Because I am a secret teenage boy, I consider it my life’s work to sew up as many sweatshirts as possible. From the months from October to March, sweatshirts–hoodies, funnel necks, crews, zip ups, you name it–are part of my go-to wardrobe. It’s how I survive Denver’s harsh climate of 300 days of sunshine a year.
So when I saw a gorgeous multi-colored confetti sweatshirt fleece (called “Bubblegum Fleck”) in stock at Imagine Gnats, I knew I had to buy it first and ask questions later. I needed to sew it into the warmest, softest sweatshirt ever: a hoodie with a pocket. So I decided to try out the coziest sweatshirt pattern I could find on Indiesew: the Halifax Hoodie by Hey June. A hoodie with a kangaroo pocket, sewn up with heavy 16-oz. fleece. TAKE THAT, WINTER.
The Halifax Hoodie is a great pattern with tons of variation options: funnel neck, crew neck and hoodie with an optional front zipper or twisted side seams. It’s like five different sweatshirt patterns in one! The pattern sews up really easily whether you’re using a sewing machine or a serger, and it’s easy to follow with clear directions (as I’ve come to expect from Hey June patterns, which are some of my favorites).
I did find a few challenges in sewing the pattern up as written in such a bulky knit. I found that I needed to make a few modifications that the serger helped me accomplish. First, there’s no way that I could double fold the fabric, as I regularly might, for a hem. For the hood, I simply finished the edges with my serger and then folded them over once and secured with a zigzag stitch.
The neck binding, which covers the seam between the neck and the hood, proved to be a little trickier. I used a 1×1 rib knit for this piece, along with the sleeve cuffs and pocket edges, and the amount of layers that the pattern instructs to sew through (sewing the hood/neck seam and the binding at the same time) just wasn’t going to happen. So I serged the two fleece parts together and then bound that serged seam with the rib. It’s still a bit chunky in the front, but overall it was a good solution and I think it looks pretty good.
But can we take a moment and admire how great the Halifax looks in this fabric? The “grain” of the fabric runs horizontal in the direction of greatest stretch, which is a bit different, but you really only notice up close. The fleck is just subtle enough that it looks like a solid color from a distance, but up close it’s so fun and colorful. This hoodie has become like a garment version of confetti cake, except even sweeter and far more cozy. And I will be wearing it nonstop until March; can someone please bring ice cream?
As an Indiesew blogger team member, I am provided with patterns in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
P. S. If you liked this post, you'll love the Wordcraft + Right Sides Together newsletter. Get weekly blog posts and craft writing tips delivered right to your inbox! Sign up here.
Adrianna
January 12, 2017 at 10:59 am (1 year ago)16 oz!! That thing must be the most cozy garment ever. Jealous 🙂
Lauren
January 12, 2017 at 12:47 pm (1 year ago)It’s kind of amazing. One one hand, it’s heavier than I am, but it’s the warmest ever. I feel like a yeti (in a good way).