Well, here it is! The garment I didn’t plan on making.
I was seriously looking forward to sewing up this beautiful french terry fabric. It was gifted to me by Minerva in return for a review - All opinions are my own. You can read about it and find a link to the fabric here. I washed it as soon as it arrived and while it dried I planned what I would make with it.
All sorts of ideas presented themselves. The Ruska Dress from Breaking the pattern; another Hoodie Dress by The Assembly Line; a pyjamas set; jogging pants, a hoodie for me; I was busy asking the family what I should make when my eldest piped up, “A hoodie for me.” At first, I wasn’t sure he was serious, but he was.
I didn’t have a suitable pattern, so I asked him for one of his hoodies that fitted well and took a rub-off pattern from it. I adapted this as the one he gave me was a little too wide for him (his words). I used a combination of different tops to judge the right width and shoulder length.
The front and back body pieces are essentially the same shapes, with a different neckline. The sleeve is a simple draft, again symmetrical in design. The hood is in two pieces, seamed down the centre and then a band is used for the faced edge. Of the whole thing, I think the hood could have done with being taller as it does pull a little when up. I don’t think it will be worn up much.
I had already cautioned him that there might not be quite enough fabric as many patterns that I’d seen for men’s hoodies in his size required more than 2m, which is what I had. However, the pattern fitted comfortably on the 2m of fabric. I cut out in the morning and had completed most of the construction by mid-afternoon. The hem and cuff bands I added the following day, simply as the light was becoming poor in my sewing space.
Sewing this up was a breeze. I constructed this on my Pfaff Select 3.2 sewing machine, which is a mechanical machine, with a selection of stretch stitches. I used a triple straight stitch for the constructions seams and this worked very well, providing enough stretch in the stitch to avoid any popping, but a strong and secure seam. It looks good too. The seam allowances were 1cm and once the seams were sewn I overlocked the raw edges. You don’t really need to do this on this fabric, but it has a tendency to roll on the cut edges, so finishing them helps keep them flat. Instead of inserting eyelets for the cord to go through I used a strip of interfacing and created a buttonhole. My son said he had a suitable cord and would put this in but he hasn't done so yet.
I cut the hem and cuff bands from the same fabric, at 85% of the length of the lower bodice edge and lower sleeve edge. For this fabric, this was the perfect amount as they eased in well and don’t stretch out.
I had never sewn with this type of fabric before, despite sewing for nearly 10 years and I was pleased with how well it behaved, being sewn and pressed. It’s a great option for a snuggly top, but it still lightweight enough not to be too heavy and a good choice for those new to sewing knit fabrics due to its stability. I used a Schmetz Jersey needle and Guttermann polyester thread to sew this up.
It’s already been worn several times this week and I hope it becomes a firm favourite for my son. My hubby says it’s a bold choice! What do you think?
And if he doesn't wear it I think I'll be refashioning it into something for me. There are a few scraps left over. I hate wasting fabric, so I'm planning what I can use these small pieces for. What are your go to scrap busters for this type of fabric? Or do I just go Zero Waste Daniel and piece them into another garment?
