Cheer on your favorite team and keep warm at fall football games in this cozy Zippered Fleece Poncho. A Coats Team Spirit Zipper coordinates with team or school colors. Lori Harder designed this poncho for us using one large rectangle of fabric, then adding style with a collar and zipper. Pick a Team Spirit Zipper in your team’s colors, coordinating fleece and you are set to go. The zipper shown here has Black teeth on Gold Tape. In the instructions, we have used the Red teeth on Grey Tape combination and contrasting red trim on the poncho. Skill level: Intermediate Crafting time: Evening Finished Project Size: One size fits most.* Supplies: Coats Dual Duty XP All Purpose Thread – 1 spool 26” (66 cm) Coats Team Spirit Zipper 1 ½ yd fleece 1/3 yd stretch woven fabric (approximately 5% spandex) 1 pkg. Contrasting ½” Extra Wide Double Fold Bias Binding 1/8 yd medium stiff fusible interfacing* Paper backed fusible web* or glue stick *We used Pellon Décor Bond and Wonder Under. Cutting Instructions* Poncho: From Fleece: Rectangle 74.5” x 39 ¼” (189.5 cm x 97 cm)- Poncho From: Stretch Woven fabric: 2 rectangles 22” x 4” (56 cm x 10 cm) -Under collar, back neck facing From Interfacing: 2 rectangles 22” x 4” (56 cm x 10 cm) -Under collar, back neck facing 2 rectangles 26 ¼” x 4” (67 cm x 10 cm) for front facings * Fits up to 46” (117 cm) bust, 5”11” (7 m) height. Poncho can be enlarged for longer arms and height by widening the poncho beyond the 39 ¼” (99.5 cm) width. Instructions for sewing On one long side of fleece at each bottom corner cut off a triangle that measures 31” (79 cm) diagonally across from side to bottom, 21 ½” (54.5 cm) on the side, and 21” (53.5 cm) on bottom edge. Following manufacturer’s instructions, fuse interfacing onto 22” x 4” (56 cm x 10 cm) under collar and back neck facing. ( To make collar and back neck facing, fold and press under ¼” to wrong side on long edge of both woven pieces. Mark the center of under collar on one long side and the center of fleece on one log side. Matching centers, place raw edge of wrong side under collar onto center of long edge of fleece poncho on the right side. The wrong side of fleece becomes outer collar. Edgestitch folded edge of under collar onto fleece. Baste around sides and outer edge of under collar 3/8” from edge. Cut straight line into fleece alongside cut edges of the undercollar short sides stopping at the fold of under collar. (Photo 1& 2) The fleece on either side of the under collar becomes the front facings (Photo 3) which will be folded to the wrong side to form a self-facing in step 4. Photo 1- Cut straight line into fleece alongside cut edges of the undercollar short sides stopping at the fold of under collar. Photo 2- Cut on both sides of undercollar Photo 3-The fleece on either side of the undercollar becomes the front facings Fuse 26” x 4” (66 cm x 10 cm) pieces of interfacing on wrong side of front facings on each side of undercollar. Pin and stitch 4” (10 cm) sides of back neck facing (22” x 4” woven) to the top of front facings, wrong sides together (Photo 4).These 2 seams will be ¼” tapered to the point where the 4” cuts in fabric end on either side of the collar and to folded edge of back neck facing. The ¼” fold on back neck facing is closest to the collar. (Photo 5) At this point back neck facing is not attached to collar yet. Turn facings wrong sides to inside of poncho.(Photo 6) Photo 4- Pin to front facing Photo 5- Stitch, tapering seam at undercollar. Photo 6- Turn to inside- the back neck facing is attached only to the front facing at this point. Place the back neck facing on top of base of fleece collar on the inside of the garment just covering the stitching of the under collar. Pin and edgestitch back neck facing at base of fleece collar(Photo 7) Photo 7- Edgestitch back neck facing at base of collar. Place zipper under right edge of front ¼” above bottom edge of poncho. Fold top of zipper tape down to front side of zipper. Pin right edge of front to zipper 1/8” away from zipper teeth. Using zipper foot edgestitch right front onto zipper far enough away from teeth (1/8”) to stitch through heavy interfacing in between front and facing. This will help to keep zipper from buckling. Photo 8- Place front fold over zipper tapePlace left side of front onto other side of zipper 1/8” away from zipper teeth with bottom of zipper ¼” from bottom edge of poncho. Fold top of zipper tape down to front side of zipper. Pin into place. Unzip zipper. Edgestitch left front onto zipper 1/8” away from edge. Take out basting at outer edge of collar. The following tip will make a professional looking collar: roll collar over fingers pushing out fullness of under collar. (Photo 9) Photo 9- Remove basting from under collar. Roll collar. Under collar will be about ¼” beyond fleece collar. Trim this ¼” off under collar at outer edge tapering to the point on either side of collar (Photo 10). Photo 10- Trim under collar The edges of the collar and under collar are now even and can be pinned and basted. Cut a piece of bias binding 31” long. Fold 3/8” under to wrong side of one end. Place folded end of binding starting at one side of the collar and wrap it around outer edge of collar with wider side of binding under the collar. Pin while working around collar. Miter corners of collar so there will be a diagonal fold on both top and bottom of corners from outer point to the inner side of binding (Photo 11).When at end of other side of binding, fold under remaining binding. There may be a little excess binding that can be trimmed away in order to get a 3/8” fold at the end. Edgestitch binding into place. Hand stitch ends of binding to collar and back neck facing. Hand stitch mitered corners. Photo 11- Bind collar, mitering corner. To hem poncho, cut ¼” off bottom edge of front facings only (Photo 12). Following manufacturer’s instructions, use a small strip of Wonder Under or glue stick to secure bottom of facings to front of poncho. Fold ¼” seam allowance at bottom edge of poncho to wrong side on diagonal edges first and pin. Then fold other edges ¼” to wrong side and pin. Using a size 16 sewing machine needle and topstitching thread, make a blanket stitch or decorative stitch over top of folded bottom edge of poncho Photo 12- Trim bottom edge of front facing. Photo 13- Hem with decorative stitch.
