I'm about to start making a pirate shirt from Simplicity's pattern 4923. It will be my first project using a machine, and I will thankfully have help learning how to use the machine. I have two questions, but I'd take any other advice that I haven't though of asking too. Thanks!
1. The person I am making the shirt for is on the tall and very thin side. He's 6 foot and wears 30x34 pants. Do you think I will need to alter the pattern to a long enough shirt, or should it be okay?
2. What fabrics will be easy to work with for a novice, relatively affordable, and comfortable in Texas heat, but still look great for faire?
For just the sirt part, it looks like you could just use some muslin. Around here at JoAnn's, it goes for about $1.99 a yard, I think. Some are wider and more expencive, but still cheap.
Granted, I just finished the woman's pattern for the pirate top from Simplicity, first real project other than simple things, like... pillowcases. So I'm not the best to ask, but I think muslin would be fine.
I used the same pattern (sim4923) for my first shirt. I'm 5'10" and its plenty long. It also came out WAY too wide and I'm anything but thin ;D. Ended up just using the pattern for ideas and cut more patterns out of butcher paper till it fit halfway decently. The first shirt went into the garbage, the second taught me to wash the fabric first :-[, the third will do until I work up enough courage to tackle the sewing machine again.
Sometimes it is best to err on the side of the sleeves and shirt being a wee to long for someone who is tall.
When I have a situation like that of someone who is tall, I use the largest size on the pattern, if multisized, for the sleeves and length. Most Pirate shirts are full enough to accomodate small to XXL
I just bought this pattern and it is a good one for Shirts. Happy sewing!!. It is good to know where the 5/8 seam allowance mark is on the machine. That is important to know to get collars adn cuffs to fit right and be aligned together.
A good fabric in the heat is linen, but that usually expensive. However, I've found that very often, there are linen blends which are much more reasonably priced. That, or simply cotton broadcloth, which is very reasonably priced.
I mentioned this in a different thread, but I got linen at joann's for $2.79 a yard. It was 60% off.
I made that shirt for Capt. R and he's 6 feet tall. It was long enough on him. The extra width makes the shirt "poofy" with a belt. I didn't have to alter it at all. I made his shirt from black linen.
I made two of the Simplicity patterns for one tall and rather thin male and the other for a tall and rather stout male. Believe me, they will be long enough. The problem with the one I made for my son (who is tall and very thin) is that it almost dwarfed his middle. We wound up having to cinch it with his belt so that it would look like the shirt actually fit him. A couple of well placed pins made the shoulders hang correctly...
I made both out of a nice, light cotton that I got off the sale rack for $1.00 a yard.
Good Luck!
I made 4 shirts from this pattern. Sizes ranged from small to x-large, for boys/men 5'4 to 6'1. The length was fine for them all.....of course the 'added' belt, makes them cinch nicely. I used gauze for 2, a cotton for 1 and a linen/cotton for another.
You will do fine! ;D
I have made several pirate shirts, and I found that the best, most comfortable fabric is muslin. I buy the quilters muslin and it is really wide. I can usually get 2 shirts out of it. The fabric is soft and comfortable and not very expensive at all. Something else you can use is an old sheet. Solid color of course, but if it is a sheet that has been used and washed a lot, it will be really soft. Be sure to wash the fabric before you cut it. That way, if it is going to shrink at all, it will shrink then and not after the shirt is made. You can serge the edges so they will not unravel, but if you don't have a serger, don't worry. As for the length, measure the length of the person from the back of his neck to about the bottom of his bottom. This is a good length for pirate shirts. (or any ren shirts) Then measure the same area of the pattern. That will tell you if you need to add any or not.
Happy sewing. I think you will find it a rewarding experience.
We made this shirt for my hubby's pirate garb. He's 6'5", and also very thin (wearing something like a 31x36 in jeans), and as everyone has said, it's plenty wide, and it comes down below his hips, so I'd say it was long enough. I'm actually stealing it for my own pirate garb this year. xD The sleeves are definitely long enough, and the only complaint he has had is the slit in the front. My gramma helped me make the shirt, as I am a complete novice, and I'm not sure we got it totally right, but the slit is rather long, coming down to just above his stomach. It may not make much of a difference in the Texas heat, as his complaint is the cold Ohio mornings, but still might be something to watch for. We made his out of unbleached muslin, and it works out really well, and is definitely cool enough.