This time I made this hoodie out of a stretch bamboo fleece from Nature’s Fabrics. This fabric is so soft and cozy! The greater stretch is across the length, not the width, so I cut it against instead of with the grain. For the rib knit I used a gray heather bamboo/spandex rib knit which as you can see coordinates perfectly. Overall this is a much softer and stretchier version of my first hoodie.
The zipper is a YKK #5 molded plastic zipper that was in my stash, likely from WAWAK/Cleaner’s Supply. I finished the hoodie neckline seam with twill tape from Amazon.
For this version I also added a hanging loop, as I noticed with my other hoodie that I needed to hang it up more than I anticipated.
I have a gorgeous bamboo fleece from Nature’s Fabrics in my stash I want to use for this pattern, but since I wasn’t sure about the fit or construction I decided to use something less precious for my first version, a cotton/poly sweatshirt fleece from Fabric Mart. It has about 20% mechanical stretch. I would not go below that amount of stretch for this pattern.
For the rib knit I used a pretty beefy rib knit from Jumping June Textiles. It ended up being lighter and paler in color than I had hoped for, but the quality is excellent.
The zipper is a #5 YKK metal zipper from WAWAK. The hood grommets are #00 metal grommets, also from WAWAK. The twill tape used for the drawstring and to finish the seam attaching the hood to the rest of the hoodie is from Amazon.
Fit
I cut a size 44 for most of the hoodie. For the hem band I cut a size 48. The hip of the hoodie where it meets the hem band is around a size 46. The hem band has negative ease so you stretch it to fit the hem of the fleece. I also made the sweatshirt length size 48 so I wouldn’t have to shorten my zipper.
I found the fit was spot on, though a bit on the snug side due to the lower stretch and lack of Lycra in my fabric. The sleeve and hem length were perfect for me. I didn’t know how I’d feel about the wide cuffs (about 3.5” wide) or wide hem (around 4”) but I like them! When I’m working in the kitchen I can just flip up the cuffs instead of pushing them up, and the hem band gives a good fit around my hips.
Construction
Ottobre instructions assume you’re using one of those cover stitch machines that does the faux RTW flatlock stitch. I don’t have one so I serged the edges together and any topstitching was done on my regular sewing machine. The seams were mostly sewn on my serger.
Once again when it came time to sewing on the pockets I used the Design Plus fusible web tape from The Sewing Place. It makes it SO much easier to do any sort of topstitching for tabs, pockets, etc when working with knits.
I should also mention the PDF download layers the pattern pieces onto the paper (much like the pattern sheets do) and no seam allowances are included. I actually prefer this as it’s less sheets to tape together and it forces me to trace onto tracing paper rather than take a shortcut and put the paper pieces directly onto the fabric.
Ottobre 5/2012 #11 is a fitted v-neck tshirt with long narrow sleeves and pleats at the bust held in place with a self fabric tab. It comes in sizes 34-52 which is standard for Ottobre.
I had been admiring this pattern ever since I first saw it in 2012!
Materials
Ottobre’s sample was made from a viscose/lycra jersey with 30% stretch. No indication of it was 4-way or 2-way stretch.
I used a very stretchy rayon/lycra jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics.
Fit
I made a size 44 and added 4” to the hips. Based on my previous experience with the two other t-shirt patterns in this issue (which use the same block) I made the next few alterations:
Took in the upper chest 3/8” by doing a narrow shoulder alteration and easing in the back shoulder seam into the front. I feel like the upper chest ran wide on this pattern, but this also could have been my very stretchy fabric.
The length is LONG on this pattern. I shortened the sleeves 1.25” and trimmed off 1.5” from the body hem.
The sleeves were quite tight, especially around the elbow area. If you look at the pattern pieces the sleeve actually curves in at the elbow, instead of going in a straight line. I cut the sleeves in a straight line.
Construction
I love how this top looks, but the construction was a huge pain in the butt.
The neckline is beautiful but it took me several tries to get it right. This fabric is thin and stretchy and wiggly and unforgiving. The pattern doesn’t include markings for the front neckline pleats. You’re supposed to arrange them yourself based on how it fits. I just took a guess and made about five 1/4” wide pleats. I then faced a lot of issues with getting the front tab stitched in place in a way that looked professional and not wonky. I was not going to let it defeat me. I finally got it to work by doing the following:
Interfaced the front tab with a lightweight interfacing.
Once I secured the pleats in place with a row of stitching at the center front, I took a piece of iron-on tear-away stabilized and fused it to the wrong side.
I attached double-sided fusible web to the wrong side of the tab, then fused it to the center of the pleats before stitching.
All three of these steps FINALLY got me an evenly stitched front neckline.
It took me a few tries but I also finally got the v at the front neckline stitched more or less evenly as well.
Ottobre doesn’t give a measurement for the front neckline binding. Based on my fabric stretch I cut it to 85% of the length of the neckline.
Once the front neckline was finished it was super easy to construct the rest of the top. I’ve made all three of the t-shirts in this issue and this is my favorite view, even though construction of the neckline is not the easiest. I love it both worn alone and under my new Ottobre hoodie!
Finally managed to take some photos for this post while my husband was giving our toddler his bath tonight…
Version 1: hot pink cotton/polyester sweatshirt fleece
Version 2: lightweight baby pink cotton/lycra French terry
Version 3: Bright cerulean blue cotton/polyester French terry. Heavier and less stretchy than the first two.
Background
This women’s hoodie pattern features front slash pockets, saddle sleeves, and a hood with a mostly concealed drawstring and cord locks/stops. It is slightly fitted and drafted for heavier knits with about 15% stretch. The pattern includes sizes 34-52.
What I like about this pattern is there’s no need to find a coordinating ribbing for the cuffs or bottom band, as the sleeve cuffs are self fabric and the bottom is just a simple turned up hem. (I’m sewing a lot of sweatshirts, sweatpants, and various other knit items for my son and husband as well as myself now, and finding coordinating ribbing is always a challenge.)
I also like the front pockets. Since there’s no closure I wouldn’t trust them to securely hold something for extended amount of time when I’m out and about, but they’re very convenient for warming my hands or stashing my keys/phone when I need my hands free for a moment.
Another thing I like is the hood is DEEP. My son loves to play with my my hair way too much so these days I usually have my hair in a ponytail. Most hoodies, either RTW or home sewing patterns, are drafted for wearing hair down. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this hood fits perfectly when I am wearing my hair up, which makes sense as they suggest using this pattern as activewear and most women with longer hair will be wearing it up while exercising. The drawstring helps with making sure everything stays in place when the hood is worn. Ottobre doesn’t produce the sexiest patterns out there (for that you need to look at Marfy or Burda) but they do excel at offering comfortable, thoughtful, well designed basics for everyday life in a wide range of sizes.
Materials
For my first version I used a paradise pink cotton/polyester sweatshirt fleece I purchased last year from Fabric Mart. I would call it a mid weight fleece.
For my second version I used a light to medium weight baby pink cotton/lycra french terry I purchased ten years ago from Fabric Mart.
For my third version I used a heavier weight cotton/polyester French terry purchased recently from Fabric Mart. It has just a little mechanical stretch and while it is comfortable to wear, it is not as easy as the other two to get on and off.
For the drawstring for my first version I used cotton cording from Wawak. The grommets are also from Wawak.
The clear cord locks/stops were purchased on Amazon. I originally planned on picking them up from JoAnns but when I got there the price was $5 for two cord locks, and they only had navy in stock! Meanwhile I got a package of 30 on Amazon for only $7.19. They are not the strongest cord locks/stops but they are ok for this particular project.
For the blue version I used drawstring cord and cord stopper locks from Amazon. The drawstring cord is way nicer quality than the cording I used for my first version, and while bulkier the cord stopper locks are far more robust.
Alterations
Part of why I kept putting off sewing for myself is because I’m starting from scratch with sizing and alterations. I am about 25 pounds heavier than I was before having my son nearly 1.5 years ago. Based on my current measurements I picked size 44 and made the following alterations:
Added 1/2” to the body length. I also deepened the hem, making it 1.5” wide instead of the originally drafted 1/2”.
Removed 1/2” in width from the back waist
Added 2” to the hips. For my second version I added another 2”, to make it a total of 4”. This does correspond more closely to what my hip measurement is now.
I actually feel like I had to do less in the way of alterations than when I was size 38 or 40. The sleeves are a great length out of the envelope, the body felt like a good length, and I didn’t feel like the sleeves were too tight either around the bicep. The shoulders and neck seemed to fit fine too. I can comfortably layer a lightweight tshirt or tank top under it.
Construction
Pocket Tutorial
For the pocket opening Ottobre recommends making a template to help with stitching the pocket opening. I ended up using Sulky iron-on tear-away stabilizer on the side of the pocket piece with the opening. It made life so much easier, as it prevented stretching when being sewn and I had a precise pencil line to follow instead of a fuzzy chalk line.
When I made the pockets for my first version I decided I wanted the fleece side of my fabric to face my hands and not the inside of the shirt, as it is so soft and cozy. So when I constructed the pockets I made sure to have the fleece side against the right side of the front, and ironed the stabilizer to the smooth side. For my baby pink French terry version I ironed the stabilizer to the looped side (wrong side), and had the smooth side against the right side of the front.
You want to interface the wrong side of the front pocket slash. I used Design Plus superfine straight fusible stay tape, letting it extend about 3/8” beyond the dot of the slash marking.
One you have your stabilized pocket, position it so the templated side faces towards the center front, lining up the pocket template with the slash line of the front.
Carefully sew along the pocket opening marking. I turned the wheel by hand when it came time to making my way around the curved ends. precision is key here!
Now slash open the pocket, making sure to clip the markings at the curved ends. You want to get very close to the stitching (about 1mm away).
Now gently tear away the stabilizer.
Pull the pocket bag to the wrong side.
Right sideWrong side
Serge/sew the pocket bag edges together.

Now go back to your sewing machine and understitch the seam allowances to the pocket bag. For my pink version I chose to stitch about 1/8” away from the edge with a 4mm stitch.
Now give it a good press. Sew a straight stitch just below the curved edge, making sure to go over the section a couple of times. This helps reinforce the curved ends and also helps keep the pocket bag in place.
And you’re done!
Other Construction Notes
I don’t have a coverstitch machine that can do the five thread double sided coverstitch that Ottobre recommends, so instead I topstitched all serged seams with the help of my stitch in a ditch foot, using a 4mm length straight stitch with the needle moved all the way over to the left. I’ve seen this finish done with plenty of RTW. It looks clean and helps manage the bulk of the seam.
The hardest part of this hoodie is sewing the pockets. Once that’s done it is pretty straightforward construction.
For the first version I used a heathered powder blue cotton French terry from Fabric Mart for the main fabric, and a baby rib knit from Nature’s Fabrics for the ribbing.
I really disliked working with this French terry. It was stiff and bulky and tightly woven, and at some point during the project my Janome 1100D serger got knocked out of time and required a trip to the dealer. Fortunately I have an old Janome MyLock 204D serger my parents gave to me way back when I was still in college and just learning to sew. I hadn’t used it in years, but after giving it a thorough cleaning, a couple of squirts of WD-40 in some strategic areas, and then more cleaning and a good oiling it was up and running. Even though it’s more difficult to thread and more work getting the tension correct, it did a better job handling this fabric than the 1100D.
Despite my dislike for working with this fabric my son has no issues wearing it! I can tell it will wear like iron too. He’s still not walking yet and the drier fall air is making the skin on his knees more sensitive, so I like him to wear pants out of sturdy fabrics.
For my second version I used a much softer and flexible rayon/poly/lycra sweatshirt fleece from Fabric Mart for the main fabric. For the rib trim I used a cotton rib knit purchased years ago, likely from Fabric Mart. Since the stretch was greater along the selvage I cut it cross grain. I used the reverse side for the cat appliqué.
#4: Sweatshirt
This pattern is a simple crewneck sweatshirt pattern, with set-in sleeves and ribbing finishing off the cuffs and bottom band as well as the neckline. the pattern has placement markings for if you want to add a ribbon trim going down the sleeve.
I didn’t make any alterations. I was able to construct this entirely on the serger aside from cover stitching the neck band in place and securing the end of the ribbing once the right shoulder seam had been sewn. Ottobre has you usually attach bindings flat vs in the round and I much prefer it this way. I can adjust on the fly vs trying to guess how long the binding strip should be before attaching it. Once you sew the other shoulder seam you tack the binding/seam allowance in place with a small straight stitch.
After attaching the neckline ribbing to the gray version I felt like it would be nice to do something extra, so I decided to do my first ever appliqué. I chose a cat because my son likes cats and the design was simple. I first copied the cat from Kwik Sew’s Sewing for Baby book. I then cut out the piece of paper, traced it onto a scrap piece of fabric interfaced with Pro-Sheer Elegance with a Frixon marker, then traced the outline of the pattern again onto Sulky Solvy. I didn’t have any fusible web so I attached it to the fabric with a glue stick. Then I put another piece of Solvy on top of the one I glued in place to prevent it from sticking to my presser foot. I used some Magnifico thread from Superior Threads I had in my stash for the outline. For most of the appliqué I used a 4mm wide and 0.75 length zigzag stitch. For the smaller details, like the tip of ear, eyes, and mouth I changed to a 1.5mm width. The nose was tricky, I ended up starting with a 4mm width stitch and kept decreasing as I went further down towards the mouth. The workmanship isn’t as fine as I would have liked and I should have used a dark gray or black for the eyes and mouth, but I do think it helps add more visual appeal without requiring an embroidery machine.
#5: Sweatpants
The sweatpants pattern has a two panel back with a horizontal seam and a drawstring at the elastic waist. There’s no crotch seam, instead all the shaping is done using that back horizontal seam. The back horizontal seam and the side seams are topstitched with a double sided cover stitch.
I chose to omit the drawstring because it was more materials to procure with little benefit, IMO.
For fit I did my usual alteration of adding 3/8” height at the center back. I find it makes pants fit better when he’s wearing cloth diapers.
For my first version I topstitched the center back seam with an ordinary straight stitch close to the edge. For my second version I skipped on topstitching the horizontal back seam entirely. I own the Janome Coverpro 2000CPX, which just does normal two and three thread cover stitches, not the double-sided cover stitch Ottobre recommends. I tried experimenting with the honeycomb stitch on my Janome 6500P and wasn’t impressed with the look, so I chose to just press it in place. It seems fine this way. Same for the side seams.
After making the Green Bean Baby pants and now these, I much prefer the Ottobre version. The back horizontal seam gives a lot of shaping over the butt area and the fact that the elastic is sewn in directly to the pants then folded over and topstitched instead of being inserted into a casing makes it much more secure (no rolling!) and easier to construct. The back seam also makes it more husband-friendly, as he struggles knowing the back from the front in home sewn clothes. The Green Bean Baby required more effort to fit and even so I feel like it still doesn’t fit as well as the Ottobre one does. The Green Bean Baby pattern seems short in the torso, long in the legs, and, if you’re making the full length pajamas, also seemed to run large in the neck. It often falls down over my son’s shoulder when he’s crawling around on the rug. Meanwhile the Ottobre patterns seemed to fit more consistently all over. I know Ottobre has a clothing industry background and even designed their own children’s collection at one point, so maybe that’s part of why the drafting seems to be better quality than the Green Bean Baby.
Clothing Engineer 