Free Patterns Sew-along Sewing Tutorials Sewing Videos

Free patterns, how-to-make and my first video tutorial

December 10, 2012


Finally as promised, the fleece jacket with free patterns, step by step photos and a sewing video! Unlike the previous few sew-alongs, I didn’t announce this before hand, because I just wanted to post it here for anyone and everyone to read and sew whenever they feel like it. It really doesn’t matter when you join in. I hope to make this a regular feature next year. In fact, I’m going to be re-organizing things a bit over here but more about that when I get back. As this project is rather timely for the cold weather, I’ve decided to post this up first.

Today’s project includes

  1. Free patterns for download
  2. A “how-to-make” with step by step photos
  3. A sewing video on youtube.
And we will be making this…

A fleece hoodie jacket

With a nicely finished neckline on the inside

All ready?

One thing I would like to say before we begin is that I’m not a professional, and I’ve not even been to sewing school (2 semesters of Home Economics when I was a teenager doesn’t count right?). Everything I learned about is from books, the internet, and the hard way. So the way I do certain things might break the traditional sewing rules (especially how I attach a zipper!) but I’ve tried many ways and this is my favorite way of doing it. If you have your own favorite method, by all means do it your way! 🙂

There are only two sizes available at the moment, because I only drafted these two sizes for my girls. The jackets are loose fitting though, as it is meant as an outerwear. So it can fit a range of ages from 3-8. (My older girl is 8, and taller than 116, but because it is loose fitting, I made 116cm and extended the hemline.)

Here are a few things to take note about the patterns.

  1. The patterns are larger than a single sheet of paper so they are created in multi-page PDFs. You will need to print them on A4 size paper and piece them together with scissors and tape/glue.
  2. ALL SEAM ALLOWANCES ARE INCLUDED (Don’t mean to shout it out but as this is not the norm in Japanese sewing books’ patterns, I thought it was best that I highlighted this point. It is one of my pet peeves to trace out patterns and manually add on seam allowances, so I really prefer having seam allowances included in my patterns. In the future I should be sticking to this format. I have also highlighted the seam allowance on the pattern in light gray so you can visualize the actual sewing line.)
  3. Remember to select A4 as your paper output size when printing, instead of Letter as the different sizes may truncate certain parts of the joining lines. Do not  select scale-to-fit option. It should print nicely at 100%
  4. Use recycled paper if you can, because you are going to cut most of it up.
  5. I spent hours putting this together, so please do not copy or redistribute it as your own. You are certainly welcome to link back to this post and credit the source to me 🙂

Please download the files from my PDF pattern store – PorcupinePatterns.com

Notes for printing

  • Size 104cm Fleece Jacket Pattern (Requires 11 pcs of A4 size paper)
  • Size 116cm Fleece Jacket Pattern (Requires 11 pcs of A4 size paper)
  • How to make with step by step photos (You don’t have to print this out if your computer is near your sewing table, try to save paper! Maybe you can even download the PDF onto your ipad as an ebook and use it as a reference. Using it digitally as a PDF also allows you to zoom in and take a closer look 😛 But if you must, it takes 8 pages to print.

Materials

Fabric
For this project, I used about 1 yard of polar fleece, with plenty left over. I bought this heart shaped polar fleece from fabric.com. I don’t know if there are more of the same, but you can find lots of different designs for both boys and girls.

Bias Tape
This is for covering the seam line between the hood and the bodice.
You can make your own out of scrap fabric or buy ready made ones like I did. If you are making your own, you can use bias tape makers like these I use a similar one from Clover and they really help get the job done much faster!

Open End Zips
These are also called Separating Zips / Jacket Zips. Here’s a listing on amazon for reference.(affiliate link)

One more thing I used in the video that I get lots of questions about. They are Clover wonder clips  and I use it all the time when sewing. They don’t leave marks or holes in your fabric like pins do, and there are also seam guides on the clip that help with clipping up seam allowances. Best of all, with young children in the house, clips are a lot safer than pins!

Got your patterns printed, materials complete, fabric cut out and ready to sew? Here’s the video!

Right now as this post is being published, I am on my way to Sapporo. So I will only be able to check and answer any questions when I get connected, sorry about that!

In the meantime, Happy Sewing! 🙂

 

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54 Comments

  • Reply vesna December 12, 2012 at 9:41 pm

    I wonder if you could help me with choice of fabric.
    I can’t buy fleece in my country. Can you suggest any other type of fabric?
    Tutorial is great!

    Thank you

    Regards, Vesna

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books December 14, 2012 at 8:00 am

      Hi Vesna, You can use knit fabric like jersey. Use the thicker types and finish off the cuffs and hemline with a ribbed jersey if you are familiar with sewing in knits. I didn’t buy fleece locally too. There are not many choices here. I actually bought them online from fabric.com. Shipping is not too expensive if you use a coupon. You didn’t mention which country you are from so I hope they ship to yours! 🙂

      • Reply vesna December 15, 2012 at 9:42 pm

        I’m from Bosnia and Herzegovina and as much as I can see, they don’t have shipping for my country.
        Thank you so much for the answer. I am familiar with sewing with knits, so I’ll try!

        Vesna

        • Reply Japanese Sewing Books December 17, 2012 at 8:40 pm

          Hi Vesna, You might want to try to search on Etsy? Some individual sellers will ship worldwide. They probably have less restrictions than large online stores. Good luck!

  • Reply Rebecca December 13, 2012 at 1:57 am

    Have a fun trip, as I know you will.
    Thank you for ALL the time put into making this video, that was a huge task. You explained it all so well and make it so easy. Fleece is so fun to sew on, no finishing the seams, I love that part. Here in Washington state it gets cold so I have sewn fleece clothing for one of my smaller granddaughters.
    Ok eager to hear about your trip when you return, wish I could have gone with you!

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books December 14, 2012 at 8:01 am

      Thanks Rebecca, yes it was a huge task! But the next time it should get better and easier since I will be more familiar with setting up the lighting and cameras. I’m going fabric shopping today! 🙂

  • Reply Vivian December 18, 2012 at 11:42 am

    Hi,

    I like the tutorial very much and looking forward the next project. 🙂

    May I know what is the length of the zip for size 104 cm?

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  • Reply Ella October 2, 2013 at 5:25 am

    I was wondering how you might amend this pattern to have a collar instead of a hood? I want to make a jacket for my son in his favorite color, but he will not want a hood. Thanks! Your tutorial is wonderful and very easy to follow!

  • Reply Fleece Monster Jackets | Expat Mom December 30, 2013 at 10:27 pm

    […] pattern I used was this one. I made the 116 cm version for the older boys, but lengthened Dorian’s by about 2 inches. […]

  • Reply Mary February 19, 2014 at 4:03 am

    I loved the video, I was working though if you could help me and tell me what size these are. I am looking for a 2XL sized hoodie pattern for a couple projects. Thanks!

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books February 19, 2014 at 8:11 am

      Hi Mary, These are 104cm and 116cm sizes for kids. Sorry, I don’t have any adult sizes yet 🙂

  • Reply Sinead May 28, 2014 at 10:02 pm

    Hello. I was wondering if you could tell me what length of material is needed for each of the fleeces? Thanks!

  • Reply Silvia September 3, 2014 at 9:34 am

    Very good tutorial thanks

  • Reply Silvia September 18, 2014 at 6:19 am

    I like your tutorial very clear and easy to follow thanks

  • Reply Jill Spencer September 18, 2014 at 8:54 pm

    Thanx so much for the video. It’s awesome, I learned a lot. I have never seen your little clips for holding the material. I love them better then pins. How can I get them.
    Thanx
    Jill Spencer

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books September 26, 2014 at 11:08 am

      Hi Jill, I love these clips! They are from Clover and come in packs of 10 or more. Some of the larger clips even have seam allowance markings too. They are great for sewing with fabrics where pins may leave unsightly holes, and they grip well. You can find them here Clover Wonder Clips

  • Reply Allison September 20, 2014 at 4:31 am

    I am going to use your pattern to make fleece hoodies for my 3 boys. I’m wondering what the red dotted lines are on the pattern pieces. Is that the line to overlap pattern pieces? Thanks!

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books September 26, 2014 at 11:04 am

      Hi Allison,
      Yes the red dotted lines are overlap lines for gluing the separate sheets together.

  • Reply Annie September 20, 2014 at 7:02 pm

    Hi, Its my first time on here so please excuse me but I couldn’t find the answers on Kids fleece jacket to ‘how long is the zip for 116cm’ and ‘how much material is needed for this size’. I have never made one like this before so have no idea of how much fleece is required. Many thanks Annie

  • Reply Annie September 20, 2014 at 7:29 pm

    Hi
    Re: my previous questions, I have printed out the instructions and low and behold the answers are already there. Many thanks

  • Reply Shanafe October 13, 2014 at 11:28 pm

    Beautiful!! I love it! You’re so neat and detailed. I love that you step out of tradition and invent other ways of doing things…like the zipper! Easier for me to understand. 🙂 Your videoed wonderful to watch and easy to understand. Thanks!!

  • Reply Toni October 15, 2014 at 12:28 am

    Brilliant video and written instructions – thank you so much. Just about to sew my first fleece and this will help so much….

  • Reply Ashley November 19, 2014 at 1:10 pm

    So adorable!
    What size is this pattern?

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books November 20, 2014 at 8:08 am

      Hi Ashley,
      There are two sizes available for download – 104cm and 116cm. links are just above the video.

  • Reply Rei November 25, 2014 at 1:42 am

    Hello !
    What kind fabric would you recommendation for that kind hoodie http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/79/dd/85/79dd85d01855ed2357f40cd9e29ce0f6.jpg ?
    And what size of pattern will be of person who is ~190cm?

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books November 28, 2014 at 8:14 am

      Hi Rei, It looks like jersey knit/t-shirt fabric. Or something stretchy.
      190cm should be an adult size? Mine are kids sizes only 😛

  • Reply Kay Bussjaeger December 11, 2014 at 5:14 am

    Can you tell me what size child patterns these are, example 104 cm pattern equals size ??? US Pattern and size 116cm pattern equals size ??? US Pattern

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books December 12, 2014 at 8:41 am

      Hi Kay,
      The sizes in Japanese sewing books for kids usually go by the height of the child, so it really depends on each individual. Based on average heights (according to my pattern textbook), a 104cm is an average height for a 4yr old and 116cm for a 6yr old.

  • Reply Cynthia February 25, 2015 at 4:10 am

    I think your video is the best of the fleece jackets I have seen on the Net. You show it slowly and make it very easy. I have 7 grandchildren, 3 years to 29 years old, have been sewing for them for years. I like using the Kwik Sew patterns as they are the closest size wise to the bought garments. I just finished cutting out a child’s fleece jacket, have watched your video several times. Thank you!

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books February 26, 2015 at 7:17 pm

      Thank you! 🙂

  • Reply Cynthia March 15, 2015 at 3:19 am

    After watching your video I decided to buy one of your Japanese sewing books for girls. I love the dresses, and that the instructions are in English. The book is well done and I look forward to buying more and seeing more of your videos. Cynthia from northern Canada

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  • Reply An April 22, 2015 at 4:25 am

    I made it too and it was very pleasant (maybe because I made 2 hoodies earlier), although the hood is a bit small for my boy’s head 🙂

    Thank you very much for sharing the pattern!

  • Reply Siobhan June 13, 2015 at 5:14 pm

    Great pattern, thank you!

    Two things that confused me…maybe I did something wrong:

    The length of the pattern piece seemed to be about 10cm shorter than the length of the recommended zipper.

    The length of the pattern seemed a little shorter in the body than I would expect for the size of the rest of the sweater. I suspect these two things are related and I somehow missed something in the pattern. I ended up using a 35cm zip instead of a 45cm zip.

    Loved using this pattern (and my son loves wearing the sweater) The directions were incredibly well set out and the video was very easy to follow.

    Congratulations on doing such a great job! Thanks.

  • Reply Bernie Schacht June 15, 2015 at 5:30 am

    Wonderful tutorial! This is perfect for my charity sewing for little kids in the poor part of Arkansas where a warm hoodie would be so much appreciated in the cold weather. Thank you so much for your step-by-step explanation. It shows how fast you can turn out lots of warm hoodies for needy kids–all of whom need them. It may be summer now, but winter is just around the corner.

  • Reply Rosette August 2, 2015 at 4:31 pm

    Great and clear video tutorial!! Thanks!
    how can I adjust the measures for a two year old kid?

    Hope we can enjoy more tutorials from you.

    Rosette from Belgium

  • Reply Alicia August 11, 2015 at 12:41 pm

    the 104cm vs 116cm — what age ranges are these? I would like to modify this for a 18 month old child, but I don’t know what % to print at, or which would be more appropriate! Please help! 🙂

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books August 13, 2015 at 9:59 pm

      104cm and 116cm are for approximately 4 and 6 years old. A 18 month old will be about 80-90cm? (average values taken off the internet. Will be best if you can measure the child’s height.
      For sizing down I would print at 100%, but make the front and back bodice, and sleeves shorter. When sewing down the sides of the sleeves to the side seams, sewing deeper into the seam allowance will give you a smaller shirt as well. If you can try it on the child and adjust for fit that will be the best. 🙂

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  • Reply Danielle McIntyre September 27, 2015 at 5:40 am

    Hi. Thanks for a fab video!!!! I’m trying to download the patterns and the link isn’t working for me. Can you help?
    Also, I’ve tried sewing with fleece before and my needle skips stitches. Do you have any advice?
    Many thanks

  • Reply Jannice November 14, 2015 at 12:35 am

    Hi there, it’s my first time trying to sow something and I was just wondering if you had pattern measurements for teen to adult sizes, I’m 155cm, but would like the jacket to be baggy. If not, do you have any tips/tutorials on how i can measure myself to make this? p.s. i loved your tutorial! It was easy and simple understand!

  • Reply Bert December 6, 2015 at 11:57 pm

    Thank you, thank you, thank you. This video was very easy to follow and your completed garment is absolutely gorgeous. Maybe you could convert metric measurements so that people in the US will be able to understand measurements more easily. Again, thanks for the wonderful video.

  • Reply Carol March 2, 2016 at 11:00 pm

    Absolutely a great pattern. Made one yesterday, easy as can be. I was given a couple large pieces of fleece which were too old looking for baby items. But it is perfect for these little jackets. Always looking for easy patterns as I do a lot of charity sewing, which is where these will go.

  • Reply Micaela September 22, 2016 at 3:02 am

    Hola me encantó. .de que talla es la campera?de q edad? Gracias

  • Reply Kassiopi Reyesl November 5, 2016 at 2:39 am

    Could you pls help me for a 128 size? My granddaughter is 5 and half and this size fits her. Height 116 but wears 128. This pattern, tutorial and video seem gorgeous. Thank you in advance.

  • Reply Wai Ming November 11, 2016 at 9:37 am

    Hi,

    Is your fleece jacket pattern still available?

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books November 21, 2016 at 9:14 pm

      Hi Wai Ming,
      Yes it is, you just have to select the size you want to download and enter your email address. The link will be sent to you.

  • Reply Magda Engelbrecht January 16, 2017 at 4:35 pm

    Thank You so much!

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  • Reply Tracy Lynn April 5, 2017 at 8:14 am

    Hi yifarn, If I don’t have the ability to print on A4 paper is there a way I can still make this pattern work?

    • Reply Japanese Sewing Books April 7, 2017 at 9:13 pm

      Hi Tracy, unfortunately the patterns are in A4 paper size right now. But the good news is that I tried my printer settings and previewed the printout, it seems that it will not affect the joining of the patterns as my pattern pieces are joined horizontally instead of vertically, so none of the truncated parts (due to the shorter letter paper size) actually affects the actual pattern itself. Remember to set the scale to 100% and not scale to fit. You should be able to use the pattern just by changing the paper to letter size.

  • Reply Blanca October 18, 2017 at 1:06 am

    So i am looking at the pattern and have it lined up, but on the Back Bodice it states to cut on the fold, is that correct? Or does it need to be cut on the front bodice? Please advise, thanks

  • Reply Loan December 22, 2017 at 9:40 am

    Thank you verry much. Love you!

  • Leave a Reply to Carol Cancel Reply