For winter, sew the cozy pieces: a hoodie in fleece-backed sweatshirting, joggers in brushed French terry, a long-sleeve fit-and-flare dress in ponte, a wrap skirt in wool flannel, a robe-length quilted kimono jacket for the house, velvet cushion covers and scrunchies, and an apron for the cooking season. The fabrics are the heaviest of the year, 300 to 450 g/m² (9 to 13 oz/yd²), and most of them are knits or felted wools that do not fray, which makes the sewing easier than it looks. A winter coat is a tailoring project and outside most home-sewing pattern libraries; the robe-length kimono in boiled wool is the nearest you can sew in a weekend.
Which fabrics keep you warm?
Warmth comes from trapped air, not from weight. A brushed or fleece-backed fabric holds a layer of still air against the skin; a dense, smooth fabric of the same weight does not. That is why a 280 g/m² (8.3 oz/yd²) fleece-backed sweatshirting feels warmer than a 300 g/m² cotton twill.
| Fabric | What it is | Warmth | Sew it into |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fleece-backed sweatshirting | Knit with a brushed fleece inside | High | Hoodie, joggers |
| Brushed French terry | Looped knit, brushed inside | Medium-high | Joggers, pyjama trousers |
| Polar fleece | Fully synthetic brushed knit | High, not breathable | Robe lining, house jacket |
| Ponte | Firm double knit | Medium | Dress |
| Wool flannel | Woven wool, brushed | Medium-high | Wrap skirt |
| Boiled wool | Felted knit, no fraying | High | Kimono jacket |
| Cotton velvet | Woven with a cut pile | Medium | Cushions, scrunchies |
Wool and cotton breathe; polyester fleece does not. For something you wear all day, keep the fleece as a backing on a cotton knit or as the inside of a robe, and put wool or cotton next to the skin.
Which winter clothes should you sew?
A hoodie in fleece-backed sweatshirting
The hooded option of the sweatshirt and hoodie pattern with a lined hood and a kangaroo pocket is the winter project most people want first. Fleece-backed sweatshirting is a cotton or cotton-blend knit with a brushed inside, 280 to 350 g/m² (8.3 to 10 oz/yd²). It sews with a size 90 ballpoint needle, a 3 mm stitch and a walking foot; seams do not fray, so a zigzag finish is enough. Line the hood with the same fabric for warmth or with a cotton jersey to reduce bulk at the neck seam. Rib knit for the cuffs and hem band should have 50 % stretch or more so it recovers after every pull.
Joggers in brushed French terry
The jogger option of the pull-on trousers pattern, with ribbed cuffs at the ankle, in a brushed French terry. The terry has loops inside that trap air without the full bulk of fleece, and the cuffs keep the warm air in. The same pattern cut straight in a cotton flannel, with a drawstring instead of the cuffs, becomes pyjama trousers; flannel is woven, so finish the seams with a zigzag or a serger. Either way, 1.8 to 2.2 m (2 to 2 3/8 yd) of 140 cm (55 in) wide fabric.
A long-sleeve fit-and-flare dress in ponte
A fit-and-flare dress with long sleeves and an A-line skirt in a wool-blend or viscose ponte, 320 to 400 g/m² (9.5 to 12 oz/yd²), is the winter dress. Ponte has enough stretch to pull on without a zip and enough body to hold the flare over tights. The bodice darts can be sewn as on a woven, because ponte is stable. With a knit the seam allowance defaults to 1 cm (3/8 in) in Sewly's drafting, which keeps the bulk down at the waist seam.
A wrap skirt in wool flannel
A wrap skirt in a wool flannel is warm, needs no zip and no buttonhole, and the overlap means the fit is adjustable over a thick jumper. Interface the ties and the waistband with a light fusible so they do not stretch. Line the skirt or wear a slip, because wool flannel catches on tights; the lining fabric post helps you pick a lining that slides. A knee-length wrap skirt takes 1.8 m (2 yd) of 150 cm (60 in) wide wool because of the overlap.
A robe-length kimono jacket for the house
The kimono jacket pattern at full robe length with a tie belt and patch pockets, in a pre-quilted cotton or in boiled wool, is the warmest garment on this list and the easiest to sew: straight seams and a long front band. Pre-quilted cotton has a layer of wadding stitched between two cottons and is sold for exactly this; boiled wool is warmer and does not fray, so the hems can be left raw and topstitched. For a lighter robe, use a cotton flannel outside and a polar fleece inside, sewn as one layer after basting the two together.
Velvet cushion covers
Not everything cozy is worn. Cushion covers in a cotton velvet change a sofa for the season, and envelope backs mean no zip. Velvet has a pile, so cut every piece the same way up, pin inside the seam allowance only and sew with a walking foot; the velvet sewing post explains how to keep the layers from creeping. A 50 cm (20 in) cover takes 60 cm (5/8 yd) of fabric with an envelope overlap of 10 cm (4 in).
Scrunchies in velvet or wool
The scrunchie pattern uses up the strips left from the cushions and the wrap skirt. A velvet scrunchie needs a strip 60 cm (24 in) long and 10 cm (4 in) wide; turn it with a safety pin and push the elastic through with the same pin. A dozen make quick gifts.
An apron in heavy cotton
Winter is the cooking season, and an apron in a 280 g/m² (8.3 oz/yd²) cotton canvas or a heavy linen is a project you can sew in an evening and give. Add a double pocket across the front and make the neck strap adjustable with a slider.
What about the winter coat?
A winter coat with a collar, lapels and a full lining is not something an AI pattern maker drafts, and tailoring a coat is a multi-week project with pad stitching and a sleeve head. If you want one, a dedicated coat pattern and a heavy coating wool are the way. The kimono jacket in boiled wool, robe length, worn with a scarf, is warm enough for a dry winter day down to around 0 °C (32 °F) over a hoodie, and it is a day's work.
How do you sew thick winter fabrics without a fight?
Use the right needle: a size 90 or 100 ballpoint for sweatshirting and fleece, a 90 or 100 universal for wool, a 70 or 80 for velvet. Lengthen the stitch to 3 or 3.5 mm. Lower the presser foot pressure if your machine allows it, or fit a walking foot, which feeds the top layer at the same speed as the bottom and stops the creeping that makes thick seams twist.
Grade the seam allowances where three or more layers meet, such as the hood seam or the pocket corners, by trimming each layer to a different width. Press wool with steam and a press cloth; press fleece and velvet barely at all, with the iron hovering and a towel underneath. And cut with a rotary cutter on a mat where you can: heavy knits and velvet shift under scissors.
Which winter project should you sew first?
The joggers or the apron, depending on whether you want to wear or to give. Both are straight seams in a forgiving fabric. Then the hoodie, which teaches the hood and the kangaroo pocket; then the ponte dress; then the wrap skirt and the robe. The cushion covers and scrunchies fit in any evening between the others, and use the leftovers.