Holly: December 2011 Archives

The latest in our "From Film to Closet" series is a warm-as-toast fleece hoodie inspired by my favorite Disney princess.

As the weather turns cold, I always find myself despairing at having to dig out coats and jackets. Even though I love the coziness of fleece, and I am a die-hard fan of solid black everything, something about having to wear warm layers because Mother Nature has decided it's frost time always gets me down.

This year, I thought I'd try turning my winter doldrums around by making a warm jacket that will make me giggle a little every time I put it on. It's no secret that Snow White is, sans doubt, my very favorite of all the Disney princesses. She's the original, she's raven-haired, she's kind and she can cook. So I decided to overlay the design lines from her iconic dress onto my cold weather gear.

I used a basic hoodie pattern similar to this Kwik Sew gem, but any hoodie pattern that you like will do. For the sleeves, I dug a princess costume pattern with a puff sleeve out of my stash and used that in lieu of the sleeve that came with my hoodie pattern. From there, it was just a matter of using an assortment of yummy Winterfleece velours, selecting a sport zipper and voila! Winter princess, at your service.

While this version is an adult garment, just think of the adorable possibilities you could come up with for a child's jacket! Your kid could stay warm through winter's chilliest days dressed as their favorite fairy, monster, cowboy, animal -- you name it!

A few tips for adapting an animated character's look to a hoodie of your own:

-          First, identify the primary design lines of the look. What are the details that define the character's design? Those are the key elements to include in your plan.

-          If you adapt a princess-style design to a hoodie, be careful about the placement of your sleeves. Since most hoodie patterns have an armscye seam that sits just off the shoulder, a detail like a puff sleeve can become very bulky looking and give the a linebacker effect you probably don't want.

-          As always, have fun! A project like this is a perfect chance to really get creative -- let your mind soar, and resist the urge to censor yourself!