattern?  How difficult is it?  How about the recreating history one? how difficult is it? I have to make some guys look like brittish officers and other's as the pirates.  A pattern were I could use for either would be very handy.

[Lady L]

Yes, I have made the simplicity pirate pattern. I made the coat, shirt and vest, but used other pattern for the pants. There were a lot of pieces, but it wasn't really difficult and turned out really well.

[Mythrin]

I have made the Jack Sparrow one up about 10 times and the JR Ryan one three times.  What do you want to know?  I have some suggestions for modifying the Jack Sparrow one to make it more correct and less recognizable as that pattern that I could share if you'd like.

Here are a few samples of coats made up from both of those patterns.  The wine velvet, XL red with many buttons and the gray all are from the Ryan pattern, the rest are from the Sparrow pattern including the watch coat with the caplet.
http://picasaweb.google.com/MythrinFarm/18thCentCoats#

[LadyStitch]

Thank you for your product review. I am just drying to decide which pattern I want to use.  So far I'm looking at making 5-6 coats possibly.