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:)

Grey "Page" Hoodie

I made an almost zero cost hoodie for myself :)

After I sewed husband's grey joggers and hoodie, I was left with pretty big remnants of sweatshirt fleece and I began planning something, probably a hoodie for myself. Then I watched the January Live Sewalong on Stitched Up channel and I was smitten by the Page Hoodie Rachel made for herself in no time (she's an absolutely amazing fast seamstress!).

As much as I was tempted by the pattern, alas, that price is incomparable to standard of living in my country, not for a hoodie, anyway. I went through my Burda patterns and found one that was reasonably close - # 103 from Burdastyle 01 / 2017.

I cut the pattern for the hoodie, but at the cutting line for the blouse (#102), which uses the same line drawings and rounded the hem. I also reduced significantly the width of the parts of the hoodie, as they were designed for a rather oversized garment, and I wanted mine only moderately wide.

For the lining of the hood I selected several large remnants of wine ITY from a blouse I made for myself in 2020, I think the wine color goes perfectly with the dark grey. The stripes on the sleeves were a feature out of necessity - I didn't have enough long pieces of fabric for the sleeves, so I had to make the sleeves out of two pieces each, so one of the stripes covers the connecting seams and the other is for balance.

Once I had put stripes on the sleeves, it occurred to me to add stripes to the hem too. I loved the view of the Page hoodie Rachel made - with the string at the bottom instead of a ribbed hem and I decided to make mine like hers. However, to reduce the bulk and ensure nice curving, I cut a separate mirror piece of the hem, which is attached to the bottom of the body and contains the string.

Pattern: Burda #103 01/2017

Size: 36, modified

Fabric: sweatshirt fleece, ITY lining

Time to make: one week

 

 

I tried a new technique on this hoodie - I covered the seam between the hood and the body with a cotton band (the same I am also using as a string) and it came out really well, giving it a nice professional finish.

 

All in all, I am happy with my new make, it is warm and practical and will get a lot of wear this winter. On to my next project :)