Vintage Sun Hat Tutorial

How to Make a Simple Sun Hat. Free Bucket Hat Sewing Tutorial. This is a simple sewing project that anyone with basic sewing skills can make.

 I used some measurements from online, but the construction of the hat was all my way. I was told the measurements I used to make my pattern came from an online program called Wild Things (www.wildginger.com). I didn't have this program and made my own pattern on the computer using the measurements I found in a google search. Go search out the program! It is probably much easier than my way of doing things!  I top stitched around mine 5 times so the brim lays nice.

This is the hat for the MIL. A more subtle print. Nice light fabric so the head won't get hot. This one only needed to be top stitched around 3 times.

A pic of both hats in the grass. These were so much fun I plan to whip up a few more!

Here is the pattern pieces I made for the pattern. The crown of the hat (the circle) is a circle with a 7 and 3/4 inch diameter. The band of the hat (long strip) is 23 inches long by 5 inches wide. The hat brim is 25 inch arch and 15 and a 1/2 inches from edge to edge with the other half circle cut out.

Cut out pieces. 1 crown, 1 band, 2 brims, and 1 brim out of interfacing.
Cut the brim with the 2 small parts on the fold.

Now iron (if you are using iron on interfacing) or baste your interfacing to the wrong side of 1 of your hat brims.

Layer the 2 hat brims, one with interfacing, right sides together and sew around the outer edge.

I then use a pinking shears to trim my seam, but if you don't have one you can always trim with a regular scissors and clip the curves.

Turn the brim right sides out and press around the outer seam to make it lay flat.

Fold your brim in half and trim the inner circle so that everything is nice and even. 

Now top stitch around the outer circle of your hat. It depends on your fabric and how you want it to look. I go around 4 times on this hat, but on the other hats I went around 3 and 5 times. This is up to you, but it makes the brim lay nice.

I use the width of my sewing foot for the spacing of the topstitching.

Now your brim is finished. Set it aside for later.

Fold the strip (hat band) in half right sides together and sew down the 2 sides making a loop.

Press the seam open.

Press the strip into quarters so you have 3 creases and your seam as guide lines for the next step.

Fold and press creases into the circle (crown of the hat) as well.

Match the creases of the strip and circle and pin at each crease right sides together.

Now bring the circle to meet the edge of the strip and pin the rest of the way around. You may have a bit of gather, but it is fine.

Now you will have something that looks like this.

Sew around that seam. Remove pins, and trim down seam with pinking shears or regular scissors and clip curves.

Now pin right sides together the cap of the hat and the brim. I like to hold it together and pin around making a slight pleat at the back of the hat. This way you know the back from the front and it fits around perfectly.

It will look like this when it is all pinned.

Sew around that seam being careful not to catch more of the hat than the hat band and brim.

Trim down the seam with a pinking shears or regular scissors. Try your hat on. If it is a bit big you can sew around this seam again further into make it tighter.

If you want the inside to look more finished you can iron on some iron on seam binding or hand stitch some in. I find the seam on the inside doesn't bother me so I don't do this step.
Now you have a finished hat to keep the sun out of your eyes and look fab!

Q&A

 I love your hat and tute, but I have a question:  Your instructions say "The hat brim is 25 inch arch and 15 and a 1/2 inches from edge to edge with the other half circle cut out" - but I don't get it.  Does this mean that the outer circle of the brim has a 25" diameter, and the inner circle that you cut out has a 15 1/2" diameter?  I want to make your hat, but I am confused. . .

 I was trying to give an idea of the size of my pattern. The 25 inch arch is from one side of the pattern to the other following the rounded curve of the hat brim. That is only the measurement of the half pattern since you cut it out on the fold to get your entire circle. So you'd measure from fold to fold on your fabric making a half circle. The 15 1/2 inch measurement is from one corner of the hat pattern straight across the fold to the other side including the area which you cut out. So if you folded your material in half and measured 15 1/2 inches along the fold that is how wide your half circle would be. If I knew how to draw it out for you in paint or something I would, but alas I don't have a clue. Hopefully that helps!

 Okay, I get half of it - the outer circle has a 15 1/2" Diameter (the length of the folded side of the circle is a diameter), but how big of a circle do you cut out of the middle?

 Take your hat crown and fold it in half. That is the diameter of the hole you should cut out. I think the diameter of the hat crown was 7 3/4. I think it says in the tute.