Hopefully you’re gathering all of your materials and are making ready to construct this adorable little hat along with me.

My Sew-Along will begin on Friday, May 20th.   If you want to start sooner that would be great.  Our finish date is Monday May 23rd.

Supplies list:  1 sheet of felt at least  22 X 12  (I found some on a bolt at a fabric store and bought 1/3 yard)

 matching thread

 scissors

 sheet of typing paper

 ruler 

 decorative items for your hat 

 (button, lace, netting, feathers, ribbon, etc…)

bias tape or grosgrain ribbon – about 22 inches.

 2 bobby pins

 your camera to take a picture when you’re done!

Note*  I’m planning to use fusible interfacing to give my hat a little more body and rigidity.

Step 1:  Watch the video and make notes about how to draw your pattern and cut it out. 

Pattern consists of two parts.   The first pattern piece is 10 1/2″ long  (one end is 2 1/2 inches wide  and the other is 3″ wide).   The 3″ end will be placed along the fold of the felt and pinned then cut out.   You will end up with a piece of fabric that is 21″ long.  The center will be 3″ wide and each end will be 2 1/2″ wide. This will be the band of the hat.  I will refer to this as “the long piece”.

  The second piece will also be cut on the fold.   This pattern piece is a half round that is 7″ along the straight side  and arches to 3 1/2″ in the center.   Next you will cut out the felt and that will result in a circle which will be the top of the hat. I’ll refer to this as “The round piece”.

Step 2: Take the long piece and, using a 5/8 seam allowance, stitch the 2 1/2 inch ends together.   Then stitch the seam allowances down as demonstrated in the video.

Step 3:   Pin and then stitch the round piece onto the top edge of your long piece (the slanting edge is the top).    Keep in mind that the first seam you made (when you sewed the ends of the long piece) will become  the back of the hat when it is completed.  Stitch the seam allowances (around the top of the hat) down , as demonstrated in the video.

Step 4:  Attach bias tape (or grosgrain ribbon) to the inside bottom edge to give the hat a nice finished inside edge.

 Step 5:  make a small zig zag stitch on either side of the hat about 1/2″ from the bottom.   Make a hole just beneath this stitch.  This will be where the bobby pins will go through the hat to help hold it in place.  (I’m probably going to make a small button hole instead)

 Step 6: Decorate your hat and stitch decorations on firmly but neatly.

 Hopefully we’ll all have perfectly relaxed weekends and will be able to make two or three hats each.   I look forward to seeing them on Monday May 23rd!