{Luka Hoodie}

I've fallen behind in my post for the sew-along, hopefully I'll get caught up soon!

 

August's pattern for the Sewing For Boys Sew-Along is the Luka Hoodie.  The think the most fun part of making kid's clothes is choosing the fabric.  I've been holding onto this navy & white elephant fabric for a while now.  When I saw it on Etsy I knew Milo would love it but hadn't found the right project until now.  I paired it with some navy sweat shirt material that I already had.  The challange with having an almost 6 year old (who isn't much bigger than an average 3 year old) is using novelty fabric in a way that isn't too "little kid" anymore but still looks fun.  I love how it turned out!

 

Usually I make a size 2/3 in pattern from this book and add a bit of length but this time I decided to try the size 4/5.  The hoodie is definately big on him but I figure he can wear it for quite a while this way.  Choosing which fabric to use for each pattern piece was a bit of a challange because there are so many possible combinations.  I traced out the pattern pieces and then decided what fabric to cut each one out of to get the look I was going for.  The book refers to Main, Contrast, & Lining fabric but I just couldn't visualize it until I had all the pieces to look at.  Here is what I cut out of each fabric

Elephant Print Fabric:

1 Hood Back Panel

2 Hood Side Panels

Pocket

Secret Pocket Flap

 

Navy Sweat Shirt Fabric:

2 Top Front

Back

1 Hood Back Panel (used as lining)

2 Hood Side Panels (used as lining)

Bottom Front

2 Sleeves

 

Navy Flannel (lining):

2 Top Front

Back

Bottom Front

2 Sleeves

 

Yellow:

Secret Pocket

 

 

 

During the construction I added a few details.  First is adding some white piping between the upper and lower front portions.  I also did quite a bit of top-stitching in white to add a more finished look.   I also added a strip of the elephant print to the flannel (lining) sleeves so they could be turned up. The biggest challange was to use a zipper rather than button closures.  I will say that took a couple of attempts and plenty of seam-ripping but I am pleased with the out come.  The last detail was to add a casing at the bottom.  I used a small button hole to add some elastic cording and a cord stop.  The hoodie was quite wide on my son and this brought it in just enough to be more functional for him.

 

 

 

 

Even though it is still quite hot for August, I know this jacket will get plenty of use through the fall, winter and spring here in Colorado!