Spring/Fall Jacket for LittlestBird

My fabric stash has now officially gotten out of control after two recent purchases. My rule currently is that anything that comes in has to have a plan in mind. This was my justification for my recent purchase from Discovery Trekking Outfitters in order to make some camping hoodies for the kids and me as the summer nights and mornings can be quite cool here. We were woefully unprepared for our trip to the mountains last year and I wanted to make sure we were ready this year.

For my littlest one I made out of print Jalie 2319, it was actually my first Jalie pattern I ever made.

Before cutting it out I made sure to trace off the pattern I planned for my oldest son to maximize the fabric. I was quite pleased to be able to get both jackets cut out of the 1 yard length I had purchased. It did help that all fabrics are listed as sold by the yard on Discovery Trekking Outfitters website but, for this length at least, I actually got a smidge over 1 metre, about 12 cm more. I had planned to use the leftover fabric to colour block with the Peacock Blue I'd also purchased but unfortunately the textures were quite different. The grey has more of a softshell exterior whereas the blue (and starfish & turtle) fabric I'd bought are pure fleece. All the fabrics are lovely quality and I'm very happy with them, I just with there was a bit more of a description as I may have purchased the charcoal colour instead of the cement had I known they feel quite different. I just assumed based on the fact  they were grouped in the same category would mean they were similar. I guess only similar in their function. They do seem very responsive to customer inquiries so next time I'll make sure to ask before purchasing. 

Photo from Discovery Trekking Outfitters Website (May 6, 2019)

With some creative pattern layout I no longer needed to worry about colour blocking as there are no useful scraps left.

I did have to flip the front bodice of this sweater to make it work, but that allowed me to keep the hood rather than making the collared version. I also cut the hem band out of a small scrap of cotton Lycra I had from another project as the previous times I've made this pattern I've found the edges very thick with a couple layers of fleece. I was especially glad that I did that this time as this fleece is so thick! My poor machine had trouble getting through the zipper! 

All the projects cut out for the day

I love the addition of the whale fabric along the hem band and cuffs. I only wish I'd had a smidge more to do the pockets as well. As it stood I had to piece the hem hand to make it work and the cuffs are a bit smaller than the pattern but it worked out fine as they are quite stretchy compared to using the jacket fabric for them.

I've made this pattern a few times now, but now for the first time realize why it's out of print and hasn't been released as a PDF. The sleeves are quite long relative to the body for the kid sizes. It's clear on the pattern cover, but I hadn't noticed before. It's great for growing room, but I'll likely need to had a longer hem band next year to keep this from becoming too short before the arms do. Also I wish the instructions were a bit better for finishing the hood. I should have known better and used the instructions from the Frederic hoodie to improve it. Next time I make this one one I will. I also have to remember to add length to the body. I had planned to use it for my daughter using the Starfish and Turtle fabric shown above and if I do, I'll likely use the same size and add about 4 inches. I still think a basic hoodie like this is missing from the Jalie catalog and I'll keep using this one with a few modifcations.

Littlest Bird wearing Size 2

My little guy is nearly 2, but barely fits in size 2 clothing so I knew this would be quite big on him. I generally don't worry about things being too big as that's just a bit of extra growing room. I will likely update the hem band and cuffs next year to add a bit more length and get an extra year or two out of the jacket should it be needed. He just looks so cozy wearing it!

Cost wise how did this project turn out?

Materials: 1 m of fabric was $32 ($28 plus tax and shipping costs) and used about 40% to make this coat so roughtly $13
Zipper: $2 (on sale)

So total $15 ish and similar coats from Patagonia sell for $59 (at time of publishing) so this one definitely feels like a win. Just don't look too closely at the pockets. Thinner material would have made the finishing a bit better for me. I had a lot of trouble controlling my machine over that thickness.