⚡ Quick Answer: How to Draft a Hood Pattern
To draft a hood pattern, take two measurements: neck base to neck base over the head, and full head circumference. Draw a rectangle whose height is half the first measurement plus 1 inch of ease and whose width is half the second, curve the back and the face opening, then trace your bodice neckline onto the bottom edge. Cut two mirrored panels, test the fit in muslin, then cut your good fabric.
A hood that slides off the back of your head, strangles your neck or collapses into a heap behind your shoulders is almost never a sewing problem. It is a drafting problem. Commercial hood patterns use averaged head measurements, so a hood cut from one is a compromise between many heads and a fit for none of them.
I learned this in November 2023 when I tested the same commercial hood pattern on three people: myself, my sister and a sewing student. The hood fitted none of us. Mine gaped at the neck, my sister’s pulled tight across the crown and the student’s hood barely covered her ears. That afternoon I drafted from two measurements instead, and the first toile fitted.
Why Drafting Your Own Hood Pattern Changes Everything
A hood pattern is three connected shapes. The hood is the fabric that covers your head, the bodice is the garment it attaches to, and the neckline match is the curve that lets the two join without pulling or gapping. Store bought patterns solve the first shape with averaged numbers and leave you to discover the other two when the garment is already cut.
A hood drafted to your exact head measurement will feel tight. The one inch of ease built into the rectangle height is what lets you turn your head inside it.
Drafting from your own measurements changes the order of the work. You are drafting for the exact curve from your neck base over your crown and back down, so the hood sits where it should, the face opening frames rather than swallows, and the back follows the skull instead of collapsing forward. If you already draft a bolero jacket pattern from a bodice block, you know the logic: start from measurements that are yours, then change the shape.
The method below needs two measurements, one rectangle and four curves. Mithu has drafted hoods across 15 years of sewing, from lightweight linen hooded scarves to heavy wool coat hoods, and this sequence has produced a wearable hood on the first or second toile every time.
What You Will Need Before You Start
The supply list is short and mostly already in your sewing space. The quality of the tools matters less than the care taken over the measurements, and a dull pencil on printer paper taped together will still produce a good hood if the numbers are right.
| Item | Specification | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | Pattern paper 20 by 30 inches or larger | The full rectangle must fit on one sheet with room on every side |
| Ruler | 24 inch clear quilter rule | Squares the corners, and every other line hangs off them |
| French curve | Any dressmaker curve | Draws the back and face opening curves smoothly |
| Pencil and eraser | HB or mechanical pencil, soft eraser | Soft graphite smudges and hides the guide lines |
| Bodice pattern | Front and back pieces of the garment the hood joins | Without them the neckline is a guess |
Large paper is the one item people try to skip. Taped printer paper works if the tape is smooth, but the rectangle edges must stay straight across the joins, so check with the ruler after taping.
Taking the Two Measurements That Make or Break Your Fit
Before you draw a line, take both numbers from the head that will wear the hood. Both are taken with the tape resting lightly against the head, not pulled tight, because a compressed measurement gives a hood that feels like a swim cap. The first is neck base to neck base over the head: find the base of your neck on one side, where a close fitting necklace would rest, take the tape up over the fullest part of the crown and down to the same point on the other side. The second is full head circumference, around the widest part, usually just above the eyebrows at the front and around the occipital bone at the back.
Neither measurement is taken over clothing or hair that adds bulk, and both are taken standing up, because a seated measurement understates the crown.
Write both numbers on the drafting paper before you start, because every figure in the next three steps comes from them. A worked example makes the arithmetic concrete: a head circumference of 22 inches and a neck base to neck base measurement of 16 inches.
| Figure | Number | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Neck base over head | 16 inches | Rectangle height: half (8) plus 1 inch ease = 9 inches |
| Head circumference | 22 inches | Rectangle width: half = 11 inches |
| Seam allowance | 1/2 inch | Added last, on every edge except a fold |
Those two numbers give a rectangle 9 inches tall and 11 inches wide. Every hood in this guide, two piece or three piece, is drawn inside that rectangle.
Step 1: Draw the Foundation Rectangle
The foundation rectangle is the boundary box that every hood curve is drawn inside. Its height is half the neck base to neck base measurement plus 1 inch of ease. Its width is half the head circumference, with no ease added, because the fabric and the seam allowance supply the width.
Draw it with the ruler held against the paper edge, then check all four corners before going further. Label the bottom left corner as centre back, the bottom right as centre front, and the top edge as the crown.
If the paper cannot leave 2 inches of space on every side, start again on a larger sheet. The three piece conversion later cuts this rectangle into sections and needs room around it.
Step 2: Shape the Back Curve
The back of a head is not a box. Find the midpoint of the top edge and measure three quarters of an inch straight up, outside the rectangle, and mark it. That point is where the crown of the hood will sit.
Now work on the left edge, the centre back. Measure 1 inch down from the top left corner and mark it, then draw a 1 inch square inside that corner and mark its inner corner. The distance between those two marks and the top of the crown is the shape the back of the skull takes.
Join the three quarters of an inch rise, the inner corner of the box and the 1 inch mark with a smooth curve. Check it with the French curve held in three positions: if the line changes shape as you move the curve, redraw it in shorter sections. This edge is the seam that runs down the back of the head, so a wobble here becomes a visible ridge.
Step 3: Curve the Face Opening
The right edge of the rectangle is the face opening. Start at the top right corner and draw a line straight down for 1 1/2 to 2 inches, then stop. Do not curve it yet.
At the bottom right corner, draw a short line 1 inch straight out to the right, square to the bottom edge. Then connect the bottom of the vertical drop to the end of that projection with one shallow, continuous curve. This is the curve you adjust when a hood gapes open around the cheeks.
At this stage the draft is a modified rectangle: a curved back edge, a curved front edge, a straight bottom edge and one guide point above the top edge.
Step 4: Match the Neckline to Your Bodice Pattern
This is the step most hood tutorials skip, and it is why home made hoods pull at the neck or refuse to lie flat. The bottom edge of the hood has to be the same length as the neckline it joins, and the only reliable way to get that length is to trace it from the garment pattern.
Lay the front and back bodice pieces so the shoulder seams meet as they would on the body. Measure the back neckline from centre back to the shoulder seam, then the front neckline from the shoulder seam to centre front, and add them together. That total is the length your hood bottom edge must be.
Place the back bodice piece on the draft with its centre back point on the bottom left corner of the rectangle and trace its neckline curve onto the bottom edge, then repeat with the front piece from the other end. Where the two curves disagree by more than 1/2 inch, split the difference and redraw with the French curve.
If the traced neckline runs past the bottom right corner, the hood is too narrow. Widen the rectangle and redraw rather than easing the extra length into the seam.
Step 5: Test the Draft in Muslin and Fix the Fit
Every draft, however carefully measured, should be tested before it touches good fabric. The test garment is a toile or muslin, and it costs an hour and a metre of cheap cloth instead of a jacket. Use a fabric with a similar weight and drape to the final one: old bed sheets for lightweight hoods, calico for medium weights, an old wool blanket for coating.
Cut on the cutting line, the outer line that includes seam allowance, never on the stitching line. Sew the centre back seam with a long stitch, clip the curves, and pin the hood to a stand-in neckline: a length of tape measured to your garment neckline is enough for the first check.
Try it on and look at four things: whether it clears your forehead, whether it stays up when you turn your head, whether the face opening frames your face, and whether the bottom edge sits flat against the tape.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Slides back off the head | Face opening curve too shallow | Bring the curve 1/2 to 1 inch further forward on the crown |
| Pulls tight across the top | Rectangle height too short | Add 1/2 to 1 inch to the height and redraw |
| Face opening sags open at the cheeks | Hood too deep or top edge too high | Reduce the height by 1/2 inch and test again |
| Neckline pulls or puckers | Bottom edge and garment neckline differ | Measure both curves and re-trace the bottom edge |
Mark every adjustment on the paper pattern in coloured pencil: cut and tape to add, fold and tape to reduce. When the toile fits, transfer the changes to the paper and the pattern is finished.
Five Mistakes, Three Structure Choices and the Finishing
A facing is the simplest addition. Cut a 2 inch strip on the same curve as the face opening, interface it and turn it to the inside, and the opening keeps a firm edge that will not stretch out. It is the difference between a hood that frames the face and one that flops forward.
A drawstring casing adds 1 1/4 inches to the face opening edge, folded to the inside and stitched, with two eyelets at the centre front. Keep the casing out of the seam allowance so the cord has room to run. A wire or a brim suits technical outerwear only: sew a curved plastic strip or millinery wire into the facing, stopping 1 inch short of each end so it cannot poke through.
Weight decides which of the three you need. A summer linen hood wants nothing but a faced opening, a wool coat hood wants a facing plus a light interfacing, and a waterproof shell wants the casing and the wire together, because a hood that will not hold its shape in wind is worse than no hood at all. For fusing, the guide to what sewing interfacing is covers weights and temperatures.
First, the five mistakes that show up in almost every first draft:
| Mistake | Where it starts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Head measured in the wrong place | Tape around the hairline instead of the crown | Tape across the forehead above the eyebrows and around the occipital bone |
| Ease skipped | Half the head measurement used on its own | Add 1 inch to the height of the rectangle |
| Straight centre back seam | Drawn with a ruler instead of a curve | Draw the curve that removes the point at the back of the head |
| Neckline never traced | Bottom edge drawn from imagination | Trace the bodice neckline onto the draft |
| Allowance added too early | Added before the shape is final | Add it last, on the finished draft only |
All five are caught in the same place: by checking the draft against the two measurements before the pattern is cut, and by sewing a muslin before the good fabric is opened.
Then the sewing, which decides whether the result looks handmade in a good way. Press every seam as it is sewn, and stay stitch the neckline before the hood is handled again, because that edge sits on or near the bias and a line of straight stitch just inside the seam allowance locks it at its drafted length. A curved centre back seam should be pressed over a ham with the curve supported, never flat on the board.
For a lined hood, build the outer hood and the lining hood as two separate units first, then place them right sides together and stitch around the face opening only, before turning the whole unit through the unsewn neckline edge and attaching it to the garment in one pass. Pin from the centre back out to each centre front, stitch with the hood facing up so you can see the curve, then grade the allowances to different widths, clip the curve every half inch and press towards the garment.
| Fabric | Hood it makes | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Fleece, sweatshirting, brushed cotton | Soft, close fitting, folds flat | Needs interfacing at the face opening |
| Denim, canvas, twill | Structured, holds a shape | Bulk in the centre back seam, clip and grade |
| Wool coating | Warm, drapes, holds a crown | Press over a ham, never flat |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I draft a hood pattern from scratch?
Take two measurements, neck base to neck base over the head and full head circumference. Draw a rectangle with half the first measurement plus 1 inch of ease for height and half the second for width, curve the back and the face opening, then trace your bodice neckline onto the bottom edge.
What are the two measurements needed to draft a hood?
Neck base to neck base over the head sets the depth of the hood, and full head circumference sets the width of the face opening. No other body measurement is needed.
How much ease should a hood pattern have?
One inch added to the half neck base to neck base measurement for the rectangle height, plus whatever the fabric itself adds. A hood cut to the raw head measurement grips the skull and restricts head movement.
What is the difference between a two piece and a three piece hood?
A two piece hood is two mirrored panels joined by one curved centre back seam, which gives a slightly pointed crown. A three piece hood adds a centre band over the crown, so the shape is rounder and holds its form better.
How do I convert a two piece hood pattern into a three piece hood?
Mark 1 inch in from the face opening and 3 inches in from the centre back on your fitted two piece pattern, cut along those lines to create two side panels, then use the curved edge you removed as the length of the centre band, widened by 1/2 inch at its midpoint.
Why does my hood slide off my head?
The face opening curve was drafted too shallow, so the hood does not come far enough forward over the crown. Bring the curve forward by 1/2 to 1 inch at the top and test in muslin again.
Why does my hood pull tight across the top of my head?
The rectangle height was drafted too short. Add 1/2 to 1 inch to the height, redraw the curves, and note that stretch fabrics need slightly less ease because they relax with wear.
Can I draft a hood pattern from a hoodie I already own?
Yes. Fold the hood so the centre back seam sits on the fold and the front openings match, lay it flat on paper and trace around it, then check the bottom edge against the neckline of the garment you are attaching it to. Trace first, but measure your own head to confirm the depth.
How much fabric does a hood need?
A lined hood in most sizes takes about 1/2 yard of 60 inch wide fabric for each layer, plus seam allowance and any matching you need on a print.
What fabric is best for a hood?
Fleece and sweatshirting and brushed cotton for soft casual hoods, denim and canvas and twill for structured hoods, wool coating for warmth and drape. High stretch knits need interfacing or a woven lining to stop them drooping.
Conclusion
A hood pattern that fits is not advanced pattern making. It is two measurements, one rectangle, four curves and one traced neckline, and the order of those steps matters more than the tools.
Save the pattern once it fits. Label it with the neckline length and the measurements it was drafted to, and the next hooded jacket you make starts from a pattern that is already proven.
Tell me which of the two measurements caught you out, and I will tell you where the draft went wrong. Have you drafted a hood that fits, or are you still fighting one that slides off?
About This Guide
This guide is part of the Craftsing sewing pattern library. Every method on this page has been tested by Mithu on real garments and on real heads, in muslin first, before it was written down. Measurements are given in inches because that is what the drafting method was built on, and every figure on the page traces back to the two head measurements at the top.
If a step does not match what you see in your own fabric, tell me in the comments and I will check the draft against your numbers.
All images in this article were created using AI.