The love of loungewear continues here at Self Assembly Required HQ. There doesn’t seem to be much point making anything else right now! 😂
My latest loungewear pattern of choice is the Lila hoodie from Russian pattern company Vikisews. A couple of times a year they have a huge sale with 40% off patterns and I picked up this pattern in one of their sales at the end of last year. It makes what are already very cheap patterns cost just pennies!
Now a few words of advice before you go off on a shopping spree:
• The price given is for one size only. You can pick both a height and size but you’d need to purchase it again if you wanted to make it in multiple sizes for others for example.
• The instructions are only in Russian. it’s nothing a bit of Google Translate can’t help with and if you’re experienced enough, just using the photos alone may be enough to get you through!
The Lila hoodie is an oversized hoodie pattern with a bubble silhouette and cropped length. It has two piece raglan sleeves and and split hem band. I loved the design on first sight and actually bought it in two sizes – one for my sisters who are both more petite than I am and another for myself. I purposely bought my one for a taller height as I didn’t want it so cropped though this would’ve been an easy thing to change yourself.
It’s a really easy pattern – easy enough that I didn’t bother translating the instructions. There’s not really more than one way to put it together! I like to see up all the arm seams together first (the raglan to the bodices) then to sew up the side seam. I then put in the hoodie before attaching the hem/ cuff bands. There’s an option to add in buttonholes to the hood and a drawstring. I’ve added in the buttonholes but to be honest I’m unlikely to add the drawstring – I’ve always found these kinds of irritating and would normally remove them from RTW hoodies.
So far I’ve made 4 of these Lila hoodies – two for myself and one for each of my sisters! I’ve only managed to photograph one of them. My second one is alarmingly grubby and not fit to be seen!
This one is made from a French Terry from Stoff and Stil from an absolute age ago – maybe 3 or 4 years? It definitely made the move with me from my old place to my current home! The bright orange spots always reminded my of the artist Yayoi Kusama, probably compounded by the little Japanese girl cartoon print!
I didn’t have much of this fabric and it took a fair bit of pattern Tetris in order to get this cut out especially as it was a directional print! There was definitely no hope of trying any pattern matching!
It’s not the thickest fabric – I always find that’s the case with French Terry fabrics. They’re more of a summer fabric to me. The other versions of this sweater that I’d made were all made with plush back sweatshirting from TFG Fabrics. I’d discovered this shop last year when I was looking for cosy sweatshirting for the Xmas presents I was making. They’re not the best at keeping colours in stock – most likely due to current supply issues – but that being said I wasn’t disappointed and I’ve made 8 sweaters from the stuff! I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in the market for something extra cuddly. I wish I had some photos of all the sweaters I made from this stuff to show you!
(Not an ad by the way I just really rate this fabric!).
