Tutorial Tuesday - The Scrap Hat

I have way too many scrap pieces of material. I keep them because I know someday I will want need them and today is the day.

Here's what you will need: a bowl (the bowl needs to fit comfortably on your head)

medium weight material

lots of scrap material pieces

Scrap work

1. Start by sewing scrap pieces of material together in whatever way you would like. Think of this as a tiny quilt that you are designing. This will make up the middle panel of the hat. Once I had all of my scrap pieces sewn together the material measured about 24" x 5". Set the sewn scraps aside.

Top and middle of hat

2. Find a bowl that will fit comfortably on your head, then place the bowl on you material and trace the outside of the bowl. Double up the material so you will end up with 2 pieces. One piece will the for the outside the other for the lining. Next, measure the outside of the circle that you just cut out. This will be the length of the middle panel.

3. Using the scrap material, measure out the length (for my bowl size the middle measurements were 22") x 4". Cut out another piece with the same measurements for the lining. The lining can be any material that you would like.

4. Pin the top and middle outside pieces together with right sides facing, then stitch.

This is what it looks like so far.

The Bill

5. Use a pair of khaki pants for the bill. Fold the pant leg on the seam, then place the middle of the bowl on the seam. Outline the bowl, then measure out 4" all the way around the bowl.

6. You will end up with a center circle and a larger outside ring. The inner piece can be discarded or saved for future projects.

7. Fold the ring over on itself creating little pleats.

8. Sew the pleats down by stitching around the ring multiple times. 

9. Pin the bill to the main part of the hat with pleated side facing out. The pleats will end up being on the bottom of the bill. Top stitch the bill to the hat.

Lining

1. Repeat step 4 with the lining pieces. Then press a 1/2" seam all the way around the middle part of the hat. Pin the lining inside the hat and then stitch.