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:)

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.

Grey Hoodie

I am finally finding a moment to show a couple of pictures of my husband's hoodie, we took during our hike to Cherny Vruh on Vitosha.

The fabric is the large piece of French Terry I bought for him, and on these photos he is posing with the hoodie in combination with the joggers out of the same fabric.

As a color accent, I specifically bought a piece of yellow cotton jersey with lycra, I really like the color combo of light grey with lemon yellow. 

The pattern I chose is an old purchase from Burda.ru I wanted to try. It is a pullover hoodie, but adding a zipper to the front was elementary and could hardly count as a modification. The only alterations I made are to the length - I added 2.5 cm, as husband wants his hoodies long. However I regret it and if I make this hoodie again, I'm removing the added length. Although I did narrow the hood - Burda's hoods are notoriously enormous, it is still big and needs some pruning (again for future reference).

 

Pattern: Burda 6718

Fabric: grey French Terry, yellow cotton with lycra

Size: 50, with modified hood

Time to make: two weeks