Rebecca Page Mens Hoody Cowl

 

 I made this sweatshirt for my partner. Its the Hoody Cowl from Rebecca Page patterns. I bough it back in the summer but only just got round to printing it. 

I had a few issues with this pattern which I have referred back to the RP customer services because unlike every other RP pattern I have used ( and I have used lots!) there are no circles on the corners of the pages or any other marks either to put the pattern together. Also the squares to check the scale are missing and the button holes and all pattern markings - like the straight grain etc. Because I had another couple of patterns I have used the I know fit my partner I simply measured them against this one so was reasonably sure it will fit. It does. 

Anyway I suspect my pdf copy originally had must be defective because when I checked the layout you use to put the thing together it does show the cicles and all the markings so it has to be a corrupted file or something. I did only print two sizes but normally it still works fine when I do that with RP patterns. Since I prited another RP pattern at the same time which is fine I do not think its the PC or printer. I referred to customer sevices but I still cut out the pattern since it measured fine.

Then I was very impressed by the customer services in fact because I asked for help - on a Sunday afternoon - and they came straight back. I never expected to get a response on a Sunday so very impressed with that I have to say. And they sent me another copy of the pdf which works fine so I think the original must have become currupted during the download somehow.

Anyway back to this top: 

I thought because he virtually never wears scarves - them being too much hassle aparently - that it might work well for him. 

When he tried this on his response was "weird hood" but then as I explained thats the point. 

I personally prefer the overall design of my Burda hoody. Some how the pocket on this top looks wrong to me but probably thats just me. The Burda top in contrast has a pocket kind of incorported into the seams as part of the design rather than just stuck on top. It also seems too small in height that is. 

I may  trace a larger size of the Burda hoody to make him one of them next because I really love how the construction works on that top and there is absolutly no shaping so no reason it will not work for men as well as women. I suspect the pattern will go big enough for my partner and in the end it can always be scaled up.

However, since I decided I personally like the Burda hoody look better he has completely lived in this. He comes home from work and seeks it out. He wears it on the weekend. He wears it in preference to some expensive RTW sweatshirts he owns so this really is a big success.

The fabric is polyester/ cotton sweatshirting so nothing special just average warm sweatshirt fabric. I had 2m which it turns out is not enough because the RP pattern uses ribbed edges which I did not. That meant I had to be very careful to cut well and also ended up increasing the size of the bottom band because my sweatshirting is not as stretchy as ribbing is (which the RP pattern specifies to use) and it just would not work. In the end I cut the original hem piece down to the same size plus hem allowance as the width of the body which was then used for the front hem band, and I cut a second band for the back. I had no more fabric for the back band on straight grain so I had to cut my second piece the opposite way to the grain which I used for the back band and shortened the original (RP pattern ) cut band for the front but it hardly notices - my partner could not identify what I did wrong because I asked him! And the result of this small cheat is, it works.

I also had to take the sleeve wrists in by about 1cm in total so 0.5cm when sewing down the sleeve to make them fit the cuffs without needing to gather them. My other half would not have liked bulky gathered cuffs. Again this is due to my using sweatshirting for the cuffs rather than ribbing which the pattern calls for which would have stretched more.Next time I will take into account to either buy more fabric ad do it with matching bands or buy some ribbed cuff fabric.

So like nearly everything I make its imperfect but it works and I am so surprised and happy that he likes it so much. Sometimes I think he wears the tops I make him because he feels he should. With this one he prefers it to his RTW proper sportswear so well done to Rebecca Page for this pattern. I am really glad I bought it.

He has now asked me to make a second one of these so I have bought some more sweatshirting fabric which I have just washed and is drying right now so its preshrunk to cut out the next oe of these. I might make the pocket slightly higher though for the next version and see if he likes it. Mind you its me not him who has a problem with the small - looking pocket!

Since taking the photos I have changed the bright green pullcord for a wider gauge one and I think it is better. The green is a nice colour - I will buy more but its too thin for this top. 

Thaks for popping by the blog

Bracken