Warm Winter Hat Pattern and Tutorial

Winter is fast approaching here. The week before last we were sitting at minus temperatures for the entire week. This week we've had a bit of a break, but it is still quite chilly in the mornings. I always feel a bit of dread this time of year. You know the snow will be coming soon (if it hasn't already), and you'll be surrounded by the white stuff for probably 6-7 months. Help!

September is the time I take inventory of my kids' winter wear and get it up to speed. We need really warm coats, snow pants, boots, and lots of hats and mitts. I'm not sure what it is about hats and mitts but we never seem to have enough and they always disappear! 

Up here in Canada we call our winter hats toques. If you aren't sure how to pronounce it, toque rhymes with fluke. :)
Obviously when Mayya, from Sew Chic and Unique asked me if I would take part in her Inspire to Create Series I would need to create something that represents where I am (of course I wasn't thinking about the fact that she is living in close to 100 degree F temps). :) Pop on over and say "Hi" to Mayya today and check out all of the other wonderful projects that have been posted already!

I actually started this hat last year but became sidetracked with another project. So here we have a winter hat a year in the making! Made with chilly winters in mind, ear warmers on the side and long enough at the back to cover the neck.

The great thing about this hat is you can customize it to fit the personality of your child! Dino for Little Dude, and a little bit of fun for your little girl!
This hat is also fully lined with no exposed seams. If you don't add any embellishments it could be reversible!

Download the pattern and we'll get started! The pattern I drafted I would call a size 2/3 (as seen on my little dude with no adjustments). This is a fairly easy pattern to adjust, and to make the purple hat fit my 6yr old I just added a 1/2 inch seam allowance to all of the pieces (only add the seam allowance to one side of the triangular like pieces).
You could also probably just try printing the pattern slightly larger and that would work too.

The pattern includes the two pieces required to make the hat, and the piece used to make the stegosaurus spikes. :)

Fabric Requirements:
Less than 1/4 yrd fleece for the outside of your hat
Less than 1/4 yrd fleece for the lining
use 1/4 inch seam allowance

Let's cut our pieces. Let's also give Christine a break for the horrible photos! If you read this blog on a regular basis you'll know that I do my sewing late at night, and sometimes in the wee hours of the morning. I have 3 kids, need I say more? :)

Outside of hat:
4 triangle like pieces
1 hat band piece

Inside of hat:
4 triangle like pieces
1 hat band piece

Optional:
For Dino Hat
10 small triangle like pieces

For Tassled Hat:
3 pieces 2.5 inches by 5 inches
2 pieces 1/4 inch by 5 inches
6 pieces 1/4 inch by 10 inches
6 pieces 1.5 inches by 3 inches

Ok, we're going to start with the lining...

Take two of your triangular lining pieces and sew them together down one side right sides together.

Open up and grab a third triangular piece and sew to one end right sides together.

And, now the fourth piece.

Make a mid mark on the top side of your band piece.

Right sides together matching the mid point seam of all of your triangular pieces sewn together to the mid point on your band pin the top of your hat to the band piece and sew together. Sew together with the top of your hat on the bottom under your presser foot and navigate the curve of the top of the hat, not the band.

Flipped right side out, this is what you will have at this point. Turn back wrong side out.

Right sides together sew up your back seam. Leave an opening in the middle of a few inches. Later, we will be turning our hat through this hole to make it reversible and/or lined. Set aside.

Now, we are going to do the exact same steps with our outside hat pieces, but take note if adding embellishments!!
For the dino:
In pairs sew your little spike pieces right sides together and then flip right side out. You will end up with 5 spikes.
When sewing your large triangular shaped pieces together, sew your spikes into the seam that will be going front to back.

For the tassled hat:
we will do a bit of a photo tutorial as it is more complicated for me to explain.

 When sewing your large triangular pieces together take your two 1/4 inch by 5 inch pieces and sew them into the top of the triangle. I just put them in the seam at the top when sewing two of the triangles together. Mine aren't perfectly centered. It isn't a big deal, you just want them as close to the top and centered as possible, but don't stress about it. It doesn't matter if they are perfectly centered.

Finish the rest of your outer hat just like your lining except don't leave the opening on the back seam of the hat. Close it right up!

Now you will essentially have two hats. The outer hat and your lining.

Now, this seems to be where I have lost a photo. Stay with me, this is easy. Put your two hats together, right sides together. So, basically you want one of your hats wrong side out and one right side out. Put the hat that is right side out inside the hat that is wrong side out. Make sense? We are going to sew them together so that our hat is lined.

I like to start at the back seam, but you can start anywhere. Sew around your hat at the raw edges sewing both of your hats together. When you get to the round part of the ears, take 3 of your 1/4 inch by 10 inch pieces and sew them into the seam (make sure the long ends are pointing into your hat). Do this at each ear flap.
Turn your hat right side out through the hole in your lining and either hand stitch the hole in the lining, or just machine stitch it closed. I machine stitched mine as I don't care if mine is reversible.

Now, take your 3 pieces that are 2.5 inches by 5 inches and lay them on top of each other. Do this also for your 6 pieces that are 1.5 by 3 inches. For the smaller pieces do three to a pile also.
make little snips in your fabric on each side but leave a space in the middle (don't cut all the way through). I just eyeballed this, but tried to do them at about 1/4 inch intervals. These are going to be your tassles.

Now, coming out of the top of your hat you will have 2 fleece strings (remember we sewed those in much earlier). Roll up the pile of 2.5 inch by 5 inch tassled pieces and tie them to the top of your hat with the fleece strings. Make a knot. Fluff out your string and you will have a nice tassle.

I took this opportunity to also topstitch around the bottom of my hat. You can do this, or not do this, totally up to you!

Now hanging from the round parts of each ear flap you will have the three fleece strings you sewed in earlier. Braid them about 6 inches or so. You want to leave a few inches for tying. Now take a pile of 1.5 inch by 3 inch pieces that you have cut fringe into and roll those up and tie them to the bottom of the braids the same way you added the tassle to the top of the hat.
Do the other side.

Perfect for those chilly days! :)

You'll be able to find this link under the "Tutorials" tab at the top of the page after today!