Halifax Hoodie in Blue

I needed a lightweight, zip-up fleece or sweatshirt to replace one I’d been wearing around the house for years, which had quite frankly seen much better days! So I was casually keeping my eye out for a suitable pattern.

The Halifax Hoodie by Hey June Patterns came to my attention one day and I very nearly went right on by it. The non zip-up versions weren’t what I was looking for. But then I spotted this photo:

Ooh, that’s more like it! 

. . . and it has a hood! I’m such a sucker for a hood! (Even though I was actually looking for a pattern without one – whoops!)

I could have finished the seam down the centre of the hood subtly but what would be the fun of that! On my previous visit to FabricLand I’d succumbed to the pretty trims sitting on the counter when I was paying for my fabric and so found myself coming home with this lovely anchor trim as well! Since I live by the sea, I thought it would go nicely on the hood of my hoodie!

Overall I like the hoodie, however, it hasn’t turned out quite as I intended:

• I can’t remember which size I made now (it was awhile ago, as you can tell from my hair), but it is too big. I think the sizing is quite generous and I would definitely make a smaller size next time.
• The fabric, which I bought online in a sale, started pilling from the very first wear, so I’ve only been able to wear it out a few times and is really and truly a wear-around-the-house garment now.
• I made a very silly little mistake during the construction, but it doesn’t have any effect on the finished garment, so I’m not going to mention any more about that! 
• Going back to the fabric, it’s quite see-through when you hold it up to the light and isn’t as warm as it looks, so that was a bit disappointing as well.

As far as the pattern goes, I thought it was very well drafted, and the finished hoodie looks just as it’s meant to.

The instructions could have been confusing, you end up zipping all over the place getting the next instruction, but it actually worked without a hitch. They were very clear and easy to understand as well. (So how did I make a silly mistake I hear you ask? My fear of buttonholes had a lot to do with it!)

It was my first time sewing a Hey June pattern, but I found it very enjoyable and wouldn’t hesitate to try another.