Fresh Linens: Fig Tree Threads' Amelia & Me Sun Hat

Editor: Liz Johnson

Friday, 09 July 2010 03:00

My husband has freckles, which means my kids have freckles, which means if left out in the sun for any length of time, the whole lot of them looks like a carton of speckled eggs. We have all learned the benefit of good summer head coverings! This adorable floppy sun hat is a pattern from Joanna Figureoa's Fig Tree Threads collection. It uses very little fabric, and so is a perfect way to use up some of your favorite scraps.

The pattern is available from Joanna's Fig Tree & Co. website and includes sizes for both a woman's hat and a child's hat. We made the woman's hat. Joanna let us know she recently made some adjustments to the templates for the child's hat to make the wedge pieces easier to fit together. You can download the adjusted template here.

As with the majority of our Fresh Linens projects, we used pre-cuts for this hat, thanks to our friends at Moda Fabrics who provided us with a full set of all the pre-cuts available for Joanna Figueroa's beautiful Fresh Cottons collection.

Our sample was made with three Fat Quarter squares: two squares from the Custard colorway for the top and one from the Apple Green colorway for the brim. The lining is done in Bella Solids Ivory. You can use Fat Quarters as we did or collect two ¼ yard coordinating fabrics of your own for the top, ½ yard for the brim and a ½ yard for the lining. If you decide to add ties (we did not), you'll also need 1/8 yard for the ties. Besides fabric, you'll also need ½ yard of medium-weight interfacing and a button for the top (optional).

Joanna's Fresh Cottons Collection of fabric has a softly nostalgic feel, but there's nothing old-fashioned about it. That's one of the magical things about Joanna's designs; she pulls in wonderfully vintage themes and colors but the result is never dowdy or out-of date. In fact, they are always new and fresh and fun. To learn more about Fresh Cottons, pre-cuts and our nine Fresh Linens bedroom projects, read our article, Fresh Linens Liven up a Guest Bedroom with Crisp, Comfy Color .

Our helpful hints for making this fun pattern:

Trace the pieces from the pattern and add a ¼" seam allowance around the wedge piece and brim. We recommend making notes on each pattern piece so you know how many you need to cut, such 'Cut (3) wedges from first fabric.'
You'll need a second copy of the brim pattern piece without the seam allowance for the fusible interfacing. Or, you can simply trim away a ¼" from the interfacing after you've cut it out.
For the bias strip that creates the ties, you can also make a pattern, mostly so you don't forget about it! Mark a grain-line on the bias so you remember it needs to be cut this way.
If you use Fat Quarters, you should press them well as they've been folded quite awhile.
Once you're ready to cut, if you fold your Fat Quarter into thirds, you can cut the wedge pieces all at one time. You can do the same for the lining.
When sewing the pieces together, be careful you don't pull them out of shape because they now have stretch, having been cut on the bias.
When you begin to sew the wedge pieces of the hat, start ¼" in from the point. This way when you press the seams open, they will lay nice and flat for you to add on the next piece.
NOTE: We are lucky enough to sew with Janome machines here at Sew4Home. They are known for their feed dog systems (those are the various sets of little teeth in your needle plate that move the fabric). Because Janome feed dog systems are so good (known as 7-Piece Feed Dog, Superior Feed System and Superior Feed System Plus, depending on the Janome model), starting this close to the end of a point or the edge of the fabric is NO problem. This may not be the case with other machines with less-precise feeding systems. If you have experienced problems with your fabric being sucked down into the needle hole when starting too close to the edge, please use caution. Sometimes you can use a scrap start piece of fabric to stabilize your beginning pieces.
When pressing, use a seam roll or pressing ham to maintain the curved shape.
When sewing the brim to the brim lining, we recommend putting the lining side against the feed dogs of your sewing machine because the brim side is interfaced and lining is not. The lining will ease in easier to the stiffer shape of the brim.
To make sewing the cap to the brim easier, you can run a gathering stitch around the raw edge of the cap to fit it into the shape of the brim (similar to fitting a sleeve into an armhole of a garment).

You can order Joanna's Amelia & Me Sun hat from her website, Fig Tree & Co.

AnnieB said:

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Very cute hat. Looks like something I need to make for me and my dear daughter. Love your blog.

August 12, 2010

Liz Johnson, Editor, Sew4Home said:

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Hi Rene -- oh now, everyone thinks they look bad in hats -- truth is, hats are cool. I wish people still wore hats all the time like in those old black and white movies

July 12, 2010

Rene Sharp said:

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This is a gorgeous hat pattern, pity I look like such a dork when wearing a hat!! I do need to start wearing one in summer though, the sun here in South Africa is vicious!!

July 09, 2010