sun hat pattern

Wild things from Wild Ginger has a free sunhat pattern that you just print
off. You put in your own head measurements and the pattern is made to fit
your individual measurements. If you don't have the free program, just go to
the wild ginger site and download. HTH

--
Star love,
Norma
PM OES
"G" wrote in message
om...
Hi all,

I just came back from vacation w/ a nasty sunburn and I've been
thinking about sewing my own sun hat, since hats at the stores are
always too small for my evidently enormous head. Does anyone have
some tips on how to construct one? I've seen a couple of patterns,
but again the standard head measurements won't fit - I'm wondering if
I should buy a pattern then alter dramatically, or just try it on my
own..?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions/comments,
G

AmazeR wrote:

I have had trouble getting a stiff enough buckram for caps I have been
making for years. Shops in NZ seem to have only one weight. Are there
several weights or just one?

Otherwise, I'll try the heavy interfacing as well..

Thanks for the info. on this..

AmazeR

Well, now that you mention it, I dunno!

I was looking for ultra-stiff buckram a few years ago and the only place that
had a good one was the dear, poky little fabric shop in our suburb. Sadly,
that's closed down and I haven't had to buy buckram since. When I need extra
stiffness, I cut extra pieces of the pattern and interface them all with the
heaviest interfacing I can get (this is for hats, of course). You get extra
bulk, but that's not usually a problem. I don't know whether this might help?
--
Trish {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

PS. I've used stiff plastic as an insert for visors and pencil cases and bags in
the past. You know those document folders that have clear plastic pockets
within? I cut up the front cover of one of those and, while heavy, it did the
job. Later, I used a different, lighter kind of plastic (from another folder!)
and it worked quite well!

You stiffen the brim by ironing in some heavy interfacing. You can interface
just one piece (usually the top) or both top and bottom pieces. If you want
*really* stiff brims, you could use buckram (a very heavy, old-fashioned
interfacing that you sew in). Sometimes, it's enough to simply stitch around and
around the brim at quarter inch intervals.


I have had trouble getting a stiff enough buckram for caps I have been
making for years. Shops in NZ seem to have only one weight. Are there
several weights or just one?

Otherwise, I'll try the heavy interfacing as well..

Thanks for the info. on this..

AmazeR

AmazeR wrote:
I have had trouble getting a stiff enough buckram for caps I have been
making for years.

Plastic canvas works well. Can you find that locally?

Sally

OK, my turn! I downloaded the 'Wild Things' software quite a while ago, but it
never would go on the antichrist. Now, my DH has built me a new PC and 'Wild
Things' goes! Hooray!

I've printed out the sunhat pattern and made the blessed thing out of calico
(muslin). I was *very* pleased with the ease I had in fitting the bits together
and I did a good job. Only, everyone *laughed* at my hat! The crown was too tall
(4") and the brim is - well, there's no other word for it: flaccid! I interfaced
both brim and lining pieces with the heaviest interfacing I could find, but it
just phlumps right down over my face, almost as far as my chin! Now, I'm sure
there are people out there who would say this is A Good Thing, but I want this
hat to work! How can I give my brim a bit of backbone? It needs... I dunno...
hoops? Something to make it stay upright and circular, rather than phumping down
in folds. Maybe if the fabric had more body (this was only in the nature of a
toile anyway, but the hat *ought* to be useful for gardening or something!

I've already unpicked the crown and shortened it to a nice 3" but would love
someone to tell me how to fix my limp brim! *Surely* not buckram? I can't
imagine wearing that (and I want this hat to be scrumple-uppable so I can stuff
it in my pocket...)

TIA,
--
Trish {|:-}
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

PS. The Really Good Thing about it is that *IT FITS* my 24" noggin! At last! The
idea is to go on and make one for DH's 25" scone, but he keeps laughing at me
and saying 'Not on your life! I'm not wearin' *that*!'

I was looking for ultra-stiff buckram a few years ago and the only place that
had a good one was the dear, poky little fabric shop in our suburb. Sadly,
that's closed down and I haven't had to buy buckram since. When I need extra
stiffness, I cut extra pieces of the pattern and interface them all with the
heaviest interfacing I can get (this is for hats, of course). You get extra
bulk, but that's not usually a problem. I don't know whether this might help?


I'll give it a go...

One thing I have done with the buckram I have got is to cut a number of
them and put them all together inside the cap visor.. Will use the
interfacing also next time and sew it all together before finishing the
cap..

Mavis

Trish Brown wrote:
I've printed out the sunhat pattern and made the blessed thing out of
calico (muslin). I was *very* pleased with the ease I had in fitting
the bits together and I did a good job. Only, everyone *laughed* at
my hat! The crown was too tall (4") and the brim is - well, there's
no other word for it: flaccid!

I've already unpicked the crown and shortened it to a nice 3" but
would love someone to tell me how to fix my limp brim! *Surely* not
buckram? I can't imagine wearing that (and I want this hat to be
scrumple-uppable so I can stuff it in my pocket...)

Well, plastic canvas will make it stiff, but if you want to be able to
scrunch it up you'll need something in the outer edge of the brim.

There's a pattern here
http://www.birchstreetclothing.com/p...age10.html#Pop for a pop-up hat
and they sell the wire. I can't think of anything you could buy easily that
will twist up and pop back into shape.

Sally

Yesterday I went to the local fabric shop to buy heavyweight
Pellon -- a landmark event; the last time I remember buying
interfacing was about 1965.

While looking over the bolts, trying to avoid the iron-ons
(which have gotten a lot harder to spot by sight and touch
than they were in the sixties!), looking for something stiff
enough, I found a roll of *very* stiff Pellon (well, the
other stuff on that shelf was Pellon; I didn't check the
brand name) that to my startled eyes appeared to be an
eighth of an inch thick. On closer inspection, it seemed to
be two layers with stuff in between, vaguely reminiscent of
foamcore board. I was thoroughly baffled as to what it
could be for until I noticed a label saying it was for the
beaks of baseball caps.

Hard to imagine that many people making baseball caps in
this small town.

And of course I didn't think of you guys and look to see
what the name of it was -- and it will be Wednesday at the
soonest before I can go back.

(I got a yard off the bolt to its left.)

Joy Beeson
--
http://home.earthlink.net/~joybeeson/ -- needlework
http://home.earthlink.net/~beeson_n3f/ -- Writers' Exchange
joy beeson at earthlink dot net

Trish, you might try using some batting in the brim, and channel stitching it,
in concentric circles. I'm sure that would give it more body, but you'll need
to do a little sample first to see if it might also need some stiff
interfacing.

Good luck; you're on your way!

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

And of course I didn't think of you guys and look to see
what the name of it was -- and it will be Wednesday at the
soonest before I can go back.

(I got a yard off the bolt to its left.)

Joy Beeson

Oh, please, please, please... Just the name will do..

ta,

Mavis