Oh boy, do I have some fun sewing to share with you today! Patterns for Pirates has officially launched the latest lineup of patterns and they are SO. FREAKING. GOOD. Cannot wait to share with y’all what I made!

Judy didn’t just release one pattern, she released THREE so you can clothe the entire family in this goodness. The Hale Half Zip is available in Adult - Hourglass, Adult - V Figure and Youth sizes and you’d be surprised just how quickly this fab pattern comes together.

A quick rundown on the pattern features + options:

• Necklines: Pick between a classic collar or a snug hood to top off your sweater.
• Lengths: Tailor your garment to your preference with various length options. Youth and Adult Hourglass styles offer cropped and longer shirt lengths, while Adult V Figure styles include short, regular, and tall options.
• Sleeves: Decide between solid sleeves for a clean look or go for colorblock sleeves to add some extra flair.
• Pockets: Opt for a kanga-style pocket to keep your hands warm and your belongings close by.
• Zipper Guard: Add a zipper guard for extra comfort and protection.
• Finishing Methods: Choose from unfinished seams, binding seams, or lined collar and hood options to give your garment a polished finish.

I regretfully didn’t take this opportunity to get photos of the three of us together, but I was able to make Hale Half Zips for my McKinley Trio. I love each and every one of them and probably will find myself stealing the ones I made for Bennett and Louis from time to time. But who would blame me?

For Bennett, I had enough of the Fabric for Pirates October 2022 fabric to make him a basic collared half zip. Absolutely love how it turned out. Absolutely did not love working with the metal toothed zipper…but that’s because I didn’t have one the right length and had to shorten it. It had nothing to do with the pattern and everything to do with my plier abilities.

For Louis’ Hale Half Zip, i took advantage of the blocked panels that are already included in the pattern and played around with fabric a little bit. I actually used some of the Fabric for Pirates July 2023 for the middle panel and collar, and then chopped up two old sweatshirts i had laying around to use for the grey + navy portions of his sweatshirt.

I am OBSESSED with how it turned out. It’s so cute. And bonus points go to me, because Louis even chose it to wear for his school pictures this week. Wooo!

Also can we just have a quick sidebar and talk about how handsome and grown my baby is?! Thirteen hits fast, apparently. He’s so smart and funny and mature — and just so damned cute. Love that kiddo!

If you know me at all, you would not be surprised with the fabric I chose for my Hale Half Zip. I made a cropped version out of this ribbed bat fabric I found at JoAnn Fabrics. It has almost NO stretch to it, but it’s so freaking cute that I couldn’t resist throwing it into my cart and having them cut me a couple yards. I paired it with a funky textured velvet for the collar lining, cuffs and bottom band and I’m in love. Pretty sure I’ll be making these exact options for the other Halloween fabric I got from JAF.

Try and stop me, y’all.

The pattern is on a release sale until October 6, 2023…so if you’re looking for your next favorite sweatshirt pattern, you should probably act now and snag it at a discounted price. There’s also a bundled version that puts all three patterns into one and gives you extra discounts. In case you were trying to cover the entire family in cute zippered sweatshirts!

Pattern: Hale Half Zip - Hourglass | Hale Half Zip - V Figure (links to Youth + Bundle)
Fabric: Various, linked above