Penn State Hoodie

Done!

Work in progress posts for this item: For the Younger Set

Construction details & more pics below the fold.

I finished McCalls 4624 4642 this afternoon. My construction more or less adhered to my original plan, with a couple of spur of the moment shifts. First, I sewed the front zipper first, before sewing up the torso, and second, I ditched the flat-felled seam for the hood once I saw how nicely zig-zag stitches finished the edges on the fleece (which, btw, is an absolute joy of a fabric to work with. Extremely well-behaved.)

Here’s how I made it up.

1. Applique

I cut the appliqued panel a good 1/2″ larger than the seamlines that I wanted, and stitched it to the torso back using a tiny buttonhole stitch and my smallest zig-zag. I also used my straight stitch foot to do this, which is probably completely verboten, but the panel has curves and I have a lot more control with the straight stitch foot.

2. Separating zipper

The separating zipper was attached using the technique described in Susan Huxley’s Sewing Secrets from the Fashion Industry. With the zipper separated into two halves, place the fashion fabric right side up, and lay the zipper tape on top, with the teeth pointing toward the side seam. Lay the facing on top, right sides together with the fashion fabric. Stich all three layers at once.

This technique worked like a dream. She also recommends topstitching, which I didn’t. Or rather, I did, but I didn’t like it and I unpicked it.

3. Torso

Sew fronts to back at shoulder seam.

4. Hood

4.i. Sew center back seams of hood.

4.ii. Matching CF edges to fold lines on hood, sew hood to body.

4.iii. Press in hood hem seam. This has a generous seam allowance marked on the pattern. Clip the top of the zipper tape, and pin so that zipper tape ends are completely enclosed in hood seams. Stitch.

5. Sleeves

5.i. Sew sleeves into armscye.

5.ii. In one continuous seam, sew sleeve and torso side seams.

5.iii. Finish cuffs.

6. Finish

Finish torso bottom edge.

Here’s another picture of the finished product.

*Note that in my pattern tracing, I’d added 3/8″ to these seam allowances. I clipped this before this step, because I had abandoned my flat felled seam plan. I wouldn’t recommend sewing this kind of curvy seam with a 1″ s.a. anyway.