Hat from a Pattern

I never use patterns.  I think I like the idea that "I can do it myself."  I must still be two at heart. 

But my little Kewpie Doll needed a hat, because she inherited our pale, pale skin, and I didn't feel courageous enough to figure this out without a pattern.  AND my Mother-in-law had given me a hat pattern two years ago that made this sweet little reversible hat.  Looking at this hat makes me want to go back and line Kewpie's current hat.  The contrasting fabric is rather cute.

Remembering how floppy the hat was last time, I found some stiffer fabric to use this time.  But I didn't want to take the time to make two hats and sew them together, so I only used interfacing on the brim to make it stiffer.  Silly me.  Being in a hurry is what has caused most problems in my life.

If you wanted to, you could probably come up with a pattern for a hat.  It's fairly simple.

First you need the top. I measured and discovered how much Kewpie's head had grown in the past two years, and added a little extra fabric around each pattern piece to accommodate for the larger head.

Then you need a crown, which connects to the top. This pattern cut on the fold, so it looks shorter than it is.  It needs to fit all the way around your head with a little bit of room for a seam.

Then you need a brim, that connects to the crown.





The most difficult part is trying to sew the crown, which is a straight line, to the top, which is circular, and then the brim, which is circular, to the crown, which is straight.

It calls for a lot of easing, and with my simple skills, it never quite turns out professionally.  But perhaps I look at it more critically than anyone else would.

Kewpie loves it, and it protects her sweet little face and that's what counts.  AND it did only take about 30 minutes.