Make a sweatshirt-fleece hoodie step by step: choose the knit fabric, cut the pattern pieces, sew a lined hood, join the shoulders and neckline, set in the sleeves, sew the side seams and attach the rib-knit cuffs and hem band.
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Things you will learn
Which fabrics are used for the hoodie: brushed sweatshirt fleece, jersey and rib knit.
The order for assembling the hood, shoulders, neckline, sleeves and side seams.
How to sew rib knit to the sleeves and hem so the fabric is distributed evenly.
One limitation: the detailed pocket construction was not preserved, so pockets are not a separate step.
What you will make
You will end up with a soft hoodie in heavyweight knit fabric: a sweatshirt-fleece body, lined hood, rib-knit cuffs and hem. It is well suited to everyday wear when made from quality knit fabric that will not stretch out or pill.
Materials and tools
Materials
Brushed sweatshirt fleece, about 1 m, Main fabric for the front, back, sleeves and outer hood.
Jersey, For the hood lining and pocket bags.
Rib knit, about 10 cm, For the cuffs, pocket welts (two pieces each) and hoodie hem band.
Matching thread, For construction and topstitching.
Ready-made hoodie pattern, The author used Ottobre No. 4/2014, design No. 37, sizes 134–170.
Dressmaker pins, For securing the hood, sleeves, cuffs and hem before sewing.
Basting thread, Useful for holding the hood edge and tricky areas when pins are not enough.
Tools
Sewing machine, Use a straight or knit stitch; the author mentions stitch length 3.
Overlocker or zigzag stitch, For finishing seam allowances. If you do not have an overlocker, use a zigzag or stretchy machine finish.
Dressmaker shears, For cutting sweatshirt fleece, jersey and rib knit.
Iron, For pressing the folds in the cuffs and hem band.
Tailor’s chalk or fabric marker, For transferring notches and pattern pieces.
Ballpoint knit-fabric needle, Reduces skipped stitches and damage to the knit fabric.
Files and resources
Ottobre pattern No. 4/2014, design No. 37The pattern named by the author; no link or pattern file is included with the article.
How to sew a welt pocketThis related tutorial is useful if you want detailed guidance on sewing a welt pocket.
Preparation
Check the knit fabric before cutting
The sweatshirt fleece should be dense and stable: a hoodie made from a flimsy knit will stretch out sooner at the hem, sleeves and neckline.
No separate pocket step remains
The author lists pocket pieces in the cutting layout, but the detailed photo tutorial for pocket construction breaks off. If you are using the pattern’s pockets, sew them before assembling the side seams, following the pattern instructions.
Test the stitch on a scrap
Before assembly, test the knit stitch, thread tension and seam-allowance finish on a scrap of the same fabric.
Prepare the fabric and cut the pieces
First identify which pieces are needed from each fabric. This is especially important for a hoodie with a lined hood and rib-knit trim.
Choose a heavyweight knit fabric
Use brushed sweatshirt fleece or another dense, stable knit fabric for the body. Use jersey for the hood lining and pocket bags, and rib knit for the cuffs, pocket welts and hem band.
Main materials: brushed sweatshirt fleece, jersey for the lining and rib knit for the cuffs and hem.
Fabric quality is critical here
Dense sweatshirt fleece holds its shape better, stretches out less and stays neat-looking longer in wear.
Cut all pieces from the pattern
Cut the front, back, sleeves and two outer hood pieces from sweatshirt fleece. Cut two hood-lining pieces and four pocket bags from jersey. Cut cuffs, pocket welts and a long hem-band piece from rib knit.
Lay out all pieces and check that the cut set is complete before assembly.
Check the stretch direction
Before cutting, make sure the pieces are laid out on grain and that the knit fabric stretches in the required direction.
Assemble the hood
The hood consists of an outer layer and lining. Assemble both layers first, then join them and topstitch the edge.
Sew the outer hood pieces
Place the outer hood pieces right sides together, pin from the lower edge to the forehead edge, and sew with a straight or knit stitch. The author uses stitch length 3.
Place the outer hood pieces right sides together and pin them.
Finish the seam allowances and repeat for the lining
Finish the outer hood seam allowances with an overlocker or zigzag stitch. Then sew and finish the jersey hood lining in the same way.
Finish hood seam allowances with an overlocker or zigzag stitch.
Join the hood to the lining
Place the outer hood and lining right sides together, pin, stitch around the edge, finish the seam allowances and turn right side out.
Place the outer hood and lining right sides together and stitch around the edge.Turn the hood right side out and shape the edge after stitching.
Turn under and topstitch the hood edge
Turn the hood edge to the inside, secure it with basting, then sew a straight topstitching line along the folded edge.
Basting holds the hood edge in place before topstitching.Topstitch the turned-under hood edge with a straight stitch.
Basting helps prevent ripples
The hood edge can shift easily on knit fabric, so do not rely on pins alone before topstitching.
Assemble the shoulders and neckline
Once the hood is ready, assemble the upper garment: the shoulder seams form the neckline, then the hood is attached with an overlap.
Sew the shoulder seams
Place the front and back right sides together, sew the shoulders with a knit stitch and finish the seam allowances with an overlocker or zigzag stitch.
Place the front and back right sides together and sew the shoulders.
Topstitch the shoulder seam allowances
From the right side, sew a straight line while pressing the shoulder seam allowances toward the front. This gives a neater shoulder and helps the allowance lie flat.
Turn the shoulder seam allowance toward the front and topstitch it.
Pin the overlapping hood to the neckline
Place the hood against the neckline right sides together. In this design the hood overlaps: attach the right half first, then place the left half over it. Stitch and finish the seam allowances.
Place the hood against the neckline right sides together and secure with pins.
Check the centre back
Before stitching, align the hood centre seam with the centre back, otherwise the hood will sit crooked.
Topstitch the neckline from the right side
Turn the hood seam allowances toward the neckline and sew a topstitching line from the right side. At the back, the stitching should be even and must not pull the fabric.
Topstitch the neckline from the right side, with the hood seam allowances turned under.
Attach the sleeves and sew the side seams
Once the upper section is ready, set the sleeves into the open armholes, then close the sleeve and hoodie side seam in one long seam.
Attach the sleeves to the armholes
Place a sleeve into the armhole right sides together, pin, stitch and finish the seam allowances. Make sure the sleeve cap is distributed without puckers.
Set the sleeve into the armhole right sides together.
Sew from the sleeve edge to the hoodie hem
Fold the garment right sides together and sew from the sleeve edge, through the underarm, down to the hoodie hem. Then finish the seam allowances.
After attaching the sleeves, sew the long seam from the sleeve to the hoodie hem.
Attach the cuffs and hem band
The rib knit must be distributed evenly. This was discussed in the comments: if it is stretched unevenly, the hem or sleeve will bunch up.
Prepare rib-knit bands
Fold the rectangular rib-knit pieces in half, press and unfold. Fold them in half again to form rings, sew the short edges, then fold each ring along the pressed crease.
Fold rib knit, sew it into a ring and fold it along the pressed crease.
Place the cuffs over the sleeves and distribute the stretch
Secure the cuffs over the sleeves. Stretch the rib knit to the sleeve width and secure with pins or basting.
Place the cuff over the sleeve and distribute the stretch.
Tip from the discussion: four reference points
To distribute the rib knit evenly, sew it into a ring and mark four points: the seam and three more at equal intervals. Mark four points on the sleeve or hem as well, match them, and stretch the rib knit only between neighbouring points.
Sew on the cuffs and hem band
Sew on the cuffs with a straight or knit stitch and finish the seam allowances on the overlocker. Attach the rib-knit hem band to the bottom of the hoodie in the same way.
Sew on the cuffs and hem band, then finish the seam allowances.
Trim threads and steam the hoodie
After assembly, trim thread tails, steam the garment gently and let it dry on a hanger. Do not stretch the hem or cuffs while steaming.
Final step: trim excess threads, steam the hoodie and let it dry on a hanger.
Finish and variations
Finish
Check the fit after steaming
When the hoodie has dried on a hanger, check the shoulders, neckline, sleeve length and hem-band tension. If the hem pulls, the rib knit was too short or distributed unevenly.
Variations
Welt pockets
The comments suggest adding welt pockets to the hoodie. It is a good option for a future version, but follow a separate tutorial because the detailed pocket section was not preserved in this photo tutorial.
Contrasting hood lining
Choose a jersey lining that contrasts with the sweatshirt fleece to make the hood more striking.
Adult fit from a children’s pattern
The author sewed size 170 from a children’s magazine and got a fit roughly equivalent to size 42 with room to spare. Still, compare your measurements with the pattern before cutting.
The hem or sleeve gathers in one area while there is almost no gathering elsewhere.
Likely cause
The rib knit was stretched unevenly or pinned at only one or two points.
How to fix it
Use four reference points on the rib knit and four on the garment. Match the points and stretch the rib knit evenly within each quarter.
The hood shifts to one side
Problem
After sewing, the overlap or hood centre seam looks off-centre.
Likely cause
The centre back and hood centre were not aligned before stitching.
How to fix it
Before sewing, find the centre back, align it with the hood centre seam, then distribute the overlap around the neckline.
Topstitching makes the knit fabric wavy
Problem
The hood edge, shoulder or neckline becomes wavy after topstitching.
Likely cause
The stitching stretches the fabric too much or the edge is not secured well.
How to fix it
Test the stitch on a scrap, reduce presser-foot pressure, use a knit-fabric needle and baste difficult areas.
Seams pop when stretched
Problem
The shoulder, sleeve or hem seam opens when the fabric is stretched.
Likely cause
A non-stretch stitch or unsuitable needle was used.
How to fix it
Use a knit/stretch stitch or an overlocker for knit fabric. On a domestic machine, test a zigzag or dedicated stretch stitch.
It is unclear when to sew the pockets
Problem
The cutting layout includes pocket bags and welts, but there is no detailed photo tutorial for pockets.
Likely cause
The pocket section of the article ends before the hood section.
How to fix it
If you are sewing the pockets from this pattern, construct them before sewing the side seams and attaching the hem band. For welt pockets, use a separate detailed tutorial.
?FAQ
Can I sew an adult hoodie from this pattern?
The author used Ottobre pattern No. 4/2014, design No. 37. She made size 170 and notes that it fit size 42 with room to spare. Always compare your measurements with the pattern before cutting.
Can I sew this without an overlocker?
Yes, but finish the seam allowances with a zigzag or another stretch stitch. For knit fabric, it is important that the seams can stretch.
How do I sew rib knit on evenly?
Mark four reference points on the rib knit and four on the garment piece, match and pin them, then stretch the rib knit evenly between the points. This method was explained in detail in the discussion.
Where is the detailed pocket step?
The pockets are listed in the cutting layout, but the step-by-step photo tutorial for making them was not preserved. That is why this version notes pockets as a limitation rather than a full step.
What needle should I use for sweatshirt fleece and jersey?
Use a knit-fabric or stretch needle of an appropriate size. It is less likely to damage the knit loops and helps prevent skipped stitches.
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