Making Lilli’s coats and jackets for the winter are perfect because she uses them so much, I feel like it is worth the time I spend making it. Does anyone else feel like that? I needed to make a fall jacket for her and had just the right pattern. The Tiger Hoodie by Puperita.
Annalisa runs the Puperita Etsy shop and I have made her Hearts Hooded Jacket before. In fact, I made THREE jackets using that pattern in one year! So, I knew it would be well drafted and with easy instructions. What I didn’t realize was the Tiger Hoodie started at age 3. Lilli is 2 right now and the finished garment of the smallest size would have been 4 inches too big!
Now, I could have tried to find a different pattern but I didn’t want to really buy another one, so I modified this one to fit. I took in 1″ from each side of both the front and back pieces. Took 1″ off the shoulder in the width, which meant I had to redraw the armhole. Raised the hem line 2″. Because of the raised hem, I had to move up the pockets too. And I shortened the pocket height by 3/4″.
The girl inherited my thunder thighs so she needs juuust a bit more room at the hips. Out came my French ruler – creating a slight A-line did the trick. The bottom edge comes out another 3/4″.
Right before I started modifying this pattern I was looking at a video on swayback adjustments where they mentioned that the points or corners of a pattern piece need to be 90° angles. To implement that I curved the hem out enough to get that 90° angle.
Pattern calls for ribbing for sleeve cuffs. I didn’t have any. I had to shorten the sleeves anyway so I made sure to add the cuffs measurements in there.
I used teal minky fabric for the outer and a flannel owl print for the lining. She LOVES owls. I figured the combination fabrics will keep her warm as long as the temps are above 50°F.
I did have trouble serging the minky and found that if I gave it a slight hair cut, I could serge better. This of course led to more fuzz littering my sewing studio. Yes, I feel fancy calling it a studio. ð
Here is an in progress shot that I actually remembered to take.
It fits Lilli well. I probably could have added a half inch on the sleeves but if need be, I can add cuffs to it later.
For the hood, I reshaped it to give it just a little less of a pointed look. But I think I cut too much off. Because, when I tried it on Lilli, it was pretty much the exact size of her head. Ooops!
To alleviate the problem, I added some drawstring to it. I used a grommet punch for the hole. Only problem, I put it on the lining instead of the outside. Yes, it looks a bit off, but it still works. The drawstrings were zigzag stitched at the ends to keep from unraveling.
It zips up all the way to the neck so she can be warm even on windy days. I love this feature.
Pockets- the pattern says to use ribbing. Since I wasn’t going with cuffed ribbing, I decided not to add ribbing at all. I cut the minky on the bias and did the bindings with that. Yes, a bit bulky but I didn’t have any issues stitching it.
One other thing I wish I had done was use a lining fabric for the sleeves. Taking the jacket off is a bit of a struggle with the flannel. Next time!
All these pictures were taken at a preview party at Little Oaks Montessori. I made a bench cushion for the school. More on that later! But their play area is beautiful. I want to go play there!
Pattern Info
Pattern Name: Tiger Hoodie by Puperita
Size: 3 modified to a 2
Modifications:
1. Took in 1″ from each side of both front and back pieces
2. Took in shoulder width by 1″ – redrew armhole
3. Raised the hem line 2″
4. Created an slight A-line going out 3/4″
5. Raised the pocket placement
6. Shortened the pocket height by 3/4″
7. Shorten length on the sleeves enough for no cuffs
8. Reshaped the hood
Lessons Learned:
– Use lining material for inner sleeves
– Grommet or button hole goes on outer piece, not lining!
Would I recommend it? Yes! The instructions and pictures to go with them are simple and easy to follow.