Monday, March 18, 2013

Easy Fleece Ponchos

The box arrived. My sister goes, "So, we were totally overwhelmed by the cute factor! These ponchos are adorable!" A Skype call later revealed a no-nap 2yr-old who refused to put hers on again, but the 4yr-old happily donned hers and danced about doing all kinds of goofy 4yr-old antics. Both were very proud of their patches, and liked playing with the pom-pom trim, even the overtired one. And I know... these ponchos are *really* over-the-top in terms of pink pom-poms, etc.; I'm pretty sure only somebody under 10 could pull this look off, but you're only young once, right?

I think the best part was the long, pointed elf-style hood that I made. Each hood also has a giant fleece pom-pom at the end in a contrast color, so if the hood is up and the child is dancing around, then the tassle is flying. My sister and I were in hysterics at the sight! I knew adapting the hood to be elvish was a hit when even my 20-something brother saw them and thought they were really cute (he never thinks anything is cute, much less 'really cute').
The original poncho idea stemmed from this easy video tutorial on Prudent Baby. I changed the hood to be long and pointy, added a hanging loop inside the neckline, and added a pocket to the front. I wasn't sure how to switch up the hood shape or how big to make the pockets, so I just drew some sketches and went with what looked about right proportionally. I'm really glad these worked out! I also wasn't sure about how to neatly attach the pocket to the front as my sewing machine was revolting with so much fabric squished under the foot and getting repeatedly stuck. In the end I used the pom-pom trim to 'hide' my messy stitching (thread was the same color as the trim, phew).

Things I wish I'd done differently: I wish I'd had more fabric that matched the owl poncho. I had enough to do a nice bias trim around the hood, but not enough to go around the bottom edge like on the little poncho. I also wish I'd done a casing for the seam inside the neckline to hide the bunches, stitches, and the tail ends of the hanging loop.

 What I love about this project is that it really is easy. There's no pattern to cut out and adjust; the pieces are customized by the wearer's measurements. Also, there are only two seams to stitch if you don't add any trim, pockets, etc. That said, the colors and trims are what make each one totally unique. Using fleece is also nice in that it doesn't fray and is pretty easy to work with.

So I'm pretty pleased with how these turned out! Better: the recipients apparently really like them! It's such a great feeling to have success with a project! What about you? Any recent crafting successes?

4 comments :

Allison said...

Super sweet! Hmmm... I bet after the two year old finally put hers on, after not having napped, then she didn't want to take it off. Sounds like bath time with us ; )

Jacinda said...

They are adorable! Love your customizations!

anyaadores said...

I love these Juliette - keeping the little ones warm whilst looking fabulous - what's not to like really:)
Axx

Jutta said...

Awww super-cute!! And perfect colors! I think we might have a little bit similar taste in colors :)

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