Sweatshirt remake

So we had a snow day on Friday, and then off for MLK day today, and it has been a Looooooonnnnnnngggg weekend.  Hubby was stuck in Pittsburgh, daughter K was sick Sunday, and I was about to cry with relief at bedtime tonight.  So I'm finally getting around to posting this sweatshirt remake that I finished Thursday.

Ever since we moved to WV I have been in desperate need of some cold weather workout gear.  I decided to take some of those ubiquitous huge, floopy sweatshirts that I always seem to have a drawer full of, and try to tweek it into something that doesn't make me look like a potato.

I started with my old swim team sweatshirt (go Eden Estates Eels!):

Lovely, isn't it?  First I removed the waistband and cuffs.

Next, I took my waist and hip measurements (my real ones), and added 4 inches for 1/4" seams and ease.  I know that sounds like a lot of ease, but the sweatshirt material is not that stretchy  and I want to be able to move in it.  I also took my shoulder width where I wanted the seam to fall, arm length, and how far down from my shoulder the other measurements lie.  I halved and then marked the waist + ease and hip + ease, and drew in some curves.  I measured how far down I wanted the armholes to go, but I also used a fitted shirt as a guide since measuring one's self is not optimal.

(I <3 my curve stick!) I also added a center line, because I want to add a zip down the front.

Then I took a deep breath, cut along the sides (but not the zipper line yet), and re-seamed them.  I traced the new armhole on the sleeve, then a straight line down to half of my wrist measurement + 1. 

 I really wanted to add a thumb hole, but my sleeves were not long enough.  If you want to, just adjust your sleeve length to go over the bottom of your hand to the thumb joint (with maybe an extra inch or two), and measure around your hand at the thumb joint instead of your wrist. 
Next I sewed the long seam of the sleeve.  Then, keeping the sleeve inside out, fit the cuff inside (right sides facing) and sew on the cuff.  If you are putting in a thumb hole, I would overcast the cuff and sleeve edges (you know, the little triangle stitch?) before seaming, and remember to leave about 2 inches open a quarter turn from the bottom seam.  Then, attach the sleeve to the body of the sweatshirt.  You could reattach the bottom ribbing if you want to, but mine was still too short.  It would have bunched the bottom, and I don't want that.

Hey!  It's starting to look like something!  I tried it on at this point to check the fit.

Not too shabby!  I like it so much I almost chickened out on the zipper.  But, Fearless - right?  Another deep breath, quick prayer, and cut open that center line!

Just in case you haven't done a zipper before, you first turn the shirt inside out and baste the two sides of the zipper opening together with at least a quarter inch seam.  It is easier if you do it a bit wider, like 3/8 or 1/2, just remember you are eating up your ease!  Next iron the selvedge open - one on each side.

Put the zipper face down on the seam, swap in the zipper foot and sew from bottom to top up both sides of your zipper.  I stopped short of the collar, I want to finish it differently.

(Note to self:  learn to sew in a straight line.) 
Now if you're like me and you got your zipper off the clearance rack, it may be a bit too long.  (You thought the red zip was a fashion statement, didn't you?)  You can just hand stitch over the teeth where you want the zipper to stop and then cut off the excess.
Finally, I measured on the collar 1/2" in from the zipper edge, tucked the top edge in to make a triangle, and sewed a topstitch along the edges.

And finally...

(drumroll...)

Voila!  Ready for a jog!