Babyhat tutorial

This tutorial shows you how to make pattern and sew a babyhat like this. It is made from cotton single jersey in two layers (outer fabric and lining). The procedure can be used for other fabric types too, but the numbers given relates to a rather thin fabric with at least a little bit stretch, in double layer, and with a ribbing band. The hat on the picture is size 46 (i.e. fitting child’s head circumference 46 cm). The girl is 8,5 months old, 46,5 cm around head.


Sizes: The head circumference makes the size. Head circumference is variable from child to child, to get a sense of what age the sizes fit, take a look here: girls and boys.


Drawing the pattern:
Draw a rectangle, that will make a half pattern both around head and across head, the pattern should be placed on fold when cutting. The horisontal sides: Head circumference multiplied with 0,93 and divided by two. The vertical sides: Head circumference multiplied with 0,7 and divided by two. This gives a hat that goes from about the ear opening to the top of the head, close fitted.

Divide pattern in three equally wide columns, every one with a 60° angle centered at the top. (Illustration on how to make an 60° angle: see end of post

Illustration under: Left side of the pattern will be center front, right side of pattern will make the seam in the back of the hat. Draw a curve on the right side (green line).

The hat on the picture has a 2 cm wide ribbing band, withdraw rib width in the bottom of the pattern:

So far, the pattern does not include seam allowances. Add seam allowances everywhere except at foldline. (I use 1 cm). 

(Actually, on the pattern on the picture above, I have forgotten to remove the 2 cm for the ribbing, but instead I removed it from the fabric before sewing. But the picture suits as illustration for seam allowances, though.)


Cutting:
Place the pattern along a fabric fold. Cut outer fabric and lining.
Ribbing: The length depends on the amount of stretch in the fabric. I use rib fabric from Stoff og Stil, and use head circumference multiplied by somewhere around 0,9. If I were to use ribbing from Hilco, maybe 0,75-0.8 would be a better number? Add seam allowances. Width: 2 cm x 2, then add seam allowances.


Sewing:
When you sew, sew curves (black line) instead of straight lines (blue line) at the bottom of the seams, as shown here:

Outer fabric: Place the “mountain tops” right sides together and sew like the illustration above shows. Follow the illustration underneath, i.e. don’t sew the back seam and the seam in the middle. When finished with this, you should have two half cupolas. Before sewing them together, you can place a little folded piece of fabric on top of the hat if you want to.

Lining: Sew as the illustration under shows, included back seam (right sides together). Do not join the two remaining gaps (which now shold look like one large gap).

Ribbing band: Sew the short ends togehter to a ring, fold wrong sides together and press. Make a tiny cut in the seam allowance halfway and for each quarter along the ring. Make marks for each quarter in the outer fabric and lining too.


Joining: Turn one of the cap lyers inside out and pull it over the other. Place the ribbing band inbetween the two layers. When finished this step, ribbing band should be faced by right side fabric on both sides, and the three seams should face eachother. All seam allowances should point the same way.

If your child likes to take the hat off, you should consider adding ties in this step. One way to do it, is to place them between lining and ribbing, 1-2 cm behind the quarter marks in the sides, like I've done here. Or add earflaps too.

Sew! Make sure that quarter marks in all three layers correspond.
Pull the top of the outer fabric through the gap in the lining. Close the gap with a seam, wrong sides together. Lay the lining along the outer fabric. Press outer fabric and lining away from ribbing.
Finished!

Here’s another one, size 44:


Making a 60° angle: Fold a paper twice to make a 90° angle, then draw two lines as the illustration shows. Cut along the two lines.


If anything is unclear, missing, not working well, or I have made silly mistakes in the post, you’re welcome to place a comment :-)
COPYRIGHT?
The pattern in itself (a hat with six parts in the top) is quite universal, you can use it as you want. If you make a hat with design that very much resembles the hats I’ve made, you’re welcome to link to my blog to give me credit. And if you proudly want to show me what you’ve made, do so, and we can be happy and proud together :-)