sweatsuit refashion

I bought a big sweatshirt from Walmart at the beginning of the summer (it was clearance on top of already cheap) with a refashion in mind for myself, but I ended up using it to make a cute as pie sweatsuit in about 12-month size.

I am planning to make a Halloween costume for Atlas - a furry creature to be revealed at a later date - and I want to base the design on a cozy one-piece outfit we already have. Since this is my first time drafting a pattern, I figured a practice round would be a good way to start. I opted for the sweatshirt remodel because the half zipper option allows me to avoid any of my own zipper/buttons/snaps. As a result, it's not the most diaper-change-friendly outfit.

I started by tracing the original garment - turned inside out and flattened on a roll of Ikea craft paper. I left room for seam allowances and hems.

The design is super simple - a single front panel cut on a fold, opposite back panels, and sleeves.

I cut the pattern out of the XL sweatshirt utilizing the front zipper, collar, and even the cuffs. It took a bit more time to get everything lined up correctly, but in the end it saved me a bunch of effort hemming and finishing the garment.

I couldn't resist a final touch of style. I had plenty of extra fabric to make little shoulder things - what are they actually called? Anyone?

Add buttons and an adorable almost-one-year-old!