Made by a Fabricista: My 3 versions of the Sinclair Skylar Knit Hoodie!

Pink and gray ponte Skylar Knit Hoodie (Sinclair Patterns)

Hi everybody, it's Virginie from Jazz Couture and I hope you're doing well! On the blog today I'm showing you 3 interpretations of the Skylar Knit Hoodie (Sinclair Patterns).

A while ago I selected some knit fabrics and I had envisioned wrap dresses, tops and maxi skirts. Well, Sinclair Patterns just released the Skylar Knit Hoodie and that totally changed my plans. I decided to go with my instinct, I bought the pattern and made 3 hoodies in a row. I'm so glad I did, they're just perfect for the changing weather we have here in eastern Canada!

The pattern:

I don't know for you, but me I had never heard of Sinclair Patterns before - they're an Australian company. Here is the pattern illustration of the Skylar Hoodie:

The Skylar Hoodie is a PDF pattern and it offers 4 collar options - you can choose the round sweater neckline, a hoodie, a cowl neck or an overlapped collar - and 2 cuffs options (regular, double). At the $8.99 special release price, I think I got a lot of bang for my bucks!

The fabric:

The fabric selected for my first two versions is a wonderful Italian viscose/poly/lycra ponte. The colours are beautiful and the quality amazing, what more can I say? The Italian pontes at FM usually sell out fast (as did those shown here in the pictures), but right now there are some other great colours. Don't miss out the Italian pontes, they don't stay on the page for long!

I chose to do some colour blocking and I paired the dusty pink with a light heathered gray remnant of cotton/lycra I had at home. Pink and gray is always a great colour combination, don't you think?

For this version of the Skylar pattern I chose the hoodie option

Back of the Sinclair Skylar knit hoodie

The drawstring stoppers are also from Fabric Mart; they're from designer Maiyet and I bought them last year. My only regret is I didn't buy more of those - they look great and really add a special touch to a garment!

A great thing with the Skylar pattern is that the hoodie is lined - you can play with a contrasting fabric, the inside is clean and it adds warmth

The construction of the kangaroo pocket is very clever. I used my coverstitch for the pocket edges, and a satin stitch to reinforce the top and bottom of the pockets.

My second version is made from a cobalt blue Italian viscose/poly/lycra ponte. I did the colour blocking in a different way and paired the blue with a black ponte I already had (from my Fabric Mart stash and I think it's imported from Italy too).

Skylar knit hoodie in black and blue!

Showing the contrasting side panels

My measurements put me between size XS and S - finally I went with the XS and added a scant 1/4'' at the top of the side seams to have a little more room for the bust

The third version is totally different. The fabric is a rayon/lycra knit from a US Boutique designer, and it came in panels. I thought the print was super interesting and I took 2 panels (apparently I'm not the only one who thought that it was super interesting: the 125 panels in stock sold out unbelievably fast!).

For this version I chose the cowl neck option

The rayon/lycra knit is naturally more extensible than the ponte. I didn't need to add to the side seams, and I shortened the sleeve by 1''

It took me 2 full panels to make this version

Conclusion:

This was my first experience with Sinclair Patterns and I only have good things to say about them! The drafting is impeccable and there are good, detailed instructions if you need them. The way the front is constructed is super interesting, and you can play with colour blocking in a million different ways! I can't wait to make other versions and I want to try the overlapped collar as well as the double cuffs.

This is a 180 degree turn from what I first had in mind, but I'm glad I followed my instinct 'cause I love my hoodies and they're a great addition to my wardrobe. Do you also sometimes change your sewing plans when you see something interesting? Let me know, and I'd also be interested in knowing which version is your favorite!

Virginie

from

Jazz Couture

Made By A Fabricista: Revisiting a Pattern After Five Years

Have you ever used a sewing pattern and then immediately vowed never to sew it again? Well, I have. It all began in the spring of 2020 at the start of the pandemic lockdown. I tackled sewing projects that were more challenging to help me grow as a seamstress. There was one pattern in particular that almost did me in, the Seamwork Penny shirt dress. The Penny dress pattern has a classic button-up dress shirt style bodice with a gathered skirt and pockets. It is a beautiful take on a shirt dress, and my sister and I loved it. The only downside is that it was recommended for intermediate-level sewists and I was only an adventurous beginner back then. I think I had only ever made one button-up shirt before attempting this Penny Dress and it didn’t even have a collar! Despite all of this, I thought “Why not try it, what’s the worst that can happen?” Thankfully the worst didn’t happen, and the dress turned out surprisingly wearable, but I had some intense frustration at the end. I...

Made By A Fabricista: A Simple Frock for Spring

Hello friends! I’m really into sewing and wearing tent dresses at the moment. A tent dress is basically a wide A-line style gown. For this month’s project, I’ve opted to try out The Assembly Line’s Square Neck Dress. This style is a little avant-garde in its enormity and shape, and boasts the squared neckline it’s named after, plus some cute hem side slits. All that volume is fun to move around in, plus there’s loads of air circulation which is cooling. This dress’s main feature–its wide and high squared neckline–really piqued my interest recently, and I added it to my Make Nine plans for 2025. I find it so satisfying to check off those boxes as I sew! This beautiful shirtweight linen is a color I simply adore; a muted medium blue. Stormy skies, worn-in denim, and ocean waves all come to mind, and that is exactly what I want to be all wrapped up in. While I think a wild or large print would be amazingly on display in this big canvas of a dress, I also thought that a subtle ...

Made By A Fabricista: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog