Jamie –  a fun & cozy convertible poncho – is our newest release! You can wear it as a poncho, or convert it to a cozy cocoon-style cardigan with a few simple steps. Jamie is designed for drapey knits with at least 30% stretch – sweater knits, hacci, rayon spandex, double brushed polyester, stretch lace, and more.

I’m so excited to add a whole pile of these to my fall and winter wardrobe; eastern NC is so unpredictable when it comes to weather, so I love having these great layering pieces! Want to mix up your look a little bit? Check out two super easy hacks below!

Ruffle Hem Hack

The Ruffle Hem Hack is a simple way to add a little extra fun to the Jamie poncho! My daughter loved twirling around in this velvet one I made for her, and it pairs perfectly with her RTW Christmas dress in case we have a chilly Christmas this year 🙂

For this hack, the only change I made to the pattern pieces was to double the band width. I kept the length the same. For example, for a size 2 poncho, I cut the “band”  – now your ruffle pieces – at 4″ x 42.5″ instead of the 4″ x 21.25″ listed in the cut chart in the tutorial. After cutting all of my pieces, I hemmed the ruffle pieces. *You can certainly leave unhemmed, but since velvet edges roll so drastically, I find the hemmed ruffle easier to straighten out 🙂 * 

After hemming, sew the short ends of your ruffle pieces with right sides together. Use your favorite gathering method to gather the ruffle.

Construct the rest of the poncho per the pattern tutorial. The ruffle will take the place of the band. When you get to that step, turn your poncho inside out. Place the gathered ruffle inside the poncho, with right sides together. Pin or clip the raw edge of the gathered ruffle to the raw edge of the poncho. Attach using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Turn right side out, give your seams a good steam, and top stitch if desired.

That’s it! When I converted this one to a cocoon cardigan, I tucked the ruffle in around her neck, so that the seams were less visible. Want a slightly cleaner look so you don’t have to worry about tucking any of the ruffles in? Try the alternative option below!

This version is VERY similar, with one minor difference! Instead of cutting the ruffles at 4″ x 42.5″, I cut them at 8″ x 42.5″. Once you have your ruffles cut, stitch the short ends with right sides together to create a loop.

Fold your ruffle in half, just like you would a traditional neckband or waistband. You may wish to baste the edges together. Otherwise, use your favorite gathering method to gather the ruffle.

Construct the rest of the poncho per the pattern tutorial. The ruffle will take the place of the band. When you get to that step, turn your poncho inside out. Place the gathered ruffle inside the poncho, with right sides together. Pin or clip the raw edge of the gathered ruffle to the raw edge of the poncho. Attach using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Turn right side out, give your seams a good steam, and top stitch if desired.

Button Closure Hack

Love the look of the cocoon cardigan but not completely sold on the peekaboo opening in the back? This Button Closure Hack doesn’t take long at all!  For this hack, you do not need any additional pattern pieces. The only extra supplies you need are buttons (I used 5), and thin elastic (hair ties are actually the perfect width so that’s what I used!).

First, mark where you want your buttons/elastic. I placed one clip at the center of the neckline, and then spaced the other  four clips equally around the neckline. Once you’ve determined where to place your elastic, go ahead and cut your elastic (or hair ties!) to roughly 1.5″-2″ in length. Pin the elastic in a small loop at the very edge of your raw neckline, with the loop facing in.

*My goal for my elastic loops was to have them be hidden if I’m wearing Jamie as a poncho, so I made sure that my loops did not extend beyond the 1/2″ hem allowance of the neckline. You can create bigger loops, or even button holes, if that is your preference*

Repeat pinning for the remaining elastic loops. I was afraid my loops would shift as I removed the pins, so I put a small piece of scotch tape over each loop to keep it in place. If you decide to do the same, please try the tape on a scrap piece of the same fabric first, just to be sure you don’t damage your poncho!  I attached each loop using a long straight stitch and a very narrow seam allowance (about 1/8″ or so). Once you’ve attached all of your elastic loops, remove the tape and trim the excess elastic.

Next, you will need to hem your neckline. Be sure to move the elastic loops out of the way while you sew; the hem should fall just in front of your loops. I found it easiest to just fold them back toward the poncho body as I was stitching, so that I didn’t have to worry about any pins or tape getting caught.

You can see from the front that all of my loops are hidden 🙂 The next step is to add your buttons! As with the elastic, I taped the buttons in place as well. I didn’t cover up the button holes, that way I could leave the tape on while I was sewing.

I placed my buttons close to the edge, but not over the edge, of the neckline. I want to be able to wear it as a poncho as well, and I was afraid buttons hanging off the edge would bother me. You can definitely play around with button size and placement, though! Loop your elastic around your buttons, and then finish your poncho construction per the pattern tutorial!

Not crazy about buttons, either? You can definitely play around with snaps, clasps, toggles, or any number of closure ideas! I also thought the ruffle hem hack would be adorable with a bow closure, if anyone wants to steal that idea 😉 You can even insert a zipper. I LOVE Alex’s zipper-back version! Stay tuned for her tutorial with all the details!

We can’t wait to see your Jamie and Women’s Jamie ponchos all sewn up! Don’t forget to share your makes over in our Facebook group so we can all “ooh” and “ahh” over them. Happy sewing!

#jamiepattern #jamieponcho #convertibleponcho #madeformermaids