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! 

My Make Nine in 2026

Over the years, I’ve made a habit of trying to organize my sewing life with a bit of planning. There is a common fallacy in the sewing world—one I’m certainly not immune to—of impulsively sewing "interesting" garments that don’t actually fit my lifestyle or wardrobe. The result? A closet full of clothes, but "nothing to wear."

On the other hand, buying fabric is a hobby in itself, often completely separate from the act of sewing! It’s the purchase of a dream or an image of oneself that rarely comes to fruition.

In an attempt to curb my fabric shopping and impulsive sewing, I’ve been trying to match my fabric stash with my pattern collection. My goal is to fill my wardrobe with items I truly need, plus a few "curiosity" projects—after all, this is a hobby and it should be about joy and pleasure.

This is just a small scoop of the fabrics I've collected over the years, which I would very much like to turn into garments this year. 

1 is a piece of black stretch denim, which could be another pair of  calf-length jeans for myself. I loved the ones I made last year and would definitely appreciate a second one with even better fit.

2 and 3 are sweater fleece and ribbing for a hoodie for Gaby's boyfriend. I'll probably make him another Brad hoody by Viki Sews, as I know how it fits him.

4 is a small, but gorgeous piece of viscose gabardine, that could become a pair of shorts for Gaby, she likes to wear such summer pants.

5 and 6 are chiffons, that I mean to try to turn into a bias sundress. I've made the Bailen top many times, I'm curious to try the dress with these fabrics, though the cutting and sewing of the chiffons will be a nightmare. And on that note - no more chiffons, I'm done with buying these!

7 and 8 are transfers from my previous year plans, I really, really would like to sew them this summer into a dress and jacket, respectively.

9 is a new acquisition and i'm curious if that wouldn't make another gorgeous Metra blazer.

10 is some georgette, that I intend to try to make into straight pants for myself. It would be more like a test garment, I have another precious fabric, that I would like to cut into, once I've perfected the fit.

11 and 12 are big pieces of plush and fleece, which should produce some sportswear for myself - a fleece zipped sweater and some wide pants, probably.

13 and 14 are knit fabrics, intended for leggings for Gaby and myself.

Unlike last year, I’m setting more realistic goals this time. 

What happened last year? I started strong, buying almost no new fabric and immediately sewing the few pieces I did acquire. But then summer arrived, and I was caught in a "chiffon madness." I bought meters of chiffon and georgette, fraying my nerves trying to turn them into flowy dresses. 

I ended the year with 32 meters of new fabric, only half of which was sewn. I hope to do better this year, but if not—it’s just a hobby, not world politics!

Navyblue Lotte Blouse

Finally a full-grown sewing project :) 

I've been sewing a little, mostly lingerie, repairs and refashions, but this is my first true sewing make since the pink dress I finished in September.

The pattern is another Sinclair Lotte blouse. This is my fourth make out of this pattern and my third in the form of a blouse, although I bough it, because I liked the idea of a hoodie with thumb-hole cuffs. However, my only attempt at a hoodie out of sweater fleece was not very satisfying - I find it too tight as a hoodie and I usually wear it as a warmer blouse during hikes. 

In February I made a version of the pattern in solid color, with a hood and thumb-cuffs and it's been one of my most worn blouses this year - I prefer it for hikes and I love to wear it at home too. The idea to make another one of these came to me spontaneously last week, when I reached again for my favourite blouse and found out, that it was still in the laundry basket - obviously I urgently needed another one :)

Pattern: Sinclair Lotte Hoodie

Size: Petite (152-160 cm) XS (US 2)

Fabric: cotton knit

Time to make: 2 days

The making of the blouse went like a breeze, as I already had a modified version of the front for a solid color and I also had my notes of desirable corrections, based on the previous makes of the pattern. This time I lowered the neckline at the front by 1.5 cm, thus opening the shawl part of the hood and reducing the overlap a little - I find it a bit more comfortable like that. I also returned the original length of the sleeves, as I found, that I feel more unconstrained in my hand movements, when wearing a sweater over the hooded blouse with the thumb-hole cuffs on, if the sleeve is longer. 

The construction of the thumb-hole cuffs is very clever and I consider the pattern worth purchasing even if only for the cuffs :)

My hands and head are my most cold-sensitive zones, so I find blouses with built-in gloves and hat a god-sent :)

Lately I love-love-love wearing sweaters with shirts or hoodies underneath. Here is a combination of the new blouse with my navy Starry Night sweater - a match made in heaven :)

Warm Navy Zip-up Hoodie

My fourth Make Nine project for this year - a zip-up hoodie for husband. 

The fabric is warm sweater knit in dark navy and the pattern is Apollo hoodie by Sinclair Patterns - a pattern that had been in my Make Nine list for a couple of years and which i finally decided to try.

Like my own Lotte by Sinclair Patters, which  I made previously this year, I changed so much the visuals of the pattern, that I wouldn't be surprised, if the designers couldn't recognize it themselves :)

The major mods I introduced are the solid color of the front and the sleeves and the zipper at the front. I also added outer pockets, which are copied from a Burda men's hoodie I made last year and I also tweaked a bit the size of the hood, as husband dislikes big and heavy hoods.

 

Pattern:  Apollo Hoodie by Sinclair patterns

Size: Regular 173-180 cm; 50; modified

Fabric: sweatshirt knit fabric, rib knit, cotton knit

Time to make: two weeks

Although this is not my first rodeo with men's hoodies, with this particular one I found myself going back to basics - I took notes from  my first hoodie for husband and used some of the techniques I had applied then, three years and ten hoodies ago :). I added pieces of fabric, where the hem rib meets the front zipper, I enclosed the end of the zipper in the hood and hid the seam of the hood inside the lining of the hood - small touches, which give more professional look to the garment, IMHO.

I had thought that the piece of fabric was big enough for a hoodie and a pair of joggers, but I was wrong. I do plan to buy more of the fabric and make husband the joggers, as he asked for them, but later in the autumn, as the season for warm lounge clothes is already over here.

A pair of green wood-peckers we saw in the park yesterday, where we took these pictures.

Purple Sinclair Lotte Blouse

Sinclair Lotte is a hoodie pattern, which I've once made as a hoodie and already twice as a longsleeve blouse. I like the hoodie, but I find that the fit lacks enough easе for a sweater, designed to be worn over other blouses, although I did cut my size according to the sizing table. 

On the other hand, the fit is just perfect for a blouse and my previous color-block viscose Lotte longsleeve is one of my favourite blouses. I especially appreciate its thumb-hole cuffs - they are perfect for hiking in spring and autumn, when my hands get a bit cold when I'm holding a hiking stick. 

Last year I came to the conclusion, that I needed another hiking staple, both with cuffs and a hood. Initially I planned to add some hood and the cuffs to my basic Burda long-sleeve pattern, but then I decided that it would be an interesting experiment instead to make the Sinclair Lotte, but in solid color.

I had to create the front of the blouse out of the four separate color-block pieces, that the original pattern consists of, but apart from that, I followed the pattern without much modifications, I only shortened the sleeves by 2.5 cm

Pattern: Sinclair Lotte Hoodie

Size: Petite (152-160 cm) XS (US 2)

Fabric: stable cotton knit

Time to make: 5 days

The snow from the previous week has almost melted and I hope spring will be here soon,
probably a bit later than last year.

Apart from the hood and the cuffs, the pattern is a simple longsleeve. The hood is very unusual, its two parts completely overlap at the front, covering the neck and creating a polo-shirt effect. When up, the hood reminds me a bit of a headscarf Grace Kelly-style.

The thumb-hole cuffs are very cleverly designed and super-comfy and they can also be "unhooked" from the thumb and folded back, to turn into normal cuffs.

The hood is deep enough, but not too big and it doesn't drag down, as some hoods tend to do.

I plan to test the blouse on our next hike and if it proves to be comfortable, there might be more of these.