Adding Ears to your Bimaa Hoodie - Template and Tutorial

IT'S HERE!

The Bimaa Sweater - Hoodie version with EARS!!!

Let's jump right in, shall we!?

First, download the ear template and assembly instructions HERE.

Cut out and assemble your ears (bear ears? mouse ears? not sure! :) by following the instructions included with the template:

I have two sets of ears pictured above because I didn't know which fabric was going to play best with the camera.  Neither did haha, but the pink won out in the end.

Here's what you'll have. But two of them:

A few important notes:

You can use a woven for the inside of your ears, or ever the outside, too.  BUT!  Resist the urge to use a woven as the hood lining to correspond with the ear fabric you've chosen.  I know it would be adorable, but don't do it!  I repeat, do not use a woven for any other part of the sweater.  You don't want to make this adorable hood and have it not fit over your babe's head!  The hood itself needs to be constructed using 4-way knits.

The fabric I've used here is a hot pink hacci knit from Denver Fabrics, and the ear lining is a glorious cotton lawn from the Imagine Gnats Shop!

Ok, let's proceed.

Lay your hood center piece with right side up, and front face end closest to you:

With a ruler, measure up 5 inches from the front face end of the center strip, and snip small notches on both left and right sides at 5 inches:

Align your ears with the unfolded side matched to the notches you just snipped, and the folded side facing towards what will be the back of the head, as pictured:

Now flip your ears over onto the center hood piece, inner ears facing down.  Pin, and baste in place with a quarter inch seam allowance:

Optional - Flip the ears out just to make sure they're adorable:

Yep, adorable.

Flip the ears back down as they were when you basted them.  Attach the side hood panels to the center piece as per the Bimaa instructions:

Complete the assembly of the hood as per the instructions, then OOH and AHH over your be-eared Bimaa!

Pro tip - don't attach your adorable new hood right-side-in:

Oh, the unpicking... ALL the unpicking.  :)

Here's the view from the back!  Ideal ear placement!  Looks like a piglet!

So there you have it!  How to add ears to your hooded Bimaa.  You could make any type of ear and attach them this way - think cat, bunny, fox... viking?!

Think of all the Halloween possibilities, you guys!!!

Don't forget to share your Bimaa's in the LouBeeClothing flickr Pool!  I'll do a feature round-up after the tour wraps.  :)

Speaking of, come back by tomorrow for two more amazing Bimaa Touree's!

Love to all,