Sew an Easy Hooded Poncho and Welcome April Showers
If you’re caught in the rain this spring, you’ll wish you had a fashionable, easy-to-sew poncho. Think of it like a rain slicker with serious personal style! This wrap-style hooded poncho is one of 14 easy-sew projects in Mary Mulari’s book, All Occasion Fabric Wraps. Today, Mary shares how to sew her easy all-weather poncho with step-by-step construction tips. Plus, you can always watch the sewing demonstration on Sewing With Nancy.
All-Weather Wrap
By Mary Mulari, guest blogger and friend of Sewing With Nancy
On a cool or partly cloudy day, wear this wrap as another layer of comfort. When it rains, put up the hood.
Supplies
- 2 yd. 54″–60″ wide fabric (Use Rip Stop Nylon or any other water-repellent fabric.)
- 2 buttons, at least 1″ in diameter
- 2 ponytail elastics
- 1 yd. trim or ribbon for hood
- Ultrasuede or Sensuede fabric scraps for wrap closure
Note from Mary: Don’t have Ultrasuede fabric scraps? Consider purchasing a purse/bag from a thrift store and using the leather or faux leather in place of the Ultrasuede.
Cutting
- Fold the body of the wrap: Cut a 54″ wide x 57″ long piece of fabric.
- For the hood: Cut fabric 24″ wide x 15″ long.
- Cut the storage pocket fabric 10″ x 14″.
- See the suggested cutting layout, below.
- Work with the body fabric section folded in half.
- Then, fold the wrap body fabric in half again, to create a second fold in the fabric.
- Mark the foldline on each side of the fabric with pins or a disappearing marking pen, as illustrated.
- Download the neck opening pattern here.
- Make sure to mark the shoulder line on the traced pattern.
- Place and pin the pattern on the center front fold of the wrap body, aligning the shoulder line marking with the fold mark.
- Trace the pattern and extend the line down to the bottom of the fabric, 1″ away from the fold.
- Cut out the neck opening, cutting from the bottom up and around the curved neck opening.
Construction
- For knit or nonfray fabrics, no edgestitching is required, but on water-repellent fabrics and woven fabrics, consider the choices of serging around the edges of the fabric or overcast stitching on the sewing machine.
- Then, turn under the stitching and topstitch a neat edge finish. You can round off the corners of the wrap for an easier continuous seam around the fabric.
- Serge or overcast stitch all four sides of the hood fabric.
- Fold the fabric in half, meeting the 15″ edges, with right sides together.
- Sew across the top edge with a 1/4″ seam allowance and then overcast or serge that seam edge.
- Sew a 3″ seam across the point of the hood back, as illustrated.
- On the bottom edge, turn the serged/overcast edge 1/4″ to the wrong side of the fabric and sew in place.
- Turn the open edge of the hood 1″ to the wrong side; press and pin.
- Sew the edge to the hood; cover the seam with a piece of decorative trim or ribbon.
- Fit the hood into the curved neck opening, matching the wrong side of the center back edge of the hood to the center right side of the neck opening, and pin the edges together.
- Topstitch the hood to the wrap neckline.
- It’s time to try on the wrap to select placements for closures. Though the closures are optional, they help keep the wrap closed on a rainy, windy day.
- Overlap the two sides of the wrap to determine where the loop and button closures should be located.
- Cut two triangles from Ultrasuede fabric or other nonfray fabric scraps.
- Sew two ponytail elastic loops on the right side of the wrap, in the closure locations chosen. Sew back and forth to secure the loops.
- Cut off extra lengths beyond the stitching. Pin the two triangles on the wrap to cover the elastic ends and sew them in place.
- Sew buttons to the opposite side to complete the closures.
- Add an extra layer of fabric reinforcement behind the buttons for a more secure hold.
- Sew the wrap storage pocket to the bottom inside edge of the wrap.
- Turn under 1/4″ on the bottom and sides of the pocket fabric.
- Serge or zigzag stitch the top edge and turn it under 1/2″ and stitch in place.
See this wrap and 13 more in the All Occasion Fabric Wraps book, which includes detailed step-by-step instructions and illustrations for 14 easy to sew fabric wraps!
Watch All Occasion Fabric Wraps on Sewing With Nancy online.
For a chance to win a copy of the All Occasion Fabric Wraps book, leave a comment below telling us what color fabric you’ll choose to sew your all-weather wrap.
The randomly selected winner of a copy of Trace ‘n Create Quilt Template—Lone Star Collection from Clover is Gail Beam.
Her comment was, “Baby quilts have to be my favorite. I did a twin quilt once and it was a hassle because my sewing table is not big enough to support something that big.”
Thank you, Mary, for sharing this tutorial!
Bye for now,
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Jane McLean
Love Mary Mulari and her easy-to-follow tutorials. If I make a poncho, it will be bright yellow, and I’ll sing like a canary!
Ennis A
Those showers do pop up!! I think a Lemon Yellow would be nice.
Karen D
I think a shade of blue would be nice.
Sandy
I would make my wrap in bright colours so i would look like springtime in the rain!
Candice
Being from the Pacific Northwest, we know rain!! I’m thinking about using one of the laminates with a print, and adding a coordinating contrast trim. I can’t decide if it should be the pretty pink/grey floral, the foxes or the umbrellas on bright yellow! Think the grands will have to have some too!
Rosemary
This poncho will be great to wear for walking.
Dorothy Martin
Hot pink is my choice! I want those raindrops to see me. And, of course all the cars with their windshield wipers going like mad. Safety is primary. Pink is fun.
Sandy
Purple, what else!!!
Pam Brazee
Love the poncho tutorial. I would love to embroider something like a large umbrella with boots on the back. Is there some way you could do that and still make it waterproof?
Milly Fessler
Dark, dreary, rainy days call for a bright happy color….yellow!
Sally L
I was excited to see this pattern that shows how to make a poncho. I have started sewing blankets, hats and wraps from fleece and donating them to a group that hands them out to the homeless. Now that spring has arrived, I was wondering just what I could sew to help them. This is the perfect pattern! So, I will be making many of these in all sorts of colors! I will be checking for which colors are available in the rip stop fabric.
Julie Kill
I need to sew three or four for Spring Softball games. I believe I would make mine longer though to accommodate sitting in a lawn chair at a game. Orange- for easy visibility AND for school colors.
Thanks for yet another wonderful Idea!
Jade
I have some green background, multi-colored floral laminated cotton in my stash that would work perfect for an all weather wrap. But the pattern will need to be adjusted since the fabric is not wide enough…that’s a challenge I can tackle!
Linda E in AZ
My will be a pale aqua since I have a piece of Ultrasuede that color. Great pattern!
Thanks!
Pamela Jones
I would love this in an electric blue color. It would be great for kayaking when those storms pop up suddenly. Hope I can get it done.
Kathy Wilson
What a perfect time to show this great how to since we’ve had a week of rain showers and aother week is in the forecast.
Sobezy
Great for spring & fall kids sports activities! Have 8 to make!!!! 5 grandchildren. Umbrellas just don’t do it
Sobezy
Great for spring & fall kids sports activities! Have 8 to make!!!! 5 grandchildren. Umbrellas just don’t do it
Laurie G
Definitely yellow. I am on a month long trip with friends in September!
Patty Sack
Oh, I could really use this when I’m walking the dog! Can’t wait to make it.
Linda A.
Definitely purple – it’s my favorite color and I use it whenever I can!
Pat
I would choose yellow fabric for my rain poncho. When I think of a rain garment I think of the yellow rain slickers of my childhood. This pattern is great for a “keep in the trunk in case of rain” garment.
Roberta A.
I would make a blue or yellow poncho. I don’t have a raincoat and this would be ideal.
Cindy K
I would make mine in gray
Brenda Ackerman
I would love to make one in three colors purple, pink and green. Thank you for such a great tutorial and a chance to win!
Susan Spiers
I have a water-repellent nylon in a bright green, which would be perfect for this pattern! Thank you, Susan
Cindy Holthaus
I would chose a shade of blue for the poncho. Love your blogs. They are very informative and useful.
Marilyn
My choice of color would be a cheerful red for a grey rainy day.
Clovis
Colors I like are blue and purple. Thanks.
Chris
Ponchos for the family vacation would be easier to pack than our regular rain gear. As for color, hmm, a neon blue would make it easy to find each other in a crowd.
Nancy
This is such a cute poncho, and so handy to have. I would make it in blue, my favorite color.
BevM
I choose blue most of the time for my garments, so I would probably make a bright blue poncho.
Sandy C
Darling rain gear and bright colors would look great! What a great pattern!
Christine Warner
I would try to find something Disney related or use red and black to use in my favorite Florida theme park in case of surprise downpours.
Joyce
My favorite color is green, so I would probably find a fun shade of green for mine.
Vickey stamps
Have a family member very ill. I’dLove to make her one of these to protect her from April showers and those that follow.. I really love that. In my rural town will have to search for that special fabric. Thanks so much
eileen costello
I would make it in yellow so people could see me on a gray and rainy day.
Ann
I’d love to make a purple or blue rain poncho for the pop-up showers we receive here in the mountains!
Teresa A Farnsworth
I love these projects and cannot wait to try it a floral print for my sister and light navy for myself. They would make a great addition to our outdoor play bags.
Marty
If I can find it, I’d love to make it in a spring-hue plaid!
Judy P.
Planning a vacation. It would be wonderful to make this poncho in its little pocket to tuck in my luggage just in case.
Deb Smith
Live in swamp HOUSTON. Could have used this for traveling, too. Doesn’t look too complicated to cut and construct.
Sunni
A bright and cheery color is my requirement for a dreary day. I would go with yellow or blue…although I may change my mind after viewing the actual fabric.
Bonnye
I like bright colors especially if it is raining. Perhaps a floral print or bright yellow.
Jodie S
This pattern sure beats those plastic ponchos — and it looks so easy to make. I’d probably make mine in navy blue. I have a thing for navy blue coats. 🙂
Donnamarie Worsley
It would be nice to make and show & tell to my sewing group.
Donnamarie Worsley
Would love to make one for me and my granddaughter. She would love it, her favorite color is bright pink.
Eva
I’ll definitely make one for my Granddaughter who will start college next fall. Blue is her favorite color … so a teal or navy and she’ll be a happy camper!
Rosalee
I love the color pink, the brighter the better!
Lori Michel
I would make it in a Spring Green color…then I would feel just right walking in the rain……
Arlene Burger
Lately I have been sewing & buying shades of blue clothing. So I would use bright cherry red for poncho.
Judith Dye
I would make in a pretty shade of green or blue. It would be so handy and would live to make one
Sandy Spartz
I will pick red for my grandsons school colors.
suzanne g
I would choose green, just perfect for spring showers
Brenda
I would make it blue. I love blue.
Bonnie
What a fantastic book! I love the easy-to-sew poncho design and would make it in a bright purple. Thanks for the great giveaway.
Debbie E
I would love to find a print with big bright flowers on a blue background.
Eileen Girens, WI
What a timely terrific idea. I would make pink or red. Thanks for the chance to win!
REGINA MILSAPS
I plan tomake this in shiny black vinyl. I have had a large piece left after a project. I just have to figure out if I can make it plyable enough to actually be wearable.
Gail Beam
I think that I would make the poncho in a lime green, a great color for spring rains.
Louise Johnson
Blue or grey would go with most of my wardrobe these days. Laminated cloth is fun but would require a larger pocket.
Connie Gratias
I have a tie-died waterproof print that would work well for this poncho pattern…rainbow colors…such fun!
Susie Furgason
Great idea! I think I will make one for my granddaughter who is off to college in the fall. Thank you
Joan Palmer
I think any color would be great, happy is best! I have been thinking of an easy beach wrap for some time and this would be perfect in any beachy color or terry. Just need a little more length. I know the grandkids would love them.
Ilana
I’d make mine in bright pink!
Judy H Baker
I would choose yellow to bring ray of sunshine to a rainy day.
Rebecca Price
I think it would be navy blue or black. I’m sort of a basic color person.
Joyce Leary
These wraps are really cute. I would love to make them all!
Margaret Graham
My color choice would be a rich blue.
Wilma Shearhart
I would use the purple as that is my favorite color. I go to my local goodwill as I buy bedding and purses etc from there and take apart or what ever I have decided to make It really helps when your on a budget. I have watched you for many years and love what you have done and teach us on sewing items. Thank you.
Debbie R
Great show of wraps; I would love to do a nice grassy green poncho. That’s a good color for me and nice and fresh for Spring!
L Watson
I would like a coral color. No matter what the weather would be, it would be warm and inviting.
Rosie
I would make a bright red poncho to cheer me up on a rainy day.
Angela Curtis
I would like a yellow one–that’s my son’s favorite color.
Linda
I would love a red poncho like Little Red Riding Hood!
Natalie
A pale or dove gray, waterproof, with a flashy print lining in the pink-coral color family.
Carol
I love these wraps and they are so popular. I want to make all of them.
Bjorklund Pamela
Blue, just like the model is wearing.
joanne henderson
Hi, can you please tell me what UK size this is to fit when finished?
Thanks 😊