Apr 27, 20183 min read

Revolution + Inspired by Tilly

Did you know April 23–29, 2018 is the annual Fashion Revolution Week? The Fashion Revolution Week is held every year in April to commemorate the victims of the Rana Plaza clothing factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2013. The idea of the Fashion Revolution movement is to wake us up to the unethical and unhealthy practices of the clothing industry, especially in fast fashion.

If you've been on Instagram this week at all, you might have noticed the tags #whomademyclothes and #imademyclothes popping up. In the past five years or so, I've pretty much stopped buying brand new ready-to-wear. I knit all the cardigans, sweaters, and accessories for myself, and wear hand-knit wool socks year round. And what can't be knit, I sew. The only thing I haven't tried sewing yet is jeans but I already have both black and blue stretch denim in my stash waiting for the day when I'm brave enough.

Now that I've started designing, stalking new knitting patterns has been replaced by stalking, collecting, and trying new sewing patterns. With that long-winded exposition it's time to introduce my latest sewing project.

Tilly's new book Stretch! Make Yourself Comfortable Sewing with Knit Fabrics came out a few weeks ago. Although I've not yet purchased the book, I've watched and read so many reviews of it online, I feel like I already know each and every pattern in the book.

My favorite? The dress version of the Stella hoodie (right), complete with a kangaroo pocket. Long tunics with a hood and pockets is pretty much my uniform all winter long.

Powder pink is so not my color and I never would've thought pairing it with black-and-white stripes. I do feel the striped hood lining gives a bit of freshness to the hoodie — otherwise it'd be just too sweet.

I must have been subconsciously channeling Tilly when I spotted these two fabrics right next to each other in the fabric store. I couldn't get over the thought of using them in the same project and just had to make myself a pink Tilly-inspired hoodie.

The pattern I used is a little different from the one in Stretch. First of all, it's a hoodie jacket with a zipper on the front. There's ribbing on the hems and cuffs whereas in Stella the hems are just turned.

And my favorite feature: the big half-circle pockets. The pockets are stitched to the fronts which leaves the serged edge of the pocket ribbing exposed. On the inside, yes, but still exposed.

This is now the third zippered hoodie I've sewn and it turned out really great, despite the obvious bagging at the back. But that was entirely my fault: there's a curved center back seam in the pattern but I cut a few corners and cut the back piece on fold.

I've got the fabric planned for a couple (or five) more hoodies, and there's a few tweaks I'd like to make. The circumference of the hem ribbing is a little too loose so I'd take a couple of inches off that, and add one in length. I'd also add inner pocket linings — that way you could sandwich the pocket ribbing between the layers with the seam on the inside.

Pattern: #1 Hoodie from Kotiliesi Käsityöt, 2/2016
Size: 38
Materials: pink sweatshirt fleece, striped double knit for accent, 55 cm zipper, sewing thread

The Fashion Revolution Week segues nicely into what is probably the biggest online sewing event of the year: Me Made May. But more on that next week.

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