Pattern Hack! Buckles for the Vintage Jumper

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Over the past year, I've been writing a lot of tutorials for pattern hacking.


Pattern hacking? Whether you call it by this term or another, if you sew, you've likely made changes to a pattern to express your own unique style. You've hacked a pattern!


I personally love these assignments because they really help to stretch my imagination and creativity.


Do I fail? You betcha! Do I succeed? Heck yeah. 


Am I a better maker because of it all? Ab-so-freakin'-lutely.


I have all of this content that I've been creating for independent designers and I realized I should be sharing it here, too. So, I'm on a mission to catch things up a bit.


Starting with the new Patterns for Pirates Vintage Jumper.




Believe me when I say I have NEEDED a reason to make a cute pair of overalls. It's been on my "to make" list for at least the past 3 years. So, I jumped at the chance to work these up.


Holy moly, they are so cute!!


For the Vintage Jumper, you’ll need 1 ¼” buckles. I ordered mine from WAWAK and they came within 2 days, but you can also order from Amazon or pick them up in your local fabric store.


For this pattern hack, I added buckles, rather than the buttons that the pattern calls for. Here's the how-to:



Prefer written instructions? Happy to help!


Mark your button placement on the bib with tailor’s chalk, 1” from the top and side edge of the bib.




Take your button post and push it through the backside of your bib, at your chalk mark, going through all layers of your fabric.





Protecting the front side of your button (as I’ve done here with a simple cloth bag), hammer the button post into the button.






Thread your straps through the buckles, starting with the top…




Running through the bottom…



Back through the middle…



And behind the front of the strap, back through the top loop.



Give yourself plenty of play in your straps to make fit adjustments.



Adjust the straps to your preference and you’re done!


I have always loved overalls! I am so glad to have this updated pair in my wardrobe. As with all Patterns for Pirates makes, you can’t stop with one. I already have the fabric ready to make another pair soon.



I sure have miss you, friends! It feels good to be writing again.


Sending you much love and good sewing juju!