One of the fabrics that our customers here at Calico Laine love is our fleece; we carry this in so many different colours and patterns that we often get comments about being spoiled for choice both in-store and online. If, like me, you are someone who works with fleece a lot, you might often find yourself with small scrap pieces that you are not sure what to do with, but they are too big to throw away because you just know you can use them for something! What I like to do with my spare fleece pieces is make hats - even though the cold winter weather is beginning to leave us at last, these hats are popular no matter what time of year. I have had customers wear them for all sorts of purposes, with one of the most popular being something to keep their head warm while hiking or walking trails - this is very important, as supposedly nearly half of our body heat is lost through our heads!
In today's blog, I'll be talking about how to make a basic fleece hat; all pictures and diagrams are NOT shown to scale.
What you'll need:
- 0.5 metres of 60" wide fleece (Available from us both in-store and online)
- 1 reel of cotton (To match your chosen fleece colour)
- A flexible tape measure (This is important!)
- Your head circumference
- A packet of dressmaking pins
- 1 sheet of pattern making paper
- A pencil
- A ruler
Step 1
First off, you will need to measure the circumference of your head using the flexible tape measure, and make a pattern from paper. In our example, I'll be making a hat for someone with a head circumference of 23". Take your measurement and add 4" for seam allowances, then divide by 4. You will be making your hat out of five pieces of fleece, and four pieces make up the main section of the hat. You will need to draw a pattern using our example as a guideline for the shapes you will be cutting out of your fleece:
For the top pattern piece, the bottom edge will be the measurement you worked out at the beginning of step one. Draw a vertical line measuring about 7.5" up from the centre of this line. After this, draw the curved lines as illustrated on our example. The measurement along the bottom of the pattern piece is the measurement that we were left with when we divided our head circumference by 4. You will need to cut four of these pieces.
For the bottom pattern piece, draw a rectangle measuring the length of your head circumference plus 3" (this is for seam allowances and a comfortable fit), and about 4" wide. This will form the band of your hat. You will cut one of this piece.
Step 2
Lay your pattern down on your fleece and cut four of the curved pieces, and one of the band piece. Put the band piece to one side for now.
Step 3
Take two of your four curved pieces. With the right sides of the fabric together, pin along one curved edge and sew with a 0.5" seam allowance. Open it up so that you have two pieces sewn together and laid flat. Repeat this whole step with your other two identical pieces.
Step 4
You should now have your four curved pieces made up into two pieces. With the right sides of the fabric together, pin these two pieces together along the curved edge and sew with a 0.5" seam allowance. Once you are done, turn the whole thing right side out, and you have the base of your hat. Adjust for a comfortable fit if needed.
Step 5
Retrieve the band piece you cut earlier and fold in half; pin the two narrow edges together and sew with a 0.5" seam allowance. You will now have a complete ring of fleece; check that this fits comfortably around your head. Fold in half along the length so that the seam you just created is hidden within.
Step 6
Pin the two loose edges (not the folded edge!) of your band piece's to the bottom edge of your hat base and adjust for fit if necessary. Make sure to pin it to the right side of your hat base and sew with a 0.5" seam allowance. Take your time as sewing in a ring can be a little fiddly. Once you have completed this seam, you now have a finished hat, ready to wear!
Feel free to embellish your hat any way you like if you feel it is too plain; you could add buttons, patches or embroidery to personalise your hat and make it unique. Whatever you choose to do, make sure to share photographs of your completed project on our Facebook page!
For the top pattern piece, the bottom edge will be the measurement you worked out at the beginning of step one. Draw a vertical line measuring about 7.5" up from the centre of this line. After this, draw the curved lines as illustrated on our example. The measurement along the bottom of the pattern piece is the measurement that we were left with when we divided our head circumference by 4. You will need to cut four of these pieces.
For the bottom pattern piece, draw a rectangle measuring the length of your head circumference plus 3" (this is for seam allowances and a comfortable fit), and about 4" wide. This will form the band of your hat. You will cut one of this piece.
Step 2
Lay your pattern down on your fleece and cut four of the curved pieces, and one of the band piece. Put the band piece to one side for now.
Step 3
Take two of your four curved pieces. With the right sides of the fabric together, pin along one curved edge and sew with a 0.5" seam allowance. Open it up so that you have two pieces sewn together and laid flat. Repeat this whole step with your other two identical pieces.
Step 4
You should now have your four curved pieces made up into two pieces. With the right sides of the fabric together, pin these two pieces together along the curved edge and sew with a 0.5" seam allowance. Once you are done, turn the whole thing right side out, and you have the base of your hat. Adjust for a comfortable fit if needed.
Step 5
Retrieve the band piece you cut earlier and fold in half; pin the two narrow edges together and sew with a 0.5" seam allowance. You will now have a complete ring of fleece; check that this fits comfortably around your head. Fold in half along the length so that the seam you just created is hidden within.
Step 6
Pin the two loose edges (not the folded edge!) of your band piece's to the bottom edge of your hat base and adjust for fit if necessary. Make sure to pin it to the right side of your hat base and sew with a 0.5" seam allowance. Take your time as sewing in a ring can be a little fiddly. Once you have completed this seam, you now have a finished hat, ready to wear!
Feel free to embellish your hat any way you like if you feel it is too plain; you could add buttons, patches or embroidery to personalise your hat and make it unique. Whatever you choose to do, make sure to share photographs of your completed project on our Facebook page!