New Hoodie for Gaby's Boyfriend

I am being a "good girl" this year and continuing with my Make Nine pledge through the second month of the year! 

My newest make is a hoodie for Gaby’s boyfriend (Fabrics #2 and #3). The pattern is the tried-and-true Brad hoodie by Vikisews. I’ve already made this for him twice—once in green and once in blue sweatshirt knit.

I made a few modifications to the pattern; some are my usual tweaks, while others are new. We’ll see how they influence the final fit when Vali tries it on. As for the usual mods, I added a total of 4 cm to the width of the body. Although Vali is quite athletic and slim, he prefers his hoodies on the looser end of the spectrum. I also swapped in a different hood pattern from Burda, as the original Vikisews hood is a bit too large.

Pattern:  Hoodie Brad by Vikisews

Size: 178-184 cm; 40; modified

Fabric: sweatshirt knit, rib knit, cotton jersey

Time to make: five days

The Brad hoodie comes without a pocket, so I added a kangaroo pocket that I designed specifically for this pattern the first time I made it for Vali about three years ago.

I also adjusted the length again. The first version was a bit too short, and the second was a bit too long; I’m hoping this "middle ground" is the charm!

To finish the inside, I covered the neckline seam with twill tape to give the garment a sleeker, more professional look.

Winter was back in town this weekend. The weather was miserable, so we decided to skip our weekly hike. However, the temperatures for the coming week look promising — I’m hoping for a warm, sunny weekend and a satisfying hike soon!

Bonus Blue Hoodie for Gaby

Inspired by the hoodie I made from plush and polar fleece remnants, I dove into my bag of heavyweight brushed fleece scraps. I selected several large pieces that complemented each other and seemed sufficient for a woman's hoodie. The light blue is from Vali's hoodie that I made last year and the navy blue is leftovers from my husband's hoodie and an earlier project for Gaby.

This patchwork involved again a lot of planning, drafting and rearranging of pattern pieces, until I finally managed to fit everything onto the scraps.

Unlike my previous "Page" hoodies, this one is slightly longer, featuring rib-knit cuffs and a hem. I even added a kangaroo pocket. While most of the pieces follow the original Burda pattern, the pocket and hood incorporate elements from a Grasser pattern and another Burda design. It goes to show that the more you sew and the more patterns you collect, the more the process evolves from simple construction into co-designing.

Because fabric for the hood was scarce, I decided to make it from three pieces. This is a fantastic fabric-saving hack, and three-part hoods often offer a better fit. For the lining, I used the blue polyester hood lining I had originally cut for the previous project but ultimately rejected.

Pattern: Burda #103 01/2017

Size: 36, modified

Fabric: sweatshirt fleece

Time to make: 4 days

The finished hood is warm and deep enough without overwhelming the head or pulling backward - an issue I've had with other sweaters.

The side panels are made out of a single piece, eliminating the side seam.

I am thrilled with how this "bonus" hoodie turned out. I had not listed these fabrics in my Make Nine pledge, but this project is a classic stash-buster. No new materials were purchased; every single notion, even the hood string, was something I already had, left over, or salvaged. The end result is an absolute win!

Plush Loungewear Set

I made myself a new set of loungewear and I am quite happy about it. It is another part of my 2026 Make Nine pledge, featuring Fabric 11 (asphalt-colored plush) and the remnants of Fabric 12 (brick-colored fleece). I sewed the heck out of these fabrics: two zippered jackets, one pair of joggers, and one hoodie, all from just 3.5m of fabric!

The pants use the same pattern - Burda #135 (11/2012) - that I made earlier this year for Gaby, but I opted for a larger size 36. I made some major modifications: I elongated the crotch by 3 cm from the top (including seam allowance) and the legs by 11 cm from the bottom. I also straightened the leg below the knee to get a nice straight-leg fit .I am thrilled with the result; the fit is much, much better than Burda #117 from 06/2021, which I’ve sewn a few times before. This is now my go-to pattern for straight joggers!

Pattern: # 135 Burda 11 / 2012

Size: 36, elongated

Fabric: plush fleece

Time to make: 4 days

My only regret with this set is making the jogger pockets entirely out of the main fabric. I had planned everything carefully, intending to cut one pocket piece from plush and the other from a thin black cotton knit. However, it was late in the evening after work when I started sewing, and I accidentally attached the plush piece to the front instead of the lining.

I only noticed the mistake after the pocket was fully assembled. I made a calculated choice: instead of undoing the seams—a nightmare since this plush frays like crazy and hates being unstitched—I decided to just cut two more fleece pieces. It’s not a dealbreaker, but the pockets are a bit thicker than I’d like. Next time, I’ll remember: the best combination for fleece or plush is one piece of main fabric and one piece of thin lining. Trust me, I know from experience!

After the joggers and jackets, I still had some large remnants left, so I decided to make a matching hoodie. This little project took so much effort - measuring, browsing patterns, and Googling colorblock inspiration. I’d wake up with one image in my head only to scrap it and replace it with another!  In the end the choice fell on Burda #103 (01/2017), which I've already made once for myself, out of sweatshirt fleece remnants.

Pattern: Burda #103 01/2017

Size: 36, modified

Fabric: plush fleece, polar fleece

Time to make: actual sewing - two days

I chose the pattern, as raglan sweaters suit color blocking exceptionally well. Besides I know the pattern and my "Page" hoodie, with its relaxed fit, is still one of my most favourite winter wears. 

The hoodie is hemmed with a mirror piece of fabric on the inside; the polar fleece front is hemmed with polar, and the plush back with plush. Yes, I am that pedantic!

For the hood lining, I originally cut a blue polyester piece left over from my zippered jacket. However, I realized I preferred the feel of the brick-colored fleece against my skin. I gathered all my scraps and played a little "fabric Tetris" - one side of the hood lining is made of two pieces, and the other of three! The seams are hidden inside, the look is consistent, and I am so proud of myself for pulling it off. (And don't worry, the blue lining was used in my next project, so nothing went to waste!)

My overall impression - I am so glad I made this hoodie happen, never underestimate the potential of fabric scraps - you just might find an entire hoodie in there:)

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! 

Joggers for Gaby

My first make for the new year is ready and it is a pair of joggers for Gaby. This is my first Make Nine for the year, and I hope the list of fabrics from the stash, successfully made into garments, will grow steadily.

The pattern for the joggers is an old Burda acquisition, that I've already made twice, once for myself and once for Gaby. As my daughter is a bit slimmer and taller than me, the joggers are a little tighter around the hip area and longer, than if I was making them for myself. However, Gaby is in Vienna and me posing is the second best way to demonstrate my new make.

Pattern: # 135 Burda 11 / 2012

Size: 34

Fabric: french terry

Time to make: 2 days

 

My mods to the pattern - as per usual - I added 3 cm to the upper part of the pattern pieces (including 0.8 cm seam allowance), as the joggers are cut too low. I also added 6 cm (including 0.8 cm seam allowance) to the length of the legs - the original envisions long cuffs, I prefer normal 6.5 cm cuffs.

The joggers have deep and comfortable inseam pockets.

The cuffs are out of rib knit and I made the waistband out of the main fabric and added a 3.2 cm wide elastic inside. All in all I am very happy with how these turned out and now I want a pair of similar joggers for myself, I will only have to find another piece of quality french terry.