Brick Sinclair Journey Jacket for Gaby

The piece of brick-colored fleece I bought last year turned out to be large enough for not one, but two raglan jackets. I didn't see a need to search for a different pattern. While brick is my favorite color, I knew I didn't need two identical jackets for myself, even if they were different cuts. The simpler and more logical decision was to use the same pattern to make a second jacket for Gaby. 

Pattern: Sinclair Journey Zip Up Raglan Hoodie

Size: Petite (152-160 cm) 4 S with added 2.5 cm to the sleeve length

Fabric: polar fleece; lining - polyester jersey

Time to make: 10 days

A small difference from my own jacket is that I didn't add the extra 1 cm to the upper part of the sleeve. Gaby is a bit slimmer than I am and prefers tailored clothes, so the original size should fit her well. Otherwise, the jacket is a complete repetition of my own. 

I made the same gathered tall collar, leaving it soft and pliable without any stabilizer. If I ever make a jacket out of this type of fleece again, I might try a very light knit interfacing on the collar, hem, and cuffs; I feel they need just a little more structure. 

The lining for Gaby’s jacket is a polyester knit from my stash, this time in black. Apart from adding an extra layer of warmth and hiding the raw seams, the lining makes the jacket much more wearable. This fleece is quite 'sticky,' and trying to pull the jacket on over other clothes without a lining was problematic.

I attached the lining by leaving a large opening at the bottom and a smaller opening in one of the sleeves. This made it easy to pull the jacket right-side out through the bottom gap and then close that gap through the sleeve. I closed the final opening manually with a slip stitch, which is invisible but easily accessible if repairs are ever needed.

This time, I also remembered to secure the lining away from the zipper—I wish I had done that for mine! I’m not going back to fix my own, but I'll remember this for the future to avoid catching the fabric in the zipper teeth. 

This is another project for my "Make Nine" effort this year to sew from my stash: fabric 12 from the list, plus the black lining I bought three years ago for another fleece jacket. So far so good on the stash reduction!  :)

Brick Sinclair Journey Jacket for Myself

Although I haven't posted about sewing for a while, I've been very active this month,  I just need to catch up on photographing everything I’ve created.

Here is one of them -  a fully lined Sinclair Journey Raglan Jacket and my second Make Nine for 2026 - this is fabric 12.

I had over 2 m of thin polar fleece in this gorgeous brick shade that I picked up last year. The moment I saw it I knew I had to have it, as this is my most favourite color and, if I do say so myself, it’s very complementary to my complexion (which explains why my wardrobe is full of it!)

The pattern I chose for the jacket is a true-and-tried raglan pattern, that I've already made three times - twice for Gaby and once for myself. Although the Sinclair Journey pattern has several versions, I chose to make a complete repeat of the Andean jacket I made for myself over a year ago. It is my go-to zip-up, I wear it all the time and I've been planning to make another one out of polar fleece for ages, so the choice of the pattern was the easiest part. 

The mods I made to the pattern are more or less identical to that for my Andean jacket. I added 2.5 cm to the length of the sleeve and I also added 1 cm to the width of the sleeve. I find Sinclair patterns a bit too snug, I prefer my jackets to have some ease, as I wear them over blouses and sweaters. 

Pattern: Sinclair Journey Zip Up Raglan Hoodie

Size: Petite (152-160 cm) 4 S with added 2.5 cm to the sleeve length

Fabric: polar fleece; lining - polyester jersey

Time to make: 10 days

 

My major modification is the collar, which I designed based on the half-hood, provided in the pattern. As my polar fleece is very pliable and thin, the collar does not stand up firm as in my previous jacket, but I didn't want to risk adding fusible to it and ruining its softness.  

The jacket closes with a zipper up to the end of the collar, which can be worn as a shawl / turtleneck collar, providing protection for the neck in cold weather. 

I opted for welt pockets again, securing the inner pocket bags to the hem and zipper for stability.

As this jacket is a part of my Make Nine effort to use up my fabric stash, I lined the jacket with a navy blue polyester jersey I already had. In combination with the blue blouse, blue jeans and blue hat of my present outfit, all self- made, I find the blue lining a happy serendipity, as it compliments the brick color of the fleece perfectly, adding depth and contrast. 

Despite the lightweight fleece fabric, the lining makes this jacket surprisingly warm. It’s the perfect mid-layer for winter or a standalone second layer for spring and autumn. I am thrilled with how it turned out!

Bonus: Because I’m a very economical cutter, I managed to squeeze an almost identical jacket for Gaby out of the remaining fabric. Stay tuned for more on that soon! 

Gaby's Fleece Jacket

One of the two jackets I made this winter for Gaby - the fleece jacket. I had promised her a fleece jacket a long time ago and in my head it had to be very close to one she already has had for many years and adores - raglan, zippered, with a high collar and welt pockets. 

I explored a number of patterns, mostly in my mind, some with muslins, and in the end I decided on the Journey Zip Up Raglan Hoodie by Sinclair Patterns. Halfway through sewing Gaby's jackets I hit a rock at the zipper - the layers of fleece fabric around the pockets were becoming too thick and I was debating various options. To clear my head, I took out my piece of Andean striped knit fabric and made my Andean Jacket.

Having finished it successfully, I returned to Gaby's fleece jacket and completed it. Looking back, I might have done a few things differently, but it fits her well, she likes it and it is unbelievably warm, so I am pretty happy.

Pattern: Sinclair Journey Zip Up Raglan Hoodie

Size: Regular shortened -3 cm, 4 S

Fabric: Fleece

Time to make: 2 weeks

 

As in my own version of the pattern, I modified the pattern collar, adding height and some gathering at the front, otherwise I believe I kept the pattern more or less as it is.

 

Although this is the same pattern as my Andean jacket, it has a completely different vibe in its solid color and fleece fabric. Now I think of making one for myself as well :)

Three Penguin Hats - Revisited

Two years ago I knitted three hats with penguin charts and ear flaps. I even bought yellow and navy blue polar fleece for hat linings and then abandoned the whole affair. The hats had problems - the placement of the ear flaps on the first hat was wrong and gave too narrow an opening for the face. The tubular cast on was pulling the hat edge and did not look good with the fleece lining. The hats needed pompoms and embellishments. But the biggest stopper was the sewing of the linings. I had never sewed linings with ear flaps and was not sure how to design them and then the mere trouble of taking out the sewing machine and clearing some flat space for cutting out the fleece was sufficient to put me off for quite some time, like two years :)

So this last Saturday I took the hats out and repaired them. I undid the cast on edge of Gaby's hat and finished the raw stitches with I-cord. Added a big pom pom and plaits. Sewed yellow fleece lining and attached it to the hat, allowing for the yellow edge to form a contrasting contour to the hat.

My nephew's hat was the first one I knitted back then and I hadn't figured its ear flaps correctly. So I took out the entire lower part with the ear flaps and knitted it anew with the correct placement of the flaps and a wider opening for the face and again cast off the stitches with I-cord. For this hat I sewed a navy blue fleece lining and added a blue pompom.

This third hat happened by accident - it was meant for Gaby, but came out a bit small. Nevertheless I decided to finish it too, adding a yellow I-cord edge, yellow lining and a blue pompom. In the first picture above this hat is without the lining, as I initially planned to spare myself the trouble, but later today I decided to finish it properly like the other two and sewed and attached its fleece lining too.
I feel so satisfied having finished these hats and making them wearable. The blue hat will be posted to my nephew tomorrow, Gaby put on hers today for school and I only have to find a head to match the third hat :))))