INSTRUCTIONS

Cut out the Fabric & Sew Hat Seams

1. Fold the Exterior fabric in half with the wrong sides together so that the fabric grain with the most stretch is perpendicular to the fold. Place the pattern piece on the fabric, lining up the folded edge with the indicated section that says “place on fold,” and pin in place. (Fig. 1) Cut around the pattern piece (leaving the “place on fold” section intact) with your scissors or rotary cutter. Transfer the notches to the wrong side of the fabric using a fabric marker. Repeat to cut the pattern out of the Lining fabric.
2. Working with the Hat Exterior fabric, fold the piece so the right sides are together and the notches are aligned. Pin the fabric together along the top (single notch) and back (double notch) seams.
3. Using a narrow zigzag stitch, sew from the edge of the top seam toward the fold of the fabric using a 1/4” seam allowance.
4. With the same zigzag stitch, sew from the neckline of the hat along the back seam to the fold, gradually tapering your stitching so that your last stitches hit the fold. (Fig. 2)
5. Repeat steps 2-4 to sew the seams of the Hat Lining.

Baste Together the Exterior and the Lining

6. Insert the Lining into the Exterior so that their wrong sides are touching and only the right sides of the fabric are visible. Match the top seam and the back seams as well as all fabric edges and pin around all open edges.
7. Increase your stitch length and use a straight basting stitch to sew 1/4” from all edges, sewing the Lining and the Exterior together so they don't shift while attaching the ribbed binding. (Fig. 3)

Attach The Neck Binding

8. Cut off a piece of the rib strip so that you have a strip that measures about 2/3rds the length of the neck edge. (The neck edge is the one that contains the curved “back” seam.)
9. Switch to a straight stitch with a 3mm length. Use a 1/4” seam to sew the long edge of the binding to the neck edge. The bottom edge of the neck will be flush with the longer edge of the open binding. You will be sewing this seam with the Lining side of the hat facing up. Here's the important part – you need to pull the ribbed strip as you sew it down (but don't pull the jersey underneath it!) Don't pull it too much, but you'll need to put steady pressure on it as you sew along. For this reason, I choose not to use pins to attach the rib to the neck edge. Just go slowly. (Fig. 4)
10. Press the seam down, away from the hat and toward the rib binding. Fold the long unfinished edge up by 1/4” and press again.
11. Now bring the folded edge up to just past the seam line, on the Exterior side of the hat, press, and pin in place. (Pin on the Exterior side of the fabric, since you will be sewing while looking at the Exterior side.) You will be encasing the raw neck edge in the ribbed binding.
12. Use a 3 mm long straight stitch to sew along the the ribbing on the Exterior side of the hat, a mere 1/8” from the seam that joined the ribbing to the jersey. Trim off any extra binding that is hanging off the edge of the hat. (Fig. 5)

Attach the Face-Framing Binding/Straps

13. With the hat Lining facing you, place the remaining strip of ribbed binding so that the unfinished edge of the hat is flush with the longer edge of the rib binding. Make sure that you leave about 11” of binding hanging off the right edge of the hat – this will form one of the straps. Begin sewing where the “strap” fabric meets the hat, with a 1/4” seam allowance and using a 3 mm straight stitch. Gently pull on the ribbed binding as you sew, attaching the it in the same way you attached the neck binding. Continue sewing until you come to the edge of the hat, where the other “strap” fabric extends beyond the hat. (Fig. 6) Remember to backtack at the beginning and end of this seam – you wouldn't want a weak spot where you'll be tugging at the straps. Cut the other strap so that both are the same length from the hat. You might want to cut the straps so they measure 8” from the edge of the hat for the 0-3 month size.
14. Press the seam toward the binding and continue to press the top edge of the binding over by 1/4” on the strap extensions. Fold up the bottom. long edge of the binding 1/4” and press. Press over the short ends of each strap by 1/2”.
15. Press and pin the long, folded edges of the binding just past the seam line, as you did for the neck binding in step 11. Continue to press and pin along the straps – the long edges of the straps should be flush, and the raw, short edges of the straps should be sandwiched between the folds.
16. With the Exterior side of the hat facing you, sew a 3mm straight stitch seam on the ribbed binding, just 1/8” below the original seam. Begin sewing this seam at the short edge of the right strap, sew up and over the hat, and down the left strap. Backtack to assure a the edges of your straps don't come undone.