I applied to test the pattern, and, while waiting to hear if I'd been accepted or not, I began to think about the fabrics I would to use for my new hoodie. I knew I wanted it to look completely different from my gray hoodie, a more "dressed up" version, if you will. So, once I was accepted to test the pattern, I went fabric shopping with this in mind, and you would not believe how hard it was to find just the right fabric!
The first several fabrics I was drawn to were all gray. Some were light gray, some dark, some metallic, but all gray! That wasn't gonna work! I needed something more colorful, something that did not resemble the hoodie I'd already made! Finally, after finding yet another tempting gray fabric, I saw it; a faux wool knit in olive green. It wasn't gray, it was a color I loved, and it was sooo soft and stretchy. It was perfect.
Once I decided on my main fabric, I wandered around Joann's for quite some time trying to find just the right fabric for my cuffs and hem band. I'd picked out a bright and cheerful floral rayon jersey for the pocket and hood lining, so I needed the band material to tie that together with my more subdued olive green faux wool. Eventually, I decided on a coral textured knit. It matched the largest flowers on my lining fabric and was a fun contrast to the green!
Once my fabric was picked out, the rest was smooth sailing! I grabbed a shiny gold zipper, some coral and metallic cord for the drawstring, some green cotton tape for the zipper facing, and I was ready for the fun part - actually making the hoodie!
The Otari Hoodie pattern has some fun options - a pointed hood, or a normal hood and scalloped pockets or traditional "kangaroo" type pockets. Since I wanted this hoodie to be a bit fancier than my last one, I opted to test the scalloped pockets, but decided to stick with the normal hood rather than the fun pointed one.
The hoodie came together easily (the instructions have fantastic helpful diagrams and lead to professional looking results) and the end result it everything I hoped it would be! It's an everyday hoodie, slightly fancier than my other hoodies, that fits well and looks great! It's my current favorite lightweight jacket.
I have been wearing this hoodie almost non-stop since finishing it! Did I need a new hoodie? Maybe not, strictly speaking, but I sure am glad I made one!
If you're interested in making your own Otari Hoodie, you can get the pattern here. I received the pattern for free in exchange for testing it, but all thoughts and opinions shared here are my own, and this post was in no way sponsored by the pattern designer. The pattern was lots of fun to make, and is even more fun to wear!
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