I sewed a sweatshirt! A non-hoodie version of the Hey June Halifax Hoodie, to be exact...
A few weeks ago, my husband and I were getting ready to go on an epic scuba-diving "liveaboard" trip to Raja Ampat, Indonesia. A live-aboard basically means living on a boat for a week or so, diving as many times a day as possible. When prepping and packing for this trip, I simultaneously feared that I would be too hot and too cold on the boat. My thought process went like this: "Maybe the air will be stagnant and it will be stuffy and hot in the tiny boat rooms.... but then again maybe it will be breezy on the water and I'll be wet and chilly after diving." Sigh.
This pre-trip paranoia was enhanced by the fact that you are not supposed to over-pack for the boat since space is limited. Somehow this increased the packing pressure for me. I know, I know, I should have just packed my nautical-themed pashmina afghan. But it's at the dry cleaners.
So, I did what many in the sewing world have done and will continue to do until the end of time: I sewed a garment at the last minute before my trip. I figured a lightweight sweatshirt that I could throw on would help if the ocean breezes picked up, or if I felt a chill on one of the many flights I have to take to get there.
In the end, it turns out I didn't need the extra layer on the dive boat, which was quite toasty, but I did need it for a ferry, which had the AC set to arctic blast and my numerous flights. So, pre-trip sewing justified, right?
I went with fabric and a pattern from my stash: striped french terry from the Imagine Gnats shop (affiliate link) and the Halifax Hoodie pattern from Hey June. The fabric is lightweight and vaguely nautical with its blue-ish stripes. Perfect for when I'm on a boat.
I've been meaning to make up the Halifax Hoodie for a while now. Honestly, I couldn't decide which view to make! So, so many options. Ultimately, I landed on View D, the traditional pullover with a funnel neck and a kangaroo pocket.
I am really loving the final garment! It's a little bit big in the body and long in the arms; maybe next time I would size down. When choosing a size, I found my bust and hips between sizes (between XL and 1X on top and 1X and 2X at the hip), so I opted for the larger sizes. I probably should have gone down a size. As an aside, I think my one complaint about Hey June patterns is how big a size I have to choose. 2XL? Really? Eek. Anyway, I am not upset about how big it turned out- it's slouchy and comfy and perfect for my purposes.
I tried to stripe match, but was only somewhat successful. The side seams worked out, but not so much the sleeves. Or the kangaroo pocket. But let's pretend it was on purpose, ok?
I love the snuggly, slouchy funnel neck... good stuff. I am picturing more of these hoodies in my future...
