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Trying to Find The Instructions on Quilting a Sweatshirt/Hoodie


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Guest Linda S

Cindy - I don't have JoAnn's instructions, but I make a lot of sweatshirt jackets. I've never done one with a hood on it. Basically, you need a sweatshirt with set-in sleeves, not the dolman type. Cut the ribbing off the sleeves and the bottom, cut up the sides and down the sleeve seam and lay the sweatshirt out flat. Leave the neck ribbing in place, you'll cut it off later, but it stabilizes it to have it there. Cover the shirt with your fabric and designs. I generally pin in place, but I will take the shirt to my sewing machine and stitch what I have used at the shoulder and sleeve seams before quilting. Load the sweatshirt with the bottoms on the leaders and quilt it. Holding the sleeves out is a bit of a pain, but it's very do-able.

Oh - forgot the finish -- when you take it off the machine, lay it flat, determine the center of the front and cut straight up the middle. Cut the neck ribbing off. Sew the sides and sleeve seams together. Bind with BIAS binding, so it goes smoothly around the curves. you can make the neckline any way you like.

Have fun!

Here are some pics of a jacket I made for my sister who loves Halloween.

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Hi Cindy,

Buy a nice sweatshirt at least two sizes larger than you wear. Nancy's Notions has beautiful sweatshirts made specifically for this type of application, but a regular weight good brand will work as well.

Purchase at least 3 1/4 yds of "backer" fabric. Cut in half and seam it together. Load with the seam running horizontally as you usually would. Cut the sweatshirt as Linda S described and also cut up the front at the center line leaving the neck ribbing on the rest of it. Load the sweatshirt with the seam of the backer running down the imaginary center line of the back of the sweatshirt. This will mean that the sleeves will be north and south and the body east and west. The seam of the backer will run up the back and miss the front, since cutting and laying out the flattened sweatshirt will cause the front to splay out. Pin baste well, taking extra care with the shoulder seams as they will tend to bump up a bit. Quilt as desired. :D I start at the body and work out to the sleeves, which entails rolling one sleeve up unquilted. It takes longer to load and pin baste than it does to quilt unless you are doing something elaborate on the back.

There will be enough fabric all around the quilted shirt to salvage for binding, or use regular bias tape to bind the cuffs and around the front and neckline. Cut off the neck ribbing and shape the neckline however is pleasing to you. With mine I left the neckline high and then pulled it back so it had a "V" and fastened down with pretty buttons. This exposes your pretty lining/backer fabric. French seams used to re-sew the sides and up the underside of the sleeve will make it reversible.Or you can grade the seams to remove excess bulk and overlay twill tape or more bias tape to lay down and cover the seams. My added advice is to grade some fabric away from the underarm to make it less bulky. Try it on inside out and have a friend pin the underarm for a better fit.

I've done one for myself and three for friends. They are not warm when you wear them--I think cutting off the cuffs lets a lot of cold air in so I wear like I would a sweater--not for warmth, just for "show". And with another layer either over or under if I need it to be warm.

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I asked Dawn and she e-mailed me detailed instructions with diagrams I haven't had time to do one yet but can't wait to try one. But they are very close to what you have been told already and a friend at my LQG said to lay it out on backer like Linda said. Thought about doing them as Christmas gifts.

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Here is a link to

Go to compuquilterdesigns.com, then click on 'Gallery' on the left side, then click on 'webshots photo gallery'. Scroll down until you find the folder ''How to Make the Quilted Sweat'... dated August 11, 2007 to find lots of photos of the process to make these. If for some reason you aren't able to locate it, the link/address is:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/560246336LeSPZX

I hadn't ever seen this, so thanks for bringing this info back to light . I may make one for my mom .... if I don't become too distracted with the upcoming birth of our new grandson and get nothing else done! ;):wub: The little guy is due to bless our lives in one month!

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Thanks for this! I had been cutting my shirt apart differently when I make them, and it made for difficulties when I put it back together. This seems so logical and will go back together much better!! Maybe I too can get a couple done for some teens on my Christmas list who are hard to buy for!

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Heaven's to Betsy! I went home and looked at the shirt I'd made -- I cut the sleeves off the shirt and cut them open, then cut the front center open and cut the front half away from the back half at the shoulders -- I couldn't have made the project any harder if I tried, :wacko: LOL!

thanks again for the awesome directions, you saved a knucklehead quilter :D

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