How-To: Sew a Reversible Sun Hat

Yarncraft

CRAFT Summer Camp
How-To: Sew a Reversible Sun Hat
By Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever
Future Craft Collective

Sunhat Main
This week I’m passing along a much-beloved pattern that has been in my lexicon of favorites for years now.
It’s a super easy pattern that suits kids as well as adults, and it goes together in a snap. My 8-year-old can whip one of these up on her machine solo, since there is only one pattern piece! She likes to bring them to friends for birthday gifts or just for friendship tokens.
It’s a great “I made it myself” project for when your early seamster is ready to boot you out of the sewing room to try to tackle a project sans parental influence.
Here we’ve got your adult-sized pattern and your kid-sized pattern so you and your kiddos can hit the beach (or the pool, park, trail, or backyard) looking like the matching twinky-dinks that you are. Or not!

Materials

Approximately 1/3 yard of 2 different fabrics for a contrasting reversible hat
Paper or cardboard to make your pattern piece
Thread
Scissors
Sewing machine

Eyelet-setting tool and 2 small eyelets (optional)

Directions

Sunhat Step1
Step 1: Make your pattern piece using the measurements and guidance provided in the pattern piece photos.
Sunhat Step2
Step 2: You’ll need to cut 12 pieces total to make one hat (6 pieces for the outer cap and 6 pieces for the inner cap).
Sunhat Step3
Step 3: Bundle your cut pieces in 3s. You should have 4 sets of 3 pieces. For each set, take 2 pieces and join them, right sides together, along one side.
Sunhat Step4
Step 4: Next, take the third piece in your set and join it with the other 2 pieces, sewing one side seam.
Sunhat Step5
Step 5: Repeat this with all of your other sets. When you are done, you will have 4 pieces, all of which are ½ of a full cap (2 pieces for your outer cap and 2 pieces for your inner cap).
Sunhat Step6
Step 6: Take your 2 outer cap pieces and place them right sides together. Run a seam along the top, joining the 2 pieces together. Do the same thing for your inner cap.
Sunhat Step7
Step 7: You now have 2 caps: outer and inner.
Sunhat Step8
Step 8: Turn one cap right side out (the interior of your hat), and open up the head opening of the other one. Push the right side out cap inside the inside out cap (the exterior of your hat), right sides together, and sew a seam along the outside edge of both caps. Make sure to leave an opening to turn them out.
Sunhat Step9
Step 9: Clip all curves on the seams of your cap, including on each cap piece (anywhere the pattern takes a curve) as well as along the outer seam of the cap.
Sunhat Step10
Step 10: Turn the hat right sides out, stuff the inner cap inside the outer cap, and finish by running a long line of stitches that will help to stiffen the brim of your cap.
Optional: Adding Ties
Sunhat Ties
If you wish to add ties to your reversible sunhat, here’s how I do it:
1. Make 2 ties, around 16" or so long each, out of 1½" bias tape made from one of the two fabrics used. You can also use twill tape or ribbon, as long as it’s not too thick. (If it’s too thick it won’t pull through the eyelets we’re about to add.)
2. Insert eyelets on either side of the cap, avoiding seams. I usually start by finding the “center” of my hat (one full panel sits right atop the middle of the forehead), then I place the eyelets just to the front of the 2 seams that would be right about at the ears.
Sunhat Reversibleties
3. After the eyelets are in place, tie a knot at the very end of one of your ties. Push the other end of the tie through the eyelet and pull it through until you reach the knot. Next, tie a knot at the end you just pulled through. Repeat for the other eyelet. This gives you a tie that you can pull back and forth to the other side when you choose to wear your sunhat reversed!
About the Authors:
author_BernandKath.jpg
Future Craft Collective is brought to you by Kathie Sever and Bernadette Noll. Kathie is an accomplished seamstress, creator of Ramonsterwear Custom Western Wear, artist, and mother of two. Bernadette is a writer, co-founder of Slow Family Living, and mother of four. They have found renewed energy in their collaboration and are continuously amazed by the ideas, inspiration, and a-ha moments that have come from this shared effort.

14 thoughts on “How-To: Sew a Reversible Sun Hat

  1. Francilene stone says:

    Hi Dear
    first of all, i have to say that your project, your hat is absolutelly amazing and gourgeus!!!!
    Secondenlyy excuse my english..i´m brasilien and my mother tong is Portuguese!!!
    I´m a sewer inthusiastic and just started with a few easy project but have notions on drafting patterns!!
    So..is there any way you could tell me whow i could make this hat smaller o bigger, i want to make one for my doughter and one for my son, he´s 4 and shes 18months.I would be forever thankful to you!!!
    Big hugs
    Franci
    francesouzastone@hotmail.com

  2. Sommer C. says:

    This pattern was easy enough to draft and super easy to follow and sew. However, while the finished hat is very cute, there is no real “fit” to it. It would have to have ties to stay on a child’s head, and even then, would be too big. After following the child pattern measurements and using 100% cotton fabric, it is loose even on me. Needs to be a little more snug for it to fit nicely, and smaller to fit at all.
    Looking at the pattern pieces shown, the adult pattern is only wider at the top and brim, and a little taller. The circumference, however, is the same as the child’s hat. No wonder it is way too big.

  3. Noella says:

    This is a darling hat! What size seam allowances did you use when sewing?

  4. Serena says:

    Thank you for posting this hat. I think i may try and put an elastic in the back to make it a little snug. I am going To try and sew a few of these for charity so flexibility is good.

  5. Sally says:

    What a lovely straight-forward (and easily adjustable) pattern that looks smashing made up. Just what I needed. Thank you!

  6. Isa says:

    I thought the pictures and instructions were great, and it’s a very easy hat to make, unfortunatly it was way too big (I made the adult one). I used about a 1/4 in seam allowance. Any ideas on how to make it fit? Thanks.

  7. terry gruber says:

    could someone scan a patter of large size hat and email it to me
    just had rotator cuff surgery and my right hand out of service so far as drawing is concerned.
    want to make hat for young friend with stage 4 breast cancer! God bless you.Thank you, Terry

  8. Hermine says:

    i am a german and i have trouble with the measerments…. sorry….

  9. Carole M says:

    I just made this,and was excited with how easily it came together the way it was supposed to. However, as other people said, making the child’s size was far to big for my son. I am going to adjust it a little and try again. But I love the simplicity of it, and it’s a nice light hat for summer. Thank!

  10. e.d. says:

    What an easy pattern to make. I found the large hat a little too big so I just took a little pleat at each seam above the brim.

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