I sewed fluffy, snugly, green hoodie!
Perfect for hiding in until the election is over and I can unclench my jaw and sleep again...
The folks at Organic Cotton Plus reached out to me to see if I wanted to try some of their organic cotton fabrics in exchange for a review. I'm not one to turn down fabric, so I accepted. I received the fabric for free, but with no obligation to provide a positive review.
I was a bit overwhelmed at first when looking at the Organic Cotton Plus website- so many options! However, I think I was subliminally inspired by the french terry hoodie Lauren from Lladybird made late this summer, I opted for some of their organic french terry in the emerald colorway:
As I learned from their website, Organic Cotton Plus has "an unwavering commitment to fair labor, sustainable materials, minimalist packaging, and a close eye on the carbon footprint on each product." Good stuff.
The french terry is soft and thick (thicker than some other french terry I've used in the past) and the color is gorgeous. It doesn't have a ton of stretch. I'd say it's 20-25% based on my measurements.
The stretch percentage isn't listed on the Organic Cotton Plus website; I think it would be helpful to have that info for online purchasing. That, and the fact that you can only order in full yard increments, are two small things I would change to improve the buying experience there. But, as I said, the fabric itself is quite lovely!
My hoodie: I've had the Jasper Sweater pattern from Paprika Patterns since it was released (that glorious hood drew me in!) and I've had it printed and ready to go for over a year. Since I am easily distracted by the latest pattern and struggle to find heavier weight knits here in Bangkok, this project kept getting bumped down the list. This was my chance for some seasonally inappropriate sewing!
I went for a size 7, graded to 8 at the hip, which turned out great! I love how shapely it is as a result of the princess seams. It's a bit more fitted than other sweatshirts, but still plenty roomy for layering.
I also like how the side bodice pieces wrap around to the back bodice so there aren't really any side seams. I'll admit, though, that I had a momentary freak out when looking at the pattern pieces, thinking to myself "That back will never fit me!" before I had a closer look at the construction method:
I skipped Jasper's pocket/pouch thingy, because, frankly, I don't need any help padding out that particularly area of my body these days. Also, that is probably the only truly tricky part of the pattern, so I made life a bit easier for myself. I do miss them a little bit, though. I'll definitely put them in my next one!
My only construction complaint, which is a very minor one, is that I kinda wish the pattern had a 3/8" seam allowance so I could just use my serger. I supposed I could have, just serging and trimming the excess, but my serger blade is a bit dull and I knew it couldn't handle all that bulk. I decided to sew the seams with a zig-zag stitch, trimmed the seam allowances and then serged them. It just ended up being a bit more work. And the instructions are geared towards sewing, rather than serging.
I found the additional tutorial on the Paprika Patterns website helpful for sewing the hood; the photos helped supplement the instructions and diagrams.
Let me sum up: I am super happy with my Jasper, both the pattern and the french terry fabric. Comfy and cute, methinks!
Thank you to Organic Cotton Plus for letting me try some of this lovely fabric!
Now get out there and do me (and America) proud, my American friends!