Elegant Hoodie

Sue Maclean pointed out over on my Facebook page that ‘elegant hoodie’ is an oxymoron. But I think as hoodies go, this one strays away from the sporty styles that are currently in my closet (Thank you, Terry Precision Catalog) and is something that I could actually wear to work…that is, if I had a job. Ok, then, I could wear this to school. And a quick survey of anyone in my classes is that 90% of all UNH exercise science students wear hoodies every day to class. Except, their hoodies are all gray or blue and have UNH or WILDCATS emblazoned across the front (which reminds me, I need to get one, since I only own two sweatshirt hoodies and both are from Keene State). But I digress…this is not about what UNH students wear to class, this is about my latest creation, an item that I am calling my Elegant Hoodie.

And here it is:

Simplicity 6656 fresh from 1974

I saw the pattern somewhere online and it was not in my size. I then searched forever until I found another online vendor in British Columbia, Buggs Books. I sent a nice email asking if it was still available and it was, so a quick Paypal transaction later I was the owner of said pattern. It’s funny, because looking at the design on the pattern envelope, it doesn’t look like much. I have no intention of making the other style top pictured – it’s way too 1970’s-hippy-flowerchild for my liking. But I liked the basic lines of the hoodie design. It called for two way stretch knit fabric and I very seldom find the right kind of jersey knit for a project like this. I can find lots of slinky knits and satiny knits and not-so-stretchy knits and poly knits, but I had yet to find a nice jersey knit. In my mind, I envisioned something in black and white. I did not want a solid color, since I already own two solid color hoodies (royal blue and fuschia, from Terry). I purchased a brown hoodie from a surf shop in Cape Town when I was there in March that had a nice blue flower thingy screen printed on the side and a cut out/lacing thing on the hip, and I was thinking this pattern might be good for something similar.

I perused eBay and found a black stretch knit with a small white floral design on it that was interesting, but the fabric was more poly/slinky and I wanted something more cottony. Then I saw another fabric last week on eBay that was white with black words on it in French that I thought would be cute, but I only bid once and unlike many people, I refuse to go nutty on eBay in order to win auctions. I am still fearful of spending more than $5/yard on fabric, and that includes shipping if it’s an online purchase.

Then I happened into my local JoANNs fabrics on Tuesday. They were having a 50% off sale, so I granted myself permission to shop in the front of the store instead of limiting myself to the red tag fabric in the back. I needed fabric for other projects that are currently in planning stages. I was not searching for anything for the hoodie. But somewhere in the sportswear fabrics I saw this nice, soft, almost fuzzy, very light stretch jersey knit in black and white. It was floral…and I don’t own a single thing that is floral. Yet something in my feeble brain went off and said “this could work.” It was the last 1.3 yards, which was just a tiny bit more than I needed. I always round up to the next yard when I buy fabric because when you screw up as often as I do you realize that this is the only way to save yourself from not finishing a project.

I brought it home and put it away and was thinking that this was not on my To Do list since I had other projects in mind (ah, the joys of being a full time grad student with no summer employment). But then after a day spent inserting full zippers into my non full zip jerseys I decided I needed to start a project. I’m mildly moderately OCD and have this ongoing battle with the sewing stuff – I have to have everything put away nice and neat so it looks like no sewing has occurred at the sewing table dining room table, but if I don’t have a project in the works I get antsy.

Last week I did a boring but necessary project – a pair of navy blue shorts from McCalls 5391. Then on Tuesday I finished a test muslin of a men’s button down shirt for Andy and I was at a stopping point on that. I needed to buy shirting fabric for him before I could proceed with the real one (The first was for fitting/practice and the end result was passable). I did not want to take on a long term project like a skirt/matching jacket, of which I have about three planned. My other planned project was on hold until I decided if I wanted to switch the planned fabric. I needed something fun to work on to calm my OCD…I wanted something quick and easy after the complicated shirt muslin and the boring but necessary zipper installation.

At 4:45 pm on Wednesday I grabbed the hoodie pattern. I love buying used patterns because most of the time, they are already cut. This was ready to go. I laid it out and started cutting. Three and a half hours later I was done with everything but the hem. This is by far the fastest project I have ever done. And, for the first time ever, I had no mistakes. Not one. I suppose this had to do with me following the pattern exactly and not making my own design changes.

The funny thing about this top is that if I passed it in a store, I wouldn’t even think twice about it. I typically don’t buy florals, and something as basic and sporty as a hoodie is seldom worth my money. I was not sure exactly how the pattern would fit me, but when I tissue fit my dress form it appeared to be a perfect match. No alterations necessary.

Check out the sleeves - they hang down in points. This is, like, so Stevie Nicks.

side view of sleeves

Great view of the hood. There is a ton of hood on there but I like how it drapes and hangs flat...it's a nice design element that you don't get on modern hoodies

Front view of the inverted V hem.

This is what it looks like with the hood up. I like how the hood doesn't make me look like a Jawa or Kenny from SouthPark

The look is a cross between a Muslim Head Scarf and the Virgin Mary. What a great combination.