How to Sew

Ashley’s quick guide to sewing beanies

Ready to Make Some Baby Hats?

Okay, let’s get started…

**The hat instructions and template below is sized to fit about 0-3 months, not newborn.  My babies never come out newborn size, so I made this a little larger.  However, if you’d really like a smaller hat, you’ll have to scale down the pattern piece just a bit.

Supplies:

• Stretchy Knit Fabric
• Pattern Piece (found here)
• Sewing Machine (with zig-zag function)
• Iron with steam

For the majority of this tutorial, we will be putting the hats together the same way as these Knit Baby Hats.  So refer to that tutorial as needed.

STEP 1.

Use the pattern piece in the supply list above to cut 2 hat shapes from your knit fabric.  BE SURE that the stretch of your knit is going right to left, so that the hat will stretch around the head.  Also, cut a rectangle piece that is 15 1/2 inches wide and 5 1/2 inches tall.  Again, the stretch needs to go right to left.

STEP 2.

Place your two hat pieces together, with right sides together (matching up your knits if needed) and sew all the way around the sides and top, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

STEP 3.

With the other knit hat tutorial listed above, I serged the edges but this time, I want to show you that a serger isn’t always necessary.  So, you can either sew a zig zag stitch all the way around or just sew another simple stitch around the sides and top, right next to the first seam.  (Knit doesn’t fray so a zig-zag stitch isn’t necessary.)

STEP 4.

Then, turn your hat right side out and press flat with steam.  Then, sew the band piece together and fold in half and press, just like the other hat tutorial listed above.

STEP 5.

Now, the other hat tutorial, I sewed the band to the “right” side of the hat fabric.  This time, I realized we could hide the seam a little better if you attach the band to the “wrong” side of the hat fabric.  So, turn the hat inside out (no need to poke the top of the hat back out, since you just ironed it flat) and then line up the raw edges of the folded band to the bottom raw edge of the hat.  Pin in place.  Just be sure that the hat is INSIDE OUT.

STEP 6.

Then, sew all the way around the bottom edge of the hat with a zig-zag stitch, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  Just BE SURE that you’re using a zig-zag stitch so that the hat opening can stretch.  A straight seam will prohibit this.

STEP 7.

Next, turn the hat right side out again and steam the newly attached band flat (right where you attached with the zig-zag stitch) and then fold the flap up 1 to 1 1/2 inches and press flat.

STEP 8.

To secure the band in place, stitch to the hat, at both side seams, just like the hat tutorial above.

STEP 9.

See?  Now you seams are hidden under that band.  Sneaky!

STEP 10.

And finally, tie that little piece of fabric into a knot on the top.  You can adjust the size of the hat just a bit by tying more or less of the fabric into the knot.

NOW REPEAT THE STEPS!

And that’s it.  Now, make a few more!!!

 

Enjoy!

– Ashley