Mic check 1,2,1,2 anyone out there?
We are back after taking some time off over the summer. And now that fall is here it's cardigan weather! One of our best selling patterns is the Courageous Cardigan and we thought it was the perfect time to give it a little update. We listened to your feedback and adjusted the fit across the shoulders and sleeves. And while we were at it, an inseam pocket option was added.
After testing was finished and I was sewing up a few more versions for myself I decided to try something new. I had enough fabric left to make a hood and thought why not? I grabbed the hood piece from the Balance pattern and went to work. It turned out so well I ended up making another one. It's a very straightforward hack that turns out great!
Keep reading to find out what I did.
For this hack you will need your unlined hood of choice. We will also be adjusting the length of the front band to match the addition of the hood so do not cut out those pieces just yet. The back band remains unchanged.
As mentioned above I used the hood pieces from the Balance pattern, however this hack can work with any non-crossover hood that is not lined.
Cut and sew your hood pieces right sides together as usual.
After constructing the bodice, pin/clip the hood to the bodice neckline. Do not stretch the hood as you are attaching it to the neckline. Sew along the neckline only to attach the hood to the bodice.
Now we have to do a little math but don't panic. The length of the front bands is 1:1 with the length along the front bodice of Courageous. Since this new length will depend on the size of the hood you added, you will need to measure from the side seam, up along the front bodice, and the newly added hood.
Once you have this measurement don't forget to add the seam allowance before cutting your 2 new front band pieces. The illustration only shows the measurement guide along one side because you are cutting 2 front bands that are the seam length.
You will sew your band pieces together per the original tutorial and attach to your new neckline.
When you cut 2 front bands the center seam of the bands will align with the center seam from the hood. However, depending on the size you are making and the hood height, you might not be able to cut 2 bands from your width of fabric. Don't worry though because you can still make this happen. You will just need to cut 3 band pieces instead of 2.
Measure from the side seam up to where the hood is attached to the bodice. This will be the length for 2 front band pieces (red line). The remaining center band length will be the length of the hood front (blue line).
For this method you will have 4 band pieces instead of 3 (1 back, 2 front, 1 hood).
You will sew the pieces together to create a circle per the original tutorial. In this method the seams will be at the side seam and where the hood attaches to the bodice neckline.
That's it!
Now go enjoy your new Courageous Cardigan!
