How-Tuesday: Broad Brim Sun Hat

Update: In response the question in the comments below, we have added a new file for the pattern pieces need for this project that is easier to print.

Jennifer Paganelli is the creator of Sis Boom Fabrics, and other fabric and home decor lines. For this week’s How-Tuesday, she is sharing a project from her new book, Happy Home. Read on to learn the ins and outs of stitching your own broad brim hat, an intermediate sewing project designed for advanced sun protection and style.

Whether you are gardening, grilling, playing with the kids, or frolicking at the beach, this is the chapeau for you. You will want to make a different one to match each of your outdoor activities. Wear it with the brim folded up or down; either way, this hat will have you covered. It is also the perfect accessory to make as a gift.

You Will Need:
• 5/8 yd (57 cm) printed mid-weight cotton fabric (45 inch/114 cm wide) for exterior
• 5/8 yd (57 cm) coordinating mid-weight cotton fabric (45 inch/114 cm wide) for lining
• ½ yd (45 cm) coordinating mid-weight cotton fabric (45 inch/114 cm wide) for binding, band, and casing
• 5/8 yd (57 cm) muslin fabric (45 inch/114 cm wide) for interlining
• ½ yd (45 cm) Pellon Craft Fuse 808 or similar mid-weight nonwoven fusible interfacing
• 1 yd (1 m) Pellon Shape-Flex SF101 or similar mid-weight woven fusible interfacing
• One 36 to 40 inch (91 to 102 cm) shoelace
• Coordinating thread
• Tracing paper and pencil (optional)
• Water-soluble fabric marker
• Ruler
• Pins
• Scissors for fabric
• Safety pin
• Pattern pieces

Finished sizes:
Girls’ size adjustable to fit head circumferences of 19.5 to 22 inches/49.5 to 56 cm
Women’s size adjustable to fit head circumference of 21.5 to 24 inches/54.5 to 61 cm

Directions:

Cutting
Print, cut out, and tape together the top, crown, and brim pattern pieces.

From exterior fabric:
Fold the fabric in half, right sides together, and align the selvage edges.
Cut 1 crown piece on the fold, 1 top piece, and 2 brim pieces.

From lining fabric:
Fold the fabric in half, right sides together, and align the selvage edges.
Cut 1 crown piece on the fold, 1 top piece, and 2 brim pieces.

From muslin fabric:
Fold the fabric in half, right sides together, and align the selvage edges.
Cut 1 crown piece on the fold, 1 top piece, and 2 brim pieces.

From Pellon Craft Fuse:
Fold the interfacing in half, and align along the short ends.
Cut 2 brim pieces.

From Pellon Shape-Flex:
Fold the interfacing in half, and align along the short ends.
Cut 4 brim pieces.

From binding fabric:
With the fabric in a single layer:
Cut one 2¼-by-24-inch (5.5-by-61 cm) bias strip.
Cut enough 3-inch (7.5-cm) wide bias strips so that, when pieced together, they will measure at least 80 inches (203 cm).

Assemble
Step 1: Apply Interlinings
(A) Fuse the Craft Fuse brim pieces to 1 side of each muslin brim piece, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

(B) Fuse the Shape-Flex Brim pieces to the wrong sides of the exterior and lining brim pieces, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

(C) With wrong (interfaced) sides of the muslin brim pieces and the lining brim pieces together, align all raw edges and pin. Along the smaller curved edge, baste the pieces together, 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the edge. These will now be treated as a single piece and be referred to as the Brim Lining pieces.

(D) Along the smaller curved edges of the exterior brim pieces, baste 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the edge. This stitching is to help keep the curved edge from stretching.

(E) Place the muslin top piece on the wrong side of the exterior top piece, align the raw edges, and pin. Baste together 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the edge. Place the muslin crown piece on the wrong side of the exterior crown piece, align the raw edges, and pin. Along the smaller curved edge, baste together 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the edge. These will now be treated as a single piece and be referred to as the exterior pieces.

Step 2: Binding, Band, and Casing
(A) Place the 2¼-by-24-inch/5.5-by-61-cm bias strip wrong-side up, fold over one of the 2 long raw edges ½ inch/12 mm, and press. This piece is the crown band piece.

(B) Join the 3-inch/7.5-cm bias strips together, following the instructions on page 20. Cut a 27-inch/69-cm-long piece off 1 end of the joined strip and set aside. Then fold and press the remaining joined bias strip into a double-fold binding.

(C) Take the 27-inch/69-cm piece of bias strip, fold 1 of the raw short ends over to the wrong side ¼ inch/6 mm, and press. Then fold that edge over again ¼ inch/6 mm, and press. Edge stitch along the inner folded edge. Then fold the entire strip in half lengthwise, and press. The other short end will be hemmed later. This piece is the inside casing.

Step 3: Exterior Pieces
(A) With right sides up, align the raw edge of the crown band piece with the bottom raw edge of the crown piece. Pin the crown band in place. Since the crown piece is curved, you will have to stretch the bias-cut crown band piece slightly to fit and lay smoothly. Topstitch the top edge of the crown band piece to the crown, 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the folded edge. Then, baste the bottom raw edges together, 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the edge. Trim off any excess length of crown band piece.

(B) Fold the exterior crown piece in half, wrong sides together, align along the 2 short ends, and pin. Sew together with a ½ inch (12 mm) seam allowance. Press the seam open. Make small clips into the seam allowance, no more than 3/8 inch (1 cm) long, every 1 inch (2.5 cm) or so around the top edge (the smaller of the 2 edges) of the crown piece. These clips will help the crown piece fit together with the top piece.

(C) With right sides together, center  the double notches on the top piece to the center back seam of the crown piece, align the raw edges, and pin. Match the other 3 notches on the top piece to the corresponding notches on the crown piece in the same manner, pinning as you go. Align the raw edges of the crown and top pieces in between the notches, and pin as much as you feel necessary. If you are having a hard time fitting the pieces together, you many need to make a few more clips into the top edge seam allowance of the crown piece. Once the pieces are aligned along the raw edges, sew together with a ½ inch (12 mm) seam allowance. Make small clips into the seam allowance of the top piece every 1 inch (2.5 cm) or so, being careful not to cut into the seam. Turn the piece right-side out, and press the seam allowance toward the crown. Topstitch around the top of the crown 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the seam.

(D) With right sides together, align all edges of the 2 brim pieces, and pin the 2 straight ends together. Sew together with a ½ in (12 mm) seam allowance. Press both seams open.

(E) With right sides together, match up the 2 side notches on the exterior crown piece to the 2 seams on the exterior brim, align the raw edges, and pin. Then match up the center back seam and center front notch on the brim piece to the corresponding notches on the brim, and pin together. Continue aligning the raw edges of the crown and brim pieces in between the notches, pinning as much as you feel necessary. If you are having a hard time fitting the pieces together, you may need to make some clips into the inside edge seam allowance of the brim piece. Once the pieces are aligned along the raw edges, sew together with a ½ inch (12 mm seam) allowance. Make small clips into the seam allowance of the crown piece every 1 inch (2.5 cm) or so, being careful not to cut into the seam. Press the seam toward the crown, turn right side out, and topstitch around the bottom crown band 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the seam, making sure to catch the seam allowance in the topstitching.

Step 4: Lining and Casing
(A) Sew the crown lining center back seam following step 3B.

(B) Sew the crown lining to the top lining following step 3C, omitting the topstitching around the crown.

(C) Sew the brim lining pieces together following step 3D. Before pressing the seams open, trim off as much of the seam allowance as you can from the muslin piece only. Be careful not to cut into the seam. Then, press the seams open.

(D) With right sides together, keeping the casing folded in half, align the raw edges and pin the casing around the inside edge of the brim. You will want to start with the hemmed edge of the casing. Pin it to the center back notch on the brim, then continue pinning the casing in place. You will need to gently stretch the casing piece as you pin it to the brim. Once you reach the center back notch on the brim piece again, place a pin in the casing only to mark where the 2 ends of the casing meet. Don’t remove this pin. Unpin the unhemmed end of the casing from the brim, a few inches/centimeters before reaching the center back notch. Trim off the excess casing ½ inch (12 mm) from the pin. Hem this end of the casing as you did in step 2C. Re-pin this end of the casing to the brim, and baste the casing in place 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the edge.

(E) Sew the crown lining to the brim lining following step 2E. Instead of pressing the seam allowance toward the crown, press it toward the brim. Then topstitch around the brim 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the seam, making sure to catch the seam allowance in the topstitching.

Step 5: Finishing
(A) With wrong sides together, place the hat lining inside the hat exterior, making sure that the crown center back seams and the brim seams are lined up perfectly from the exterior to the lining. Pin all layers together. With the exterior of the hat facing out, very carefully stitch in the ditch all hat layers together at the center back crown seam and at both brim seams. (Stitching in the ditch is a technique done by sewing directly in the groove formed by a seam.) Please note that you will not want to catch the inside casing in any of the stitching in the ditch. Baste all layers of the brim outer edge together 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the edge.

(B) Using the double-fold binding made in step 2B, and starting at the back of the brim, with wrong side of the hat and the binding facing up, unfold the binding and align the raw edge of binding along the raw edge of the brim. As you start, fold the short end of the binding over ½ inch/12 mm, wrong sides together, and pin in place. Continue pinning the binding around the entire brim. Once you reach the folded end of the binding, overlap the binding about ¾ inch (2 cm). Sew the binding to the brim 5/8 inch (16 mm) from the edge. Wrap the binding around the edge of the brim, to the right side of the brim, enclosing the raw edges. Fold the raw edge of the binding under, along the crease, and edge stitch the binding to the right side of the brim.

(C) Pin a safety pin to one end of the shoelace and feed through the casing. Draw the shoelace through the casing and even out the ends, then loosely tie into a bow. Try your hat on, and adjust the shoelace until you get the fit you want.

If you make your own sun hat, share a photo with us in the Etsy Labs Flickr group.

Thank you to Jennifer Paganelli  for sharing this project with us. For more craft and sewing projects to pretty up your home, check out Happy Home, available from Chronicle Books, Amazon, or an independent bookstore near you.

More Things to Make | Sun Hats on Etsy