Today, I’m sharing how to sew the kangaroo pocket of the Ali Sweatshirt. I really love the functionality of the kangaroo pocket. I designed it to be pretty big, with the intention that you can easily fit your phone inside, because after all, what else are we carrying around all the time? If you have a little practice sewing and topstitching knits, then this pocket is really not challenging to sew. And it’s definitely worth the time spent for it’s style and functionality.
Winters are hard on me because my hands and feet always get cold very easily. Nighttime can be especially challenging. I solved my cold feet issue with layers of socks and a warm rice bag (tutorial here). But my hands still get cold while reading in bed. I’ve always dreamed about having a long sleeve shirt or sweater that covered my hands. Finally, at the end of last year, I decided that it was time that I just made myself a long sleeve shirt with thumbhole cuffs.
For this hack, you can use any long sleeve shirt, dress or sweatshirt pattern that is designed for knit fabrics. You’ll want to use knit fabric with some stretch for this fabric so that your hands will be nice and comfy as you move about. Watch the video and then check out the diagrams for how I drafted these cuffs.
A facing is essentially a piece of fabric that finishes a raw edge. It’s especially useful if you want a stable edge or if you want a really unique shape. With a facing, it’s easy to create pretty much any shape you want from a scallop edged skirt to a sweetheart neckline.
Yesterday, I shared my holiday Dana Jumpsuit hack with a v-neck and today I’m going to show you how to draft a facing. The Dana Jumpsuit, like many other patterns, uses a facing to finish the neckline edge. So, if you want to alter the neckline, you’ll also need to alter the neckline facing. Fortunately, drafting a neckline is really easy. In fact, if you’re totally new to pattern drafting, this is a really good place to start. Watch the video below for all the details.
