How to make a hoodie (adult)

1. Materials & tools

Materials (men's M)

• Main fabric (French terry, sweatshirt fleece or other knit) — about 150 cm wide × 180 cm (59 × 71 in)
• Ballpoint machine needle and stretch thread
• Optional: ribbing for the cuffs and hem
• Optional: cord for the hood (about 120 cm / 47 in) and eyelets

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Adult clothes” → “Hoodie (adult)” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter bust, length, shoulder width, sleeve length, cuff width, hood height and ease. Presets cover women's M, men's M/L and a relaxed fit.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Trace the front, back, sleeves and hood.
2. Cut
   Cut one front and one back (each on the fold), two sleeves and two hood pieces. Cut knit lying flat and relaxed.
3. Finish the edges
   Serge or zigzag the allowances. Knits do not fray, but the edges wear better finished.

4. Sewing

4-1. Shoulders and sleeves

1. Sew both shoulder seams with a stretch stitch.
2. Match the center of each sleeve head to the shoulder seam and sew the sleeves into the armholes while the garment is still flat.

4-2. Sides and underarms

1. Sew from the cuff along the underarm and down the side in one continuous line, lining the underarm seams up first.

4-3. Make and attach the hood

1. Sew the two hood pieces right sides together along the curved back edge.
2. Turn the front edge of the hood under twice and stitch. If you are adding a cord, this fold is the channel it runs through.
3. Pin the lower edge of the hood to the neckline right sides together, matching the notches, and sew all the way around.

4-4. Cuffs and hem

1. Turn the cuffs and hem under and finish with a stretch stitch.
2. For ribbing, sew it into a loop, fold in half and attach it stretched slightly as you sew.

✏️ Hood order matters: sew the back curve, then finish the front edge, then attach it to the neckline. Leave the front edge until last and you will be trying to fold a narrow hem inside a hood that is already attached.

5. Tips & variations

• Ribbing looks shop-bought: cuff and hem ribbing cut to about 85% of the opening is what makes a home-made hoodie stop looking home-made.
• Add a kangaroo pocket: a trapezoid with the top and bottom turned under, topstitched to the front before you sew the sides.
• If knits scare you: a walking foot feeds the layers evenly and removes most of the difficulty.