. Do zippers intimidate you? The Quadra Jacket sewing pattern includes a video tutorial for installing the zipper, to make it super easy! BUT - if you would still prefer another option... The collared version (with or without hood) is really easy to hack to use snaps or buttons instead of a zipper! You just […]

Traditionally, most patterns suggest laying out all your pieces at once, pinning them to your fabric, and then cutting them. But there is a better way! Cutting pieces one at a time allows you to skip the pins (use weight to keep the pattern piece in place) for faster cutting, and also to fit the […]

Hi there! Anisha here from SASSY Creations! I have a handy little hack to show you today: a hanging loop for your Quadra Jacket! Very simply made and attached, this nifty little detail will help you keep your cloakroom tidy! 😃 I'll show/explain to you how to attach it to the lined and faced version […]

Hi there! I'm Anisha from SASSY Creations! I'm so excited I got to help test the Quadra Jacket and I have a little hack to show you how easy it is to add a zipper/chin guard to your Quadra! Because I made this one as a rain jacket for my son, I wanted a little […]

Hi there! Anisha here from SASSY Creations, with a little hack/mashup! I made my kids' Quadra Jackets out of PUL to be rain jackets, and since they all wear glasses, I decided I wanted to add a brim to keep their glasses drip-free. Luckily enough, the Goober Pea Designs Snuggle Bunny Poncho pattern has a […]

This video was made for use by one of our fantastic brand ambassadors, Kristi Giba. We somehow lost the final clip showing how to tie off the threads, so it ends a bit abruptly, but the whole zipper installation is there! We'll try and fix up the ending at a later date, but for now […]

Piping is a deceptively simple detail to add to many different types of projects, for a really professional and elegant look - but it looks especially great on the Quadra Jacket! You can buy piping ready made from the store, or you can make your own - we'll save that for another tutorial though 😉 […]

One of our fabulous brand ambassadors Kristi Giba made a video for us showing how to shorten a separating zipper - a skill that is quite useful for the new Quadra Jacket sewing pattern. For reference, here is a list of the supplies she uses in the video: Needle Nose Pliers Diagonal Cutting Pliers Nippers […]

Here at Goober Pea Designs, we recognize that kids come in all different shapes and sizes, and we strongly encourage blending sizes to get the perfect fit! My own kids typically fall into different sizes for height and width, so I've had plenty of experience testing these techniques and figuring out the easiest and/or most […]

Here at Goober Pea Designs, we recognize that kids come in all different shapes and sizes, and we strongly encourage blending sizes to get the perfect fit! My own kids typically fall into different sizes for height and width, so I've had plenty of experience testing these techniques and figuring out the easiest and/or most […]

So what's the difference between a size chart and a finished measurements chart, you ask? A size chart gives all the body measurements that the sizes were drafted to fit, whereas a finished measurements chart give the actual garment measurements. These will be different numbers, and comparing the two charts will show you how much […]

One of the most wonderful things about sewing clothing is the ability to get a perfect fit! In order to do so, it is necessary to take body measurements and compare them to the size chart, to help you choose the correct size. All Goober Pea Designs clothing patterns provide a size chart, both on […]

A "grow cuff" is an extra long cuff that enables a stretchy top or dress to be worn with the cuffs folded up at first, and then unfolded as the child grows, for longer wear. Grow cuffs are most effective when used with a longer top (or a dress), so the top length does not […]

If you have a child with sensitivities to seams (or just want to try a different look!), here is a great way to sew the Mabel puffed sleeve with a long undersleeve and ditch the band! When using this method, there is no seam against the child's bicep - just a smooth sleeve, with the […]

This tutorial shows how to hack (modify) the Canmore Cuddle Boots (for knit fabrics) OR the Rocky Mountain Slipper Boots (for woven fabrics) to have a drawstring. This method can be used on all versions of the boots, with or without cuffs. I used stretch corduroy and sherpa lining for these boots, both from Mimifabrics. You can cut your pieces […]

  Here’s a fun project for the whole family to work on! It can be done by sewing, or with a no-sew method! Click HERE to get a FREE tutorial with detailed instructions to make your own game mat. ***please note, the free tutorial version does not include templates – you will need to draw your own […]

The new footed/cuffed version of the Stellar Sleep Sack is designed to be reversible, but in some cases you may want to do an easier non-reversible construction method – particularly if you do not wish to line the feet. This blog tutorial will show you how to do this. Note – all seam allowances are […]

This tutorial shows how to hack (modify) the Canmore Cuddle Boots (for knit fabrics) OR Rocky Mountain Slipper Boots (for woven fabrics) with grommets for lacing up the sides, in place of the side zipper. I used some great cotton lycra from Wellington Fabrics for my outer fabric on these boots, and thicker bamboo fleece for the lining. The […]

This tutorial shows how to hack (modify) the Canmore Cuddle Boots pattern to have a slouchy ruched boot top. This method could also be used for the Rocky Mountain Slipper Boots – but that pattern is sized for wovens, and most fabrics that would drape nicely for the slouchy look would be stretchy knits.  I used super soft bamboo […]

    Trim is a fantastic way to add contrast when making the Talia Tiered Dress skirt (FREE pattern) in a single fabric color or print! You can either use store bought piping (but it must have stretch, if you want to use it at the waist seam) or make your own from knit fabric! […]

Gathering fabric is something that many sewists find difficult, and some even avoid – though it’s a beautiful element in many different styles of garments, and with the right method can be quite easy. There are a ton of different methods that can be used for gathering, and after experimenting with quite a few, I […]

Are you planning to sew a car seat poncho, like maybe the zippered/size adjustable Goober Pea Pod (shown in this tutorial) or the FREE Snuggle Bunny Poncho, and want to add on some arm holes? Here’s an easy (and cute!) way to do it! You can even add them to ANY existing car seat poncho!! STEP A – […]

My daughter has never liked hoods. I kept trying, hoping one winter she’d realize how great they are for keeping your neck warm. But this year, I threw in the towel and took the hood off her newest car seat poncho, and added a neckband instead. She loves it so much better! So, for those […]

***UPDATE: If you don’t want to do the calculations, we now offer a FREE sewing pattern for a dress with a tiered skirt, which you can mash with the Reverie or pretty much any other bodice with a seam at the natural waist! Check out the Talia Tiered Dress.*** When I was organizing my fabrics recently, […]

The NEW no-placket version of the Gold River Adventure Dress makes it super easy to mash up the top of the dress (bibs/waistband) with some shorts or pants from another pattern! Simply sew your pants or shorts, leaving the waistband off, and then sew them together with the overall top at the waist, just as you would […]

When sewing pants for children, it’s very common for their waist and height to fall into different sizes. Thankfully, size blending can be done using these simple methods. Note: the examples show a leggings-style pant (with no side seams), but this can be done in exactly the same way on front and back, with a […]

The Reverie is a pretty fast sew, but the gathering does take some time. Here is a fun hack you can use to skip the strap gathering, with a pretty pleat! I also substituted a circle skirt (you can interchange the skirts from the Mabel pattern) to make it an extra fast sew! Start with the regular […]

Installing a zipper on stretchy knit fabric can be very tricky. If the the fabric stretches or moves while you're sewing at all, it will pucker and/or end up uneven. Here are my best tips and tricks for a perfect zipper, along with a video of how to prepare your zipper for sewing! 1. Use […]

UPDATE: The Addison Skirts pattern has been retired, but if you don't already have it, you can use the skirts from the Mabel Top Tunic & Dress in the exact same way with the Gold River Adventure Dress! Here are the details on how to use the Addison skirts with the Gold River Adventure Dress: […]

A lot of the patterns here at Goober Pea Designs use snaps - such as: our sleep sacks (Starlight Sleep Sack and Romper, Stellar Sleep Sack and Romper) size adjustable car seat poncho with removable hoods (Goober Pea Pod) the overall/dungaree dress (Gold River Adventure Dress) Because of this, we often have questions about using […]

Since the Little Bow Pea was released, we've had quite a few people ask if the back can be cut on the fold, and/or if the neckline can be done in another way that doesn't require hemming (as hemming a curve can be a bit tricky). A member of the Goober Pea Designs team, Dee […]

In testing for the Hip 2 B Square Tee, we found that a few people didn't like having a seam right under the armpit. Most were ok with it though - especially after adding the step to clip the corners of the seam allowance to reduce bulk. If your child has sensory aversions, you may […]

This video shows how to sew a neckband and grow cuffs onto the Split Pea Tunic and Dress sewing pattern from Goober Pea Designs. However, all the steps are identical for any other shirt or dress with a neckband and/or cuffs (skipping the part about including the pleat in the neckband seam, which is only necessary for […]

This video shows how to pin/clip a knit sleeve to a flat armhole (with the side seam not sewn yet) in preparation for sewing. Pattern shown is the Split Pea Tunic and Dress by Goober Pea Designs, but all knit sleeves for Goober Pea patterns are attached in this way – as well as a lot of […]

The beautiful Reverie Dress is a very fitted style, and can be a little tricky to get over the head in a fabric with a firm stretch, like custom printed cotton lycra (it is much easier in a nice stretchy bamboo, rayon, or brushed polyester - for example). Here is a great way to make […]

*Note* The Sadie Skirt pattern has been retired, but this tutorial could easily be used for any simple skirt pattern with knit waistband. Goober Pea Designs hasn't yet designed any pants patterns, and the main reason for that is because there are so many awesome ones out there already! Some of my favorites are even […]

This tutorial shows how to add a elastic in the hood to the vest from the Campbell Jacket and Vest PDF sewing pattern. PLEASE NOTE: the free Basic Campbell Vest and the Campbell Jacket patterns have now been retired, but you can find a similar vest pattern here or a similar jacket pattern here. This […]

This tutorial shows how to add a knit waistband to the vest from the Campbell Jacket and Vest PDF sewing pattern. PLEASE NOTE: the free Basic Campbell Vest and Campbell Jacket patterns have now been retired, but you can find a similar jacket pattern here or a similar vest pattern here. This technique can be […]

One of our fantastic customers came up with this hack, to put the flounces only on the sides of the Sugar Pea. What a great fabric saver! Here's how she did it:   First, find the hip notch on the skirt piece, and fold/cut a straight line through it as shown (the notch was at […]

Goober Pea Designs is a Canadian business, and we love to support our fellow Canadian sewing businesses! So when I started seeing our customers adding the cowl from the Grow Fonder by Apple Tree Sewing Patterns to the Sugar Pea Tunic and Dress, I was thrilled and needed to try it myself! One of my […]

One of our fantastic Facebook group admins, Dee Jacob-Olsthoorn, made an adorable Stylin Snuggler using the snap hack, and modified the sleeves to cover her adorable baby boy's hands. Here is a quick tutorial on how to make this modification yourself! First, take the sleeve pattern piece, and extend the sides straight down to form […]

Ever wanted to make Little Bow Pea into a dress? Well here's a super easy way to do that, by mashing it up with the Danica Dress! First, place the Danica pattern (front - slim skirt or full skirt, both will work) on your fabric, and fold back the neckline to make room for the […]

Right here. This is where it all started. My little cutie started shoving things into her (regular) sleep sack during nap and bedtime - stuffies, her arms, and even her sippy cup would be in there, rolling around at the bottom. Eventually she wanted her things back out, so she started figuring out how to […]

Recently someone asked me if the Sugar Pea could be done with a gathered flounce instead of circle skirt, when working with limited fabric. Just a couple of weeks later, I ended up wanting to make a Sugar Pea with this beautiful Silent Night fabric, and only had a fat half meter to work with […]

The Sugar Pea is a gorgeous show-stopper and one of my favorite sews, but recently I found myself wanting to make something a bit simpler from these fantastic grunge stripes (Northern Rose Fabrics). Since I always have my Sugar Pea pattern pieces easily accessible, I decide to modify them to make a simple peplum top. […]

I wanted to make my daughter a swim top from the Sugar Pea pattern, but was concerned about it being a bit too heavy when wet. So I decided to shorten it to a single tier - here's how I did it: First I measured the difference in length between the short and long tunic […]

Cord locks are very useful for adjusting a strap or drawstring, but they can be dangerous, especially on something like a sun hat, where the chin strap could get caught on playground equipment and encircle the neck. To make a chin strap adjustable AND safe, you can add breakaway clasps, designed to break apart if […]

Did you know that it's super easy to put the Danica neckline on the Sugar Pea, or vice versa? The two patterns have identical armscyes and chest circumference, so you can simply line them up and trace one neckline onto the other piece! In the picture below, you can see that I traced the Sugar […]

This hack is for the standard Campbell Jacket (this pattern is now retired - try the Quadra Jacket for a similar option) with snaps, buttons, or velcro. Save on fabric and make a cute light jacket from just a single layer! I suggest sizing down the width (size blending to the correct height size if […]

Want to turn the Stylin' Snuggler into a cute summer pajama romper? Use the short sleeve version and cut off the legs to make shorts! I recommend sizing down - this version was made in the correct size per height, in the slim fit (she measures between regular and slim fit for chest size).  PLEASE […]

For a quick and easy Stylin' Snuggler, you can swap out the zipper for snaps! Here's how to do it: Add 3/4" extra seam allowance (shown in red below) to your front pieces (or back, if you are putting the snaps on the back)                        […]