How-To: Sew a Reversible Sun Hat
By Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever
Future Craft Collective
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
Step 1: Make your pattern piece using the measurements and guidance provided in the pattern piece photos.
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).
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.
Step 4: Next, take the third piece in your set and join it with the other 2 pieces, sewing one side seam.
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).
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.
Step 7: You now have 2 caps: outer and inner.
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.
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.
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
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.
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:
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
