How to make a kids' poncho

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one poncho, 120 cm height)

• Main fabric (fleece or wool) — about 150 cm wide × 110 cm (59 × 43 in)
• Bias binding, 12.7 mm folded — about 80 cm
• Sewing thread

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 “Kids' clothes” → “Kids' poncho” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the width, the length, the neck opening diameter and the hood depth. There is a preset with no hood.
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
   Lay the pattern on the wrong side and trace the cutting line. The center line is the fold.
2. Cut the pieces
   Cut the front on the fold and the back on the fold. Cut 2 hood pieces if you want a hood.
3. Do not cut the neck opening yet
   Cut it after the shoulders are sewn, or it will end up off-center.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew the shoulders

1. Place front and back right sides together and sew along the top edge on each side.
2. Leave the center section — the neck opening — unsewn.
3. Fleece does not fray, so the allowances need no finishing.

4-2. Cut the neck opening

1. Open the piece out and lay the neck template in the center; mark it.
2. Loop a tape measure round the child's head and compare it with the marked circle before cutting.
3. Only then cut. You cannot add fabric back.

4-3. Attach the hood

1. Place the two hood pieces right sides together and sew the back curve.
2. Hem the face opening.
3. Sew the lower edge of the hood to the neck opening, right sides together.
4. Without a hood, simply bind the neck opening and you are done.

4-4. Finish the hem

1. Fleece can be left raw.
2. In wool, hem it or bind the edge with bias tape.

✏️ Check that the head fits through before you cut the neck opening. Children's heads are larger than you expect, and even the standard 20 cm can be too small. Loop a tape measure round the head and compare it with the marked circle. Once cut, there is no going back.

5. Tips & variations

• Fleece needs no hems: it does not fray, so hem and armholes can be left raw. An afternoon's work.
• Skip the hood: set the hood depth to 0 and just bind the neckline.
• Add reflective tape: along the hem, for playing out at dusk.