Usually when I join a swap, I make a list of projects that I intend on making and stick with it. However, there are times I see something that screams my partner so much that I have to change my plans and go with something completely different. This is what happened with my last Stocking Swap project.

While out shopping, I stumbled across a Mad Hatter nightshirt – it was XL, super long, and screamed to be reconed. I originally intended using Michael Miller’s dalmatian clown stripe and a raglan hoodie pattern (it was a toss up between Jalie 2676 and Sew U Home Stretch) , but then I found a perfectly matched poly, pink and black stripe in my stash and I knew I had to use it. Unfortunately, once I ‘opened up’ my Mad Hatter shirt, I realized I didn’t have enough material for the body of the hoodie and went to Plan B…. finding another pattern. After some extensive searching through my stash, I decided on the XS size (thankfully, the material is super stretchy) of Kwik Sew 3144. While it’s not exactly what I wanted, I still like the way it turned out – I’m just crossing my fingers it fits my partner.