Adding anything to a piece of clothing, especially a hood of all things, is going to seem like a difficult task when thinking about it, but if you break it all down, you will find that it can be really simple, and before you know it, you’ll be adding other accessories to your clothes.
It might be that you want to add buttons or a matching hood to your child’s clothing, and perhaps you want to make it detachable, and if so, is this difficult?
You might be pressed for time and want a simple solution and one that lasts you a while before you have to modify any other pieces of clothing you have.
In this guide, we break it down step by step to show you how to make the best hood possible, and as a bonus, we’ll show you what is possible with a sewing machine.
Read on to get the most out of those clothes you’re thinking of throwing away.
How To Add A Hood To Your Clothing?
Start By Drafting A Hood Pattern
If you know what material you want to use as your hood, you want to measure from the neck base on one side to the other while going over your head, making sure it isn’t too tight or loose.
The second measurement is going to be the circumference of your head, and once you have both of these, you can go to the drawing board, where you can begin to make a mock-up of your hood.
You want to use the first measurement and divide it by half, then add one inch, and you can draw this length on the left side of some transparent paper.
You can do the same for the circumference, divide it by two, and this will be the width of your rectangle, then, you can mark the midway point of the side and measure an inch and mark this spot from the top right corner.
You can use a mock-up of the bodice as a measure for the hood by aligning the shoulder and the center front.
You can measure the neckline and use points to trace out your hood’s shape and front.
Once you’ve marked where the neck seam is, you can cut your outline out, and you can cut your hood material from this guide while making seam allowances.
You can make two thicker pieces from this, and you’ll have your hood ready to attach.
Prepare And Attach Your Hood
First off, you want to sew the base neckline together using a sewing machine, and this is where you can grab your sweatshirt or garment you want to turn into a hoodie, and then you want to turn it inside out.
Then you can fit your hood through and clip it onto the garment’s neckline, and then you can clip it together to match up your front and quarter points and on the back.
Now you can use the sewing machine, and you can start from the back and line up the hood and the neckline and work your way down, removing any clips that are holding it together.
Then you can remove any basting stitches and pins, and you should have a working hood for your clothing, so now you can try it on to see if it fits well and if you need to make any adjustments.
If You Want To Make It Detachable
For this, you want to follow the hood pattern step, then sew in the inner lining, which you want to make sure is thicker than the outer material and will cover you in harsh weather.
Once you’ve sown the halves and inner lining together, you can use a hole punch to allow you to use a drawstring, where you can tighten or loosen the hood to your needs.
As long as you’ve left a hole in the lining, you can adjust the string when you feed it through, and then you can sew it closed, and from here, you can sew on buttons or pop buttons if you’ve attached studs into the hood, which can take some patience to get right.
Ensure these are spaced out enough, and then you should have a functioning hood that can be taken off to suit any occasion, and the best thing is, it can all take you less than an hour.
In Case Your Sewing Goes Wrong
There might be a case where you don’t get the result you want or end up making a mistake with the sewing machine, as these can be a challenge to master, and if you’re starting out, you’re bound to make some sort of mistake.
Below are three common issues and how to solve them to ensure your machine is working efficiently.
If Your Stitches Are Coming Out Uneven
For this, check your needle for any signs of damage or bending of it, as you should replace it every now and again, and if this doesn’t solve it, the way you feed the fabric into the machine might be the problem.
You might want to avoid pulling the fabric from behind to make it go through the machine, which could cause damage, so go easy with this stage of the process.
If Your Needle Keeps Coming Out Of Place Or Breaks
Make sure you’re using the right size, as sizes 9 or 11 work best for delicate materials, 14 for medium-weight fabrics, and sizes 16 and 18 are great for materials like denim, so going a size down and using it is going to be counterproductive.
Then you can check that you have the right type, as you can have ballpoint, regular point, or wedge point, which are going to give you different results, so use a test piece to see if it works for you.
If The Thread Is Bunching Under The Fabric
If you have a straight stitch at the top but a bunched-up pile at the bottom, this can happen by not having enough tension on the upper thread.
To solve this, raise the presser foot lifter and rethread your machine, then, you can move the take-up lever and needle to their highest point, which should confirm that you have the right amount of tension.
The Bottom Line
You can also run some maintenance such as cleaning your machine, rethreading your device after each section you stitch, and checking the needle and thread often to ensure your thread isn’t being ruined and keeps it lasting for longer.
As the slightest knock can set your machine out of position, it’s a good idea to keep a steady hand and keep checking your bobbin and thread during this process.
This process is going to take some time for you to get right, so that you can expect some inconvenience at this time, but you’ll have a hood and accessories that are going to serve you well.
There’s nothing better than sitting down after a long, stressful day with a good craft or hobby - right?
Hi, my name is Helena Forsite and I am a self-proclaimed crafter. I love everything to do with DIYs, baking, crafting, and more!
When I was younger, fresh out of college, I developed a pretty strong anxiety disorder. I found it difficult to go to work, socialize with friends, or even get out of the house at all.
