Sew Over/Under: Poncho Time!

August 18, 2019 6 Comments
Mary stands in front of a wall of greenery and flowers. She extends her hands out to her sides to show the shape of her hooded poncho, which is goldenrod yellow with clusters of zebras placed throughout.

Hi! I’m Mary, @boxcarsewing, and I’m so excited to have been invited to write a guest post for this month’s challenge: Sew Over/Under!  

Mary stands in front of a wall of greenery and bright pink flowers, smiling widely. She has turned to her right and has bent her left knee to show off her white and brown ankle boots. Her poncho drapes around her, showing the navy plaid lining and the hood.

It’s deep summer in San Diego, and the prospect of sewing something extra warm seemed extra unappealing, so I wanted to make sure I made something extra functional for this fun sewing prompt. I sewed a Simplicity 6630 poncho with absolutely zero modifications, and it’s a dream. It’s a one-size pattern, a reproduction of one from the 70’s, and it really does look great on all bodies (I made everyone within a five mile radius try it on, just to confirm my hypothesis). My favorite part is the flap pockets, but I love that darted hood, too–both of these design features are oversized, and look like they’re going to be functional as heck. My brother, sister, and dad have already put their orders in. 🙂

Mary stands outside, surrounded by greenery. She sassily holds her left hand out to her side, showing off her freedom of movement in her new cape. Her cape is goldenrod yellow and features clusters of zebras; the lining is a dark plaid with stripes of white and rust.

I think there needs to be a poncho renaissance. Hear me out: there’s no better gap filler than a poncho, especially if you sew it in something durable, like this Birch Charley Harper barkcloth (yes, I’m name-dropping, I’m a MAJOR fan!). This poncho is fully lined (technically reversible!), so I did a nice, soft, 100% cotton flannel on the inside. This is the kind of garment that you keep in your car–it’s an emergency garment! It’s warm but not stifling, and can double as a picnic blanket or beach towel should you find yourself at an impromptu bonfire or hike-turned-happy-hour (what, just me?). The barkcloth is tough without being heavy and has a really nice drape to it and, best of all, mulch and dirt don’t seem to stick to it! Take it to a sporting event, a festival, any body of water, a cabin in the wilderness, a college dorm, an international flight, a long road trip, wherever–this poncho is going to WORK!

Mary smiles while posing in her new poncho. She has her left hand in the poncho's front pocket.

I’m really, really looking forward to this poncho taking me on some adventures.  Thanks for letting me share, Sewcialists!  

Mary sits casually on the ground atop a blanket while looking at her cell phone, demonstrating the picnic-friendly nature of her poncho. Her spread also includes a book and a thermos.

Mary of @boxcarsewing and @sandiegocraftclub is a sewist, English teacher, and sock knitter in California. The majority of her handmade wardrobe is animal print. Like, a lot of animal print. 

CategoriesOver/Under - August 2019