Adding the Grow Fonder cowl to the Sugar Pea

Goober Pea Designs is a Canadian business, and we love to support our fellow Canadian sewing businesses! So when I started seeing our customers adding the cowl from the Grow Fonder by Apple Tree Sewing Patterns to the Sugar Pea Tunic and Dress, I was thrilled and needed to try it myself! One of my main principles in pattern design has always been, "why reinvent the wheel??" I love to design unique and innovative patterns, but if there's something already out there as perfect as the Grow Fonder, I am happy to buy from my fellow designers and send customers their way!

The Grow Fonder comes in sizes 3-12m, 1-3yr, and 3-6yr. The biggest size could easily be adapted to be used for Sugar Pea sizes 7-14 - the crossover design makes it easy to adjust for more or less crossover on a variety of neck hole sizes. If necessary, some extra width could be added at the center fold of the cowl pattern piece.

So for my size 2 width/3 height Sugar Pea, I used the size 1-3yr Grow Fonder cowl. I sewed it together as per the Apple Tree pattern instructions, except that I skipped the outer reinforcement squares and drawstring end pieces (you can absolutely use these when combining with the Sugar Pea - I just opted not to). Instead, I cut reinforcement squares from fusible interfacing, and applied them on the wrong side of the fabric, where the grommets would go.

I sewed the Sugar Pea as per normal as well, except for skipping the neckband.

Please note: because I skipped the outer reinforcement squares, I could not tack my faux drawstring ends directly to the fabric right near the grommet, hiding the stitches in the decorative stitching on the square. Instead, I put my faux drawstrings through the grommets, then clipped the inside ends to the raw edge, so they would be caught in the seam when I sewed the cowl to the neck hole, preventing them from pulling out of the grommets.

Since the neck hole is not exactly the same size as the Grow Fonder, it must be attached in a slightly different way than the Grow Fonder pattern (which instructs you to overlap the cowl ends using notches, prior to placing it inside the neck hole).

First, with your Sugar Pea INSIDE OUT, find the center back point of the neck hole, and the center back point of the cowl (along the raw edges), and match them up - pin or clip. ***Please note, the side with the grommets should be matched with the RIGHT SIDE of the Sugar Pea.***

Starting with the RIGHT HAND side of the cowl work your way around from the back to the front of the neck hole, pinning or clipping the cowl to it as you go. Do not stretch the cowl unless you are doing one of the biggest sizes of Sugar Pea (eg. 10-14) - then you can stretch a little bit, but make sure you stretch both sides equally.

After the right side is in place, pin/clip the LEFT HAND side of the cowl in place, working your way around the neck hole in the same way, overlapping the cowl ends.

Before you sew, I suggest flipping the pinned/clipped garment right side out and making sure the cowl looks right. Then sew it in place, and you're done!