Body Image Issues? Patterns for Pirates to the rescue!

My bronchitis is finally over, and I was able to finish my first ever pencil skirt and a relaxed raglan for myself, both patterns are from Patterns for Pirates.

Now, before I dig into this, how many of us have body issues? Whether we are a size 8 or 20, very few people are truly 100% content with how they look. I know right now I sure don't! 5 babies in 7 years, 4 c-sections, and the last being twins 2 years ago, my body has taken a hit! I hate shopping at the store for so many reasons...sizing is never consistent, many shirts shrink (vertically usually!) after the first wash, and I hate seeing the "stuffed sausage look" as I try on shirts I think would look great on me, but really don't!

And in reality, so many of us deal with insecurities about our shape. I will always remember a lesson a dear friend taught me years ago. We were talking about our legs, thighs, rolls...you know the drill! But I never once imagined her to be anything other than perfectly thin. But she had her insecurities too. Just because we don't look like it, doesn't mean that there aren't things that we want to improve.

So on that note...yes there are some great store bought clothes that a lot of people love, but they just don't work for everyone. I have been collecting P4P patterns for a little while now, for this reason alone. She has very wide size ranges, and you can tailor them to fit your body size and style. Not everybody has the same waist style, hip size, and P4P is great at helping you make a shirt, skirt, dress, or outfit tailored to your size!

I've made myself one shirt in the past from another designer, but it was more just practice sewing and I didn't really care what it looked like after. For my first time using these patterns, I decided to use very inexpensive fabric (yes, $2.99/yd) in case I screwed up! Now that I finished, I can't wait to make whatever I want!

I measured at the largest size on all measurements, and even a little wider at the hips and waist on the shirt, but was able to grade out just enough to make it work. I used the P4P Pencil skirt pattern, and the Relaxed Raglan pattern. Both of these patterns, and from what I've seen all of her women's patterns, go all the way to Plus 3XL. And yes, that's where I fell! I honestly shed a few tears. But until I get back to a healthy size, I'm going to make clothes to fit and make me feel as great and beautiful as I can!

I got dressed this morning for church, did my hair, put makeup and jewelry on, and a nice slip, and felt so sassy! Then I looked at my pictures, and didn't feel the same way. But that will come with time. As long as I see a happy woman in the mirror while I work on my imperfections, I'm ok! And these patterns will help me get to the happy point!

This takes a lot of courage posting this online for the world to see, but I wanted you to see! These are great patterns! And I can only imagine how much better thick, quality fabric will look in a finished product. AND, the best part? I received soo many compliments today, most from people who didn't have any idea I had sewn this. I'm sure it wasn't just the outfit, but the smile too! I even had someone ask me if these were from Lualaroe.

For the skirt, I used the hi-waist option, ending at knee length. The pattern has an option for hi- or low- waist, as well as above knee, knee length, or midi option. It also gives directions for a vent in the back of the skirt as well. I used rayon combo for the skirt, and it's really not great quality. But even despite that, the skirt turned out good. The waistband is a knit waistband, and the fit was right on.

For the shirt I used a thin sweater knit, and a really thin mystery knit that I found out a local SAS store. But I kept seeing the leaves and couldn't get away from them at the store...fall's calling to me, even though we live in AZ and there really is no such thing as fall!

So I finally got up the nerve to make the shirt, and finished it last night at midnight. My chest measurement was right on, but my hips and waist were just a little outside the range. It was easy enough to add on and make it fit ME! That's the important part! I made something to fit ME! I didn't squeeze into many things before quitting. After following these patterns, I'm ready to break into my fabric stash and add to my wardrobe. The raglan also comes with neck triangle and elbow patch options, as well as an add-on pack to buy with pocket features, hood features, and thumb holes. Can't wait to try those myself!

These patterns both come in layer format, and are easy to assemble. No trim pages make it very easy to line up, even if you don't use the layers feature. These patterns are extensively tested by ladies of all shapes and sizes, and are tried and true. I have followed their sewing support FB page for a while, and all the posts have given me the courage to get started for myself.

In the meantime, I'll continue to work on my insecurities, hopefully getting healthy, but dressing great at the same time!

You can find Patterns for Pirates online at their site, facebook, or etsy. Give these patterns a shot. I'm sure you'll feel flirty and sassy too!