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Or maybe the title should be ‘How to make a pirate patch in less than 10 minutes’!
Leah had been invited to her friend’s 5th birthday party, on Sunday morning just a few hours before the party I received a text from the boy’s mum telling me that it was optional fancy dress. I had seen a photo on facebook of the cake that had been made in celebration and it was a Pirate Ship. So, as Leah is rather fond of pirates and she has a special stripey shirt that has had the arms cut all raggedy I thought she could go as a pirate if she fancied! So I decided I’d make a quick eye patch for her to wear. It took me less than 10 minutes – honestly! I was amazed. Bethan wasn’t going to the party but she wanted one too so I thought it would be an idea to write a quick tutorial with some photos to go with it.
Feeling scared? You needn’t be:
Materials needed:
piece of black fabric 11cm x 11cm (approx – depends on how big you want to make your patch, I just pulled a piece from my black scrap box)
piece of black hat elastic 50cm long (approx – depends on the size of your pirates head)
black thread
sewing machine (or hand sew but it might take a bit longer)
1. Draw your patch template on a piece of paper (I only did this because I thought I might make more than one, how right I was!).
2. Fold the piece of fabric in half, pin the template to it and cut around so you have 2 patch pieces (you’re right, I didn’t pin).
3. Find yourself a pirate and loop the piece of elastic around their head to work out how long it needs to be, hold one end of the elastic by the bridge of the nose and the other end tight on the other side of the eye (going around the back of the head). My 7yr olds measurement was about 48cm.
4. Place the fabric pieces right sides together and place the elastic between the two pieces approx 5mm from the top of each side:
5. With a short stitch and starting with a few backstitches, sew around the curved edge of the patch with a seam allowance of 5mm. Sew back and forth a few times over the elastic to keep it firmly in place.
6. Now turn the patch the right side out, (I didn’t trim the seam allowance or pink the edges as it was already narrow) turn the unsewn edges to the inside of the patch and press. The pieces of elastic should just peep out the top of the patch.
7. Topstitch all the way around the patch.
8. Sew in the loose ends or if you’re in a real hurry cut them off!
That is it, you are finished! Well done, now find yourself that pirate from step 3 and try on that patch and get them to scowl, look fierce, threatening:
while trying not to laugh:
Later that day one pirate got to work with sewing tasks of her own but needed both eyes to see!
I’d love to hear your feedback, let me know if you make one and if it works for you!
