Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I made my DIY cardigan with a hoodie hack! What I did was actually turn the neckband into the hood, which I like much better this way.
I don’t know about you, but I love this for windy days. And it’s nice to throw this on around the house too.
McCall’s M5713 Cardigan Pattern
I bought McCall’s M5713 sewing pattern long ago. It’s out of print and labeled quick and easy to sew.
It’s loose-fitting, with front and back gathers. The yoke and sleeve are one piece, and the band and collar are the same piece too.
I’ve made all variations, including the one with the pointed hemline. What I like about it is the thick band because it looks like a scarf.
With only 6 pieces total, it’s not too complicated to make.
Materials
Here are the fabric and notions I used to make this garment. I didn’t have to spend a lot on this one.
Fabric: Speaking of the cost, I’ve made this pattern using many different fabrics. I found all of these in the garment district near me.
My favorite creation was made with white ribbed knit. It’s so soft and drapey, and I wish I could find more of this in other colors. I just love it!
My gray cardigan with a hood is made with sweater knit fabric. This material has a loose weave and snags on things.
Suggested fabrics include stretch knits such as jersey, cotton knits, novelty knits, and lightweight double knits.
Notions: I didn’t use any notions, but the directions say the belt is optional.
Sewing the Cardigan
Making this pattern was pretty straightforward. The most time-consuming part was planning the hoodie.
I was able to size down because it had a lot of ease around the middle. However, the arms became slim-fitting.
Then I was ready to cut out my hood. But first I had to figure out how I was going to do it.
I got the idea to create a hoodie hack from a TV commercial. A singer wore a maxi cardigan with a hood, and I had to make it.
I knew the front band and collar were pretty wide from sewing this pattern before. That gave me fabric to play with.
To create the hood from the collar, I pulled another sewing pattern from my stash. It was a tracksuit jacket with a hood.
The other pattern gave me ideas, but I didn’t cut from it. I shaped the collar in the back by widening it into a large, rounded triangle.
Then, I smoothed it out by making a tangent from the hood to the band. I kept the band width the same in the front.
I just wanted the hood to flow into it. When the hood is down, the band will lie flat. This took a bit of improv to get it right.
The white version is how the pattern looks without my hoodie hack. It has a drapey, thick band in the front.
I do like the small gathers in the front of the garment. The next time I make this, I’ll probably get rid of the gathers in the back, though.
Perhaps I’ll experiment with a longer length because the version I saw on TV was maxi length. And it was so nice!
Notes
Although the sewing pattern has jersey as a suggested fabric, I feel drapey fabrics work best for this one.
But as I said, I made this cardigan in different fabrics, and they all looked nice.
This is a classic piece, and I’m not sure if it’ll go out of style, but I’ll still wear it!
Read More
