For spring, my youngest asked for a hoodie. It had to be in her favourite colour: dusty rose. It also had to be incredibly soft. Believe it or not, I’ve never made a sweatshirt before!
I found the softest bamboo fleece ever. It’s a rayon-bamboo blend. After touching it, I think everyone in the house wants a hoodie too.
The pattern is Jalie 3355 Sweatshirt, Hoodie and Sweat Pants. It’s an extremely easy pattern – just a few pieces.
The only change I made was to use the same fabric as bands for the cuffs and waistband, instead of ribbing. That meant making the waistband a little larger as the fleece doesn’t stretch quite as well as ribbing does. I did buy ribbing online, but it didn’t match as well as I’d hoped.
Jalie uses their own sizing system, but this is the equivalent of a kids’ size 152. It’s a little oversized but in a nice way. It’s also a little on the long side. This is perfect for this particular kid, because she’s going to wear it with leggings most of the time, but if I made it for myself, I might shorten it a little. I also found the front kangaroo pocket a little small. Next time, I’ll grab a larger sized pocket from the pattern.
Jalie patterns include the equivalent of size 2T (toddler) to about size 22, depending on the pattern. That means that I really can use this pattern for everyone in the house. So it’s a simple pattern, but likely to be used many times.
I don’t have a serger – I used a regular machine with a special jersey stitch for the most part, and a stretch straight stitch on the hood and pocket. This worked very well.
I’m pretty happy with this project! The super-soft fabric means that this is very cozy and in heavy rotation!
Summary
Pattern Review: Jalie 3355 Sweatshirt, Hoodie and Sweat Pants.
Fabric: Rayon, bamboo sweatshirt fleece from The Fabric Club. Includes the equivalent of sizes 2T to size 22.
Size: 152
Cost: Pattern: $14 Materials: About $48.
Sewing Level: Easy.
Modifications: I used bands for the cuffs, not ribbing. I made the waistband a little larger because of this.
Results: Great!
The Finished Garment 