It’s a pattern release day at Patterns for Pirates, y’all! And this one is EXTRA SUPER DUPER SPECIAL because the pattern is mine! It’s my first ::official:: pattern launch under the P4P name and I am full of all the feels. ALL of them. I’m teary eyed, shaking, excited, nervous, full of self doubt, incredibly proud…..everything. All wrapped up in one redheaded package.
It’s called the Sugar Maple Skirt and I am in LOVE with it! I’m a huge fan of skirts and this one is extra fun. And I created the pattern! So it’s extra extra fun for me to share it!
Why the name? Glad you asked! As a loud and proud West Virginian, I thought it would be sweet to pay homage to my state. The Sugar Maple is our state tree, thus the name of my new skirt pattern! I heart WV!
As you can imagine, I made about 10,000 skirts during the testing process. So I’m trying to break it down into bite sized sharing moments. Hopefully I can do just that, ha. But first let’s talk about the details of the skirt pattern itself.
The Sugar Maple Skirt is pretty basic in concept, and pretty big on impact. It’s got all the swishy, twirly goodness that you can put into one clothing item!
Features:
- A-Line top yoke with a full-circle drop yoke
- Mini, Knee, Tea and Maxi length options
- Yoga style knit waistband
Not only is there an Adult – Hourglass figure version, but I also did all the mathing and created a Sugar Maple - Youth version as well! Anyone in sizes XXS – Plus 5X and 3M – 14 that likes to wear skirts can get in on the fun!
Okay, let’s keep the train rolling and talk about all of the skirts I made! We should start with the LOUDEST one, right?. But really, who doesn’t want a neon green maxi dress in their wardrobe? It was something I never knew I needed but I’m so glad I have it now!
I made this with a “yummy” ribbed knit from my wholesale supplier. It is a lot of color but actually pairs really well with a lot of tops I have. Who knew?
When I said that the drop yoke of this skirt was a full circle, I truly meant it. The bottom is a fabric hog for sure (most maxis in adult sizes take 4 yards just for the drop yoke!!) but it’s so worth it because the movement of the Sugar Maple Skirt is the best. It swishes and sways and has the best spinning qualities.
Given that I was basically wearing a green screen on my bottom half, I couldn’t help but want to make this video. Louis called it “cute but still cringe” so I guess I’ll never win over the GenZ crowd…or at least not my own kiddo when it comes to my Reels. I feel like this video really shows the swish and sway of the skirts — even at maxi length.
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Let’s go ahead and share another version of the maxi length that I sewed up. This time, it was in a Honeycomb Knit that we sent out for the August 2021 Fabric for Pirates. It has a great weight for this type of skirt and I really love the results of this sew. Plus this cool blue can carry me through a ton of seasons — so I’m really looking forward to having this in my closet.
We spent a few edits trying to get the length of the maxi skirt just right. Because there’s so much fabric, we wanted it to be a maxi you wouldn’t trip over. I think we got it just right! It floats just above the ground, at ankle height. Kinda smitten over the length and I’m not a maxi girl in the least bit!
Moving along in lengths, I feel like I need to hype up the tea length of this skirt!! I know some people shy away from this not-quite-a-maxi-but-not-quite-knee length but honestly…it’s so cute. If you’re a fan of wearing booties, tea length might be your new biffie.
Holy cats, I actually really adore this skirt so much. It’s in a DBP I found at JoAnn Fabrics and has a very “me” vibe to it. I mean….purples AND leopard? Hello!
Ooooookay. I think officially my favorite length is the knee, y’all. It’s just short enough to be sassy. It’s just long enough to be conservative. And the drop yoke at this length is the right level of swish for me.
Before you start asking where this fabric came from, it’s one that I had custom printed a few years ago. Bennett likes to ask me where you’d find a purple leopard to emulate in this manner. But I’d like to think that there’s one out there. Because I’m obsessed with this print and I’m always considering buying more. I had it printed on a rayon/spandex blend and I just love it.
Another knee length version I made was in a casino knit fabric in black. Not the easiest fabric to photograph, but what’s better than having a solid black skirt in your wardrobe? This fabric has a nice sheen to it and can be worn in a dressy manner. But it’s also great to just pair with a casual tee or tank. Win win win.
Can you tell the weather hasn’t given us any super nice days yet? I’m wearing skirts but also keeping pretty covered with my tops, ha. Stupid spring. Just show yourself already!
Moving on down to the mini size…let’s show off the shortest length of this skirt! It’s meant to hit about mid-thigh. Judy would probably think this was a typical length of skirts, haha (have you heard of P4P’s “Judy length” yet?) But it’s definitely mini. Perfectly flirty, too! The drop yoke becomes much more of a ruffle at this length and I think it’s adorable.
A ruffle that you don’t have to gather, y ‘all! What’s a better gift than that?
My choice in fabric was a little spicier than the other skirts I made. It’s a Nylon/Poly/Spandex blend that is a little on the scratchy side but completely on the fun side. I bought it originally to make a Kelli Dress but we ended up not going to the event it would have been for….so now I have a cute skirt instead!
And finally, the last skirt to share! If you made it this far with me, you’re beyond patient with my rambling and photos!
This skirt was made using a pointelle fabric. Which I love the base of so much, especially for shirts for my two guys! It’s lightweight enough to keep cool, but thick enough that it’s not showing off every single lump and bump of your body. I need more pointelle in my life for sure!
WHEWWWWWW! I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am that this day has arrived! It’s been a dream of mine to dive deeper into pattern development and I’m honored to be at this point. Judy has helped mentor me, and I’m thankful that she trusts me to be part of her brand like this.
Thank you so much to everyone who has helped hype me up in some way during the testing process — and now through release. It’s been such a surreal journey and I’m really proud of what the testers created, and the end results of this pattern! Now go buy the Sugar Maple Skirt and make one for yourself!!
Pattern: Sugar Maple Skirt by Patterns for Pirates
Fabric: described above
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