Cotton Fabric 45" wide get 18" long.
1/4" flat elastic (at least 6 inches).
Matching thread.
Ruler
Fabric Scissors
Sewing Machine
Cut a circle 18" wide. This is your hat.
Cut an oval with pointed ends 14.5" x 6"This is your forehead band
Fold circle in fourths to mark the points of center front and center of each side with a pin. Also fold the forehead band in fourths to mark the center point with a pin.
Sew an elongated straight stitch (machine set at 6.0) along the front half of the hat with the foot on the edge of the fabric.
Then sew a second stitch parallel to that stitch as close as you can. Use 2 different colors of thread for the spool and the bobbin to help differentiate when it comes time to gather. This is a stitch you will use to gather each side of the front of the hat by pulling on the top stitches equal to each other from the center front pin to each center side pin. Gather enough that when you put the forehead panel centered on the front center pin each side will extend to the side pins where the gather stitch ends.A bobbin is placed in the pictures where the center pin is for the side of the hat.
Pin the edges of the forehead band to the front edges of the hat by aligning the center marking pins to each other right sides of fabric facing each other. Sew a regular single straight stitch starting 1/2 inch from the tip of the fabric forehead band to 1/2 inch from the other tip edge.
Turn the forehead band away from the main fabric of the hat. On the under side of the hat turn down the sewn together edges so that they lay flat facing toward the front of the hat. Sew a finished straight stitch along this edge to flatten and form the front band to the main body of the hat. Then repeat a parallel stitch equal distance (usually the foot edge of the machine runs along this stitch as you sew the parallel line). This gives the same appearance as the original stitching done at the straight edge of the forehead band as well as securing the bottom edge of the combined fabric pieces.
Next sew a straight stitch along the remaining edge of the fabric 1/2" from the edge, which is the back of the hat. This becomes your folding edge for the channel you will sew for your 1/4" elastic band. To make the channel fold the fabric on this line and then sew a straight stitch on the edge of this folded turn in the fabric. Or you can fold the fabric 1/2" and sew the center edge and then sew a finishing straight edge along the outer edge of the fabric.
Next cut 6" piece of 1/4" elastic to attach to the back of the hat and pull through the channel. Start by putting a safety pin into the end of the elastic and start threading the elastic into the channel you just sewed. When the end of the elastic is at the opening of the channel sew a straight line at least 4 times back and forth to secure it in place. Then pull the pin through the fabric channel which starts to bunch the back of the hat. Do this until the pin comes out the other end of the channel. Secure the safety pin into the elastic still and then the fabric. Try on the hat and adjust the length of the elastic as necessary to your head. Sew that end in place with the same back and forth straight stitch. Cut off the end or just remove the safety pin.
Now you are to take care of the flaps you created with the forehead band at each side of the hat. Fold the edge into a straight point and then sew this flat covering the opening of the elastic channel. Put a nice finish stitch to tuck under the loose unfinished edge.
Last lay this finished point against the edge of the side of the hat and connect it with a straight stitch along the seam line you previously created so that it continues on with a finished look. You can use a small tight zigzag stitch if there are any loose edges that need to be finished off right at the finishing point very small so it is not noticed. Continue the parallel stitch lines so it is a completed look while doing this have it lined up so the fabric edges are straight finishing off the hat attaching the last edges together.
No comments:
Post a Comment