Week 2: Because Everyone Needs a Hat with Ears

When you vend outside it can get coolllld. Not Detroit cold, but cold nonetheless because you are standing on a cold street or on cold squishy grass at the mercy of the wind and the cold. Cold. Did I mention cold?

So, during one of my regular sewing nights with L. I said, "I need a hat....With ears!" and off I went to draft up a pattern using some leftover fleece with crazy cartoon animals. I know my noggin measurement (doesn't everyone?) so I just went for it and drafted up a pattern, cut out the fabric, sewed it up and voila! Warm hat! With ears!

It was such a great success that after tweaking the pattern a little bit I ended up selling quite a few over the holiday season. I guess I'm not the only person who needed a hat with ears!

If you want to make a hat like this it's really easy:

1. Measure around your head across your forehead and above your ears. Don't hold the tape too tight, leave a little ease. Write down your measurement
2. Next, grab a piece of paper and draw a line perpindicular to the long edge that equals 1/4 your noggin measurement plus 1/2". The cut paper edge will be the fabric fold line.
3. Now, decide how tall you want your hat to be and what shape--do you want a round hat? A pointy one? Pencil in your shape, keeping in mind that your head will fit into most of it so keep a gentle curve for about 2/3 of it before you curve into any fabulous shapes.
4. Decide on a hem and add that to your hat
5. Cut out two hats, one front, one back
6. Pin it together and check the fit. I used 1/4" seams and a stretch stitch.
7. If you want ears, play with different shapes and decide where you want them on your hat. Pin into the seamlines. Polar fleece is super easy because you don't have to finish ANY edges. My ears are just one piece of unhemmed fleece. It doesn't get any easier than that!
8. Sew the side seams with  your ears. Flip up the hem and topstitch. Turn right side out. Done!