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There’s nothing more satisfying than using pretty scraps of leftover pieces of fabrics that are beautiful and great quality. I keep a bag of such scraps, hoping to find the best projects for them, eventually. I enjoy using athletic knits to make dresses, jackets and pants. These are usually difficult to source and are pricey. Any piece left over is valuable to me.

A few months ago, I made the gorgeous Nyoka dress from Sinclair patterns with the most amazing suplex. Its medium weight and has some drape. I had oddly shaped pieces left, and they were just enough to cut some pieces of the Skylar knit raglan hoodie. This is the piece of scrap fabric that stands out to me. I used many others to make three versions of this lovely pattern.

The Skylar knit raglan hoodie is on sale this week, through the 14th of March! Get yours HERE.

There are three other patterns that are on sale too, through the 14th of March 2021. These are the:

Features of the Skylar knit raglan hoodie

The Skylar knit raglan hoodie is designed for knit fabric, and the fit is semifitted and hits the full hip.

The prettiest and most interesting feature is the center front piece with that “hourglass look”. This piece hides the pocket lining inside and the construction is ever so clever. The princess seams are always a great look, and that also contribute to bust shaping.

We can finish the neckline with many options, and you will need grommets and a drawstring for 3 of the options:

• Overlapped Hood
• Scuba hood
• Lined Cowl neck
• Simple neckband

The long raglan sleeves have two cuff options, a regular cuff and a layered cuff with a thumbhole..

There is a hem band that is slightly smaller than the hip measurement.

There is a hack in the pattern instructions on how to remove the pocket feature and have simple princess seams instead. I love this idea and will make one of my versions like this.

My choice this time:

Because I am working with remnant pieces of fabrics and I only want to combine 2 of them, I opted for the simple neckline with a neckband and no hem band (not enough fabric). I will bind the bottom raw edges on one of my versions, hem normally on another, and use the band on one of them.

Best fabrics for the Skylar knit raglan hoodie

You can see a summary diagram above and the knit fabric needs to have horizontal and vertical stretch. They need to be medium to heavy weight. The fabrics that would work well include: Cotton French terry, Rayon French terry, Sweat shirting, sweater knits and athletic knits. Remember, you need the fabric to have at least 5% of Spandex (or Lycra, or Elastane) for them to be able to stretch and recover.

Things to consider in your choice

Fabrics that are too heavy and structured like scuba or Ponte might probably not have the required vertical stretch. The bulk on the seams will be noticeable, especially where the center front meets the hidden pockets in the center. 

I love stretch velvet, but not all of them are the same. In fact, some don’t have vertical stretch at all. Make sure you check the stretch of your knit fabrics to make sure they meet the requirements. Low stretch knits will not work here because there isn’t an abundance of positive ease in the design.

My choices for using pretty scraps

I chose different fabrics from my knit remnant box. They all meet the stretch requirements and I will combine them. I cut my pocket lining pieces out of light cotton spandex.

• Athletic knit (suplex)
• Medium weight rayon French terry
• Navy stretch velvet

Sizing discussion

The Skylar knit raglan hoodie has had a sizing update recently, and it now includes 0 to 30 US with upper measurements of 60” for the bust circumference and 63” for the hips. I chose a size 16 based on my current measurements and based on my full bust.

Before you choose your size based on your body measurements, you need to choose the file drafted for your height.  This will give you a better fit because it will be drafted for your length and proportions. No need to do length adjustments. I use the tall file with great results. 

• Petite: drafted for 5ft 1”- 5ft 3”
• Regular: drafted for 5ft 4”- 5ft 6”
• Tall: drafted for 5 ft 7”- 5ft 9”

You will see that the Skylar is drafted with a B/C sewing cup size and as the sizes increase, so does the cup size. For size 16, the bodice has a C/D cup size and, and that is exactly what I need. Size 30 has an E cup size drafted for a 5-6” difference between the high and full bust.

The Skylar has some positive ease, but it is not a lot. The style is semifitted at the bust and hips, and there is a little more room at the waist. The band is 90% of the hip measurement.

• Bust: +1 5/8″
• Waist: +8″
• Hips: +1 5/8″

Blending sizes

You can select several sizes when you use the layers function. You will need to start with the bust size to choose the base size. The style is semifitted at the bust and it needs to fit well there. There are several pieces that make up the front and you need to draw smooth curved from the bust to a larger or smaller size at the hips.

The waist area has about 8″of positive ease, so if your waist falls into 1-2 sizes larger than the bust and hips, you might not need to blend to another size at the waist. There are very helpful diagrams illustrating how to blend between sizes in the instructions.

Personal Fitting adjustments

None. Literally. For most other pattern brands, I need length adjustments. Not in this case. The tall file is perfect for my 5ft 8” height.

The video on YouTube

In my video, you’ll see:

• A full detailed pattern review including the features, fabric choices, sizing discussion
• A step-by-step segment on how to sew these cool hidden kangaroo pockets
• An alternate way to sew the raglan sleeves
• See three versions with their look-books in motion

Come and watch this video: )

Let’s see my three Skylar tops!

Using pretty scraps 1: Short sleeve, no pocket version

This version does not have the pockets. The instructions how clearly how to modify the center front and side front pieces to achieve a simple princess seam front. I love this and it was very simple to do.

This version used minimal fabric. The blue printed Skylar was about 2/3 yard and I had been carrying that piece of scrap fabric with me for YEARS. The navy center is also a scrap of suplex fabric. There is not hem band here and because there are no pockets on the front, I could hem this normally with a twin needle.

I made the sleeves shorter for this one too! This could be like a rash guard or as a cool top with a skirt. Super versatile.

Using pretty scraps 2: Red prince of wales statement center, long sleeves

I made a dress with the red prince of waled Jacquard knit a few years ago and I was thrilled to finally use the scraps left over to make a Skylar top.

I used black rayon French terry from my stash for the side front sleeves and neckband.

I modified the original round neckline to become a V neckline and drafted my own V neckband here. I love this one! it’s the longest one of the three because this one has the hem band, as per the original pattern.

Using pretty scraps 3: Navy backed flowery statement center, longer shaped cuffs

This one is my absolute favorite! The floral suplex was originally used to make the gorgeous Nyoka dress, also from Sinclair patterns. See a blog post about it HERE and see a video about it HERE.

I had enough of this scrap for the center front, the longer shaped cuffs (a hack) and the back. I sewed the back with a center seam to maximize my scraps. The side front, sleeves and binding on the bottom edge is a ribbed stretch velvet in a shade of navy that matches the background of the floral perfectly.

Again, this one has a round neckline with a neckband. I could not get the hood or cowl pieces from my scraps, but that is ok. I like this too.

I feel amazing in this Skylar top. The pinks and navy back are always a favorite, and I am drawn to these types of combinations. I feel super pretty here!

Final Thoughts

Would I make the Skylar again? Yes!

Oh my, yes, and a thousand times yes. This pattern is so fun and easy to sew with striking results. It’s classed 3/10 in difficulty, and that is very accurate. A confident beginner could easily make this style with great results. I hope the resources in this post and my videos also help you start this project with confidence. 

Sewing with scraps is great! it’s like making “free garments”. It’s something I love doing, and that brings me extra happiness in the sewing room. I hope to motivate you to dive in your scraps and find your lovely statement knits that you can pair up with solids from your stash. This is FUN.

The Skylar knit raglan hoodie is on sale this week, through the 14th of March! Get yours HERE.

Disclaimer: I purchased all my fabric. I produce sewing content independently from pattern brands and share my unique way of sewing with you. I don’t necessarily follow instructions rigidly. My opinions are honest, especially around fit and sewing techniques.

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