I finished this hoodie up on March 9th. I’m still not sure if I like it or not. I like some parts, do not care for others. This is my first
Lekala sew. Their concept is interesting and they have tons of great looking patterns for good prices. You enter your measurements into their website and they “customize” the pattern to fit you. For the price, I thought I would try one (actually I have purchased 2, one was forever ago and it had issues from the start).
The first time I ordered I paid extra for seam allowances to be added. However, when I downloaded the pattern the SA part was all messed up and not the same measurement in any place. So that top has been put away and forgotten about. This time, I ordered the hoodie and chose no SA to be added, then I traced and added my own.
Size: to my measurements – finished it turned out a bit oversized.
Alterations:
I read a PR review that talked about the enormous hood. So I took those suggestions and reduced the hood by 3” in height. I added pockets to the front because no hoodie should be without pockets! To do this I just cut another front pouch section, top-stitched the sides down and sewed it like normal with the other piece. Also, the bottom hem band was enormously tall. I shortened the height by almost half.
Instructions: Well, sadly these were worse than Burda – and that says A LOT. The instructions are very sparse and do not make a ton of sense. I really struggled with the hood. Also, the hood lining pieces do not say to cut them with the fabric wrong side up – lesson learned. I cut them like normal, fabric R side up, and they were reverse from what I needed, because the lining right side is opposite the hoodie right side fabric. The hood is by far the weirdest construction of this hoodie. I understand why they made it this way, because of that collar part, but it’s just weird. My fat plastic jacket zipper made it difficult to finish the seam where it meets the stomach part too.
Fabric: 2 yards Burgundy French terry, 4way stretch (about a 50% stretch both vertically and horizontally), $10 a yard, purchased from purpleseamstress in Sept 2017. Plus 1 yard Charcoal cotton/lycra also from purpleseamstress, $6.50. Total for hoodie: $26.50
Thoughts: I love the design look, on other people. I just don’t like the collar part on me – which is funny because that is what drew me to it in the first place. It feels awkward. I can’t walk around with the hood up and the collar stands funny that way; when the hood is down I feel like the collar jagging off to the side is even more awkward. It doesn't have the "coolness" factor the original photo has. The seam in the middle of the hood bothers me. The lining creeps forward because they don’t have you top-stitch around the hood. It just doesn’t “feel” good on me. I won’t throw it out just yet, I’ll give it a try during Me-Made-May before I make a final decision.
Happy Sewing!
~Kristin~
