Revisiting the multifaceted Halifax hoodie pattern, by Hey June patterns

 This was so long overdue but in my head, there were too many pattern pieces and it was complicated...because there were three versions to this top.  Ridiculous excuse.  I got excited when I had this vision involving some long stashed etro jersey (so buttery, so amazing) and my forever in the queue idea to upcycle cashmere jerseys.  Holey ones.  I finally realised I didn't have enough holey jerseys to make a pair of loungepants, but I might just barely have enough to LINE AN ENTIRE HOODIE!  A friend had just given me the orange one and that was the inspiration to get on with it.

Anyway I started with version B size S.

I shortened it 2" as my previous blog told me to (here) and I used the reverse of the fabric, a merino blend from Otara in Auckland, to create some visual interest.  Great, easy, simple, happy. 

The hoodie took a LOT more thinking and effort.  First I had to tetris pieces of the cashmere to match each pattern piece.  I had to then patch all the holes - I laid more of the same cashmere on, after I interfaced the scraps, and I zig zagged it in place.  I salvaged hems from the black cashmere to use as the cuffs and somehow magically had black rib sitting around to use as the hem.  The pockets are also lined.  And the yellow lining is actually a lighter weight silk cashmere blend I had lying around which was a mystery item, not a sweater.  I didn't have enough sweaters on their own.  It's a little heavier because of the silk, but worked out fine.  

 

Sewing the hoodie together didn't have too many challenges, it got to be many layers but my overlocker managed ok.  I interfaced the fronts of the hoodie - all 4 of them, prior to installing the zip and it's not quite perfect but it's close enough - at the hem something jumped out of place a bit which is always exasperating but not worth fixing.  I had huge issues when I got to the hood though.  I have recently bought massive grommets and I was really sad that I didn't think to use them.  I used normal sized ones.  The hood was jersey plus cashmere folded over, so the string had to pass through a tunnel of cashmere...and it was catastrophic. I could barely get it through the grommet.  It got lost and tunnelled down through all the layers to some netherland in the mid back of the hoodie.  I had to open my stitching and save my string.  I got it in place at last (2+ hours of torture!) but unfortunately I think it will need to be redone with some very thin waxed cord, because I actually want to pull the hood tight to wear this when I'm cold and it hangs up on the channel and on the grommet hole.  That's a fix for another time.  The hoodie is long despite my previous 2" shortening to the pattern - because the fabrics drag it down a bit.  But it's pretty amazing!  

 

I was, as you might notice, inspired by the construction zone state of my house to advance my photography a bit.  Probably I should put more effort into good photos more often.  I get in the habit of just thinking I'm really quite ugly because I don't bother to take more flattering pictures.  

I was going to do the cowl neck sweatshirt version too but my attention span moved onto something else, so maybe next winter.