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How to sew a baby Santa Hat tutorial

I was searching for a tutorial on how to make a baby Santa hat, and found crochet and knitting tutorials and patterns galore but nothing for sewing with knits or fleece.  I played around and made a couple cute versions for my daughter, so hopefully this very loose tutorial can help someone else.

If you choose to do the traditional santa hat, it is a bit easier.  I used a serger for this project, but it was really just because I have a new serger that I was excited and wanted to use.  A regular sewing machine would work just as well.

1. Measure your child’s head.  My daughter’s head was a little over 18.25 inches in circumference.

2. Make hat width about half of the child’s head size.  I made it 9 inches wide.  Cut bottom 9 inches wide, and then go up about 2 inches on the left and right sides of the hat.  For the band, cut white fleece rectangle 18 inches (double the red part’s width) by 6.5 inches.  Make sure the direction of stretch is widthwise when cutting all pieces.

3. Cut the angle for the Santa Hat.  I made mine 60 degree angles using the marking on my quilting ruler.  I just cut up and let them intersect.

4. I cut the top part off because of how I was attaching the fleece pom pom.  If you are hand sewing, I would just leave the angle and sew it on once completed.  Don’t try to serge the fleece with the pom pom in it.  Don’t ask me why I know that.  Just trust me… it’s not worth trying to do no matter how clever it seems.

Example pom pom tutorials: 

5. Sew together the red top angled part of the hat.  If you are using a regular sewing machine, a straight stitch would work for this part.

6. Sew the white rectangle band piece with right sides together on the short end.  Fold the band in half with right sides together.  Sew the white band and red hat together.  If you are using a regular machine, I would use a zig zag stitch for this part so that it will have some stretch to fit on your child’s head.

7. Fold the band down and it is ready for wear!

The skull cap version is a little bit more complicated, but not if you have a hat pattern.

Step one: Get hat pattern.  If you have a knit hat on hand that fits, you can trace it and then add seam allowances to get the proper size.  If you want to make a size 0-3 months, you can use the pattern provided at Zaaberry.  Her instructions on how to assemble the hat are very good and very well photographed, so I recommend using her tutorial for assembly.  
Step two: Cut out two hat pieces and one band piece.  The main hat pieces will be red and the band will be white.  Take care to make sure the direction of the fabric stretch is horizontal so that it can stretch and stay on your little one’s head.  
Step three: Make white pom pom or get pom pom for top of the hat.  Or buy some pom poms from the store, whatever is easiest.  Whatever method you use, make sure there is some thread or fleece or other method of attachment to sew into the hat.  If not, you can hand sew it on at the end.  
Step three: Prepare and Sew together the hat pieces.  Fold the hat piece in half and sew the cut out portion first.  Repeat for second piece.  Then put the right sides together and sew the half moon shape leaving the opening for the head.  Sew the rectangle band piece with right sides together on the short end.  Fold the band in half with right sides together.  
Step four:  Sew the band and hat together.

fleece baby santa hat

I originally had planned to sew a pom pom on the top, but it really fits better under a hood without one. The colors still read Santa hat without the pom pom.  Enjoy!

Linking up to: Make it, Wear it from The Train to Crazy, Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story, You Flew Tuesdays at Feather’s Flights, “We did it Wednesday” at Sew Much Ado,  and Friday Favs Party at Nap Time Crafters.

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One of those weeks

Ever have one of those weeks?  This was mine… I had a sick puppy (luckily temporary and she is now feeling better, but it was pretty bad for a couple days).  I also accidentally deleted the entire contents of my DVR.  Two months of fall shows that I was saving to watch after Christmas are gone.  My advice…never delete a group!  I thought I was deleting 4 shows, not the entire contents of the DVR. 

To cheer me up this morning, I was able to purchase my fabric for the “Yellow, Aqua, Gray” swap.  Based on the fabrics linked up so far, I think this should be pretty good.  Based on the colors shown on the screen, I think I managed to hit all three colors! 



Play Dot – Sea, by Michael Miller



In the meantime, I have started my stack of fabrics for my Christmas quilt.  It’s a crummy, rainy day today so I should be able to make some progress. 
Countdown to Christmas by Sweetwater
I have wanted to find a quilt guild to participate in for awhile.  I live in the middle of several, but there is not one that will be the most convenient.  I also have some trepidation concerning how I will fit in.  I work full time and am younger.  Therefore, any group that meets on a Tuesday afternoon (as an example) will not work for me.  The guild in the town just north of me had a quilt show last weekend, and I attended hoping to meet some people from the guild in order to learn if it would be a good fit.  I was disappointed that I didn’t get to talk to anyone from the guild.  I’m not sure if it is because I am younger, so they didn’t think I would be interested, but I was definitely out of place at the show and wasn’t being dragged by anyone, so I think it was pretty obvious I went out of my way to go there.  Looking at the quilts, I’m not sure it was for me either way.  I love traditional and modern, but didn’t really have strong feelings for most of the quilts there.  At least it wasn’t a total waste… I did see some interesting quilts, and picked up a few fat quarters I want to turn into a bag. 
Top: Luna by Gail Fountain and Maywood Studio, Right & Bottom: no selvage, Left: Acorn Chain by Joel Dewberry 
I think I am going to head further toward the larger cities I live near to see if their guilds may be a better fit.  I am planning on trying the Modern Quilt Guild’s November meeting.  Looking at their flikr feed, I think my style may fit in there.  I just wish it wasn’t a 1.5 hour drive both ways on a Sunday evening!  They are holding a homemade ornament swap, so I’ve been playing with the scraps from my quilt and have an idea in my mind of what I want to do.  I think it will be pretty fun. 
 Once the little girl goes to sleep, I will be able to make some progress on my WIPs. 

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Persevere

Persevere. 
Definition:  To persist in or remain constant to a purpose, idea, or task in the face of obstacles or discouragement
Synonyms: Persist, Continue, Keep at it, Keep on, Carry on, Keep trying, Stick with
Antonym: Give up
I was inspired by the “Word Up” effort going around.  Trying to define my year with one word was initially difficult.  I liked the idea of striving toward an idea as opposed to a long list of unattainable resolutions that get broken by mid-January.  Liking the concept did not make choosing the goal any easier, however. 
At first I was leaning toward something like “believe” or “faith”, but they were narrower than what I was trying to accomplish.  Faith and belief are definitely part of what I am aiming for with ‘persevere”, but they were not the sole ends I was aiming for.  It is a long, tiring year ahead of me and I think persevere defines what I am trying to accomplish exactly. 
I am trying to work 7 days a week for the next six months.  I am trying to endure not seeing my husband for the next year.  I am trying to not let myself get lost in my work.  I am trying to remember that I exist as a person and that I am more than my job.  I am trying to remember that I am working in a stressful situation, and that is why some of the people I work with act the way they do.  I am trying to go to church every week.  I am trying to be grateful.  I am trying to keep sewing.  I am trying to finish my photo book from last summer.  I am trying to work out and get enough sleep, even though one is usually at the expense of the other.  I am also trying to think of something other than my vacation in April, even though it’s all I dream of.  I am trying to live as regular of a life as I can despite being in Afghanistan.  Quilting and my sweat suit help with this.  I am trying to create moments of peace so that I can refresh my soul, even though my body is continuously exhausted and my spirit gets tired sometimes.  But, in this case, it’s all about trying.  And that is what I am going to keep doing, every day, every minute, until this year ends and my regular life can start again. 
In the meantime, I am trying to find joy in what I do and make the best of the circumstances.  Thus, why I made a Christmas tree from a sheet and Eddie Bauer Christmas catalog and hung it above my desk at work.  Merry Christmas J