delia creates

baby, sewing, tutorial ·

Nesting: Freshly Picked Baby Hats

Today I’m going to share a project that I wasn’t really expecting to make in the first place. I was sewing, I think my 7th pair of leggings – I want to get a few pairs done for each size through 9 months – when this idea struck me.

It’s kind of quirky, off the beaten path, but lots of fun.

It renewed my motivation to sew, which was waning with my legging sewing marathon.

I call them…

They are heavily inspired by some of my favorite fruits.

Now…this was a “let me take pictures as I go and see what happens” kind of project. Actually, half of my projects are, to be honest. 🙂

So I don’t have a pattern, but I’ll share what I did and some things I might do differently next time.

First, let’s make the apple hat.

I grabbed some old T-shirts…I seriously have two bins full of just old knit T-shirts stored under our bed. I almost never throw a T-shirt away because it is almost always useful! 🙂

Then I made up this hat pattern using a Gerber baby beanie. You cut it on the fold.It measures 3 1/2 inches wide, 7 inches total as shown on my pattern {ignore the 6 inches bit – I’ll explain in a minute}, and about 7 1/2 inches tall.

Make sure you cut a triangular notch at the top about an inch or so down and just 1/8-1/4 inch at the widest part.

I also put cut two on there…no no, cut four! It’s going to be lined.

So this should fit a little bit older baby, maybe few weeks old to about 3 months. I intended it for a newborn but messed up on my math. 

If you want a newborn hat, make the half pattern 3 1/4 inches wide, or 6 1/2 inches total { with a 12 inch finished circumference after it’s sewn and of course adjust depending on the stretch of your knit}.

My belly keeps getting in pictures lately. 🙂

Sew the notch closed.

Cut some fruit stems and leaves if you desire.

Sew the leaves together if you are using knit or it will curl up too much.

Pin your hat pieces together, sandwiching the stem and leaves in, and sew. I use a 3.5 stitch length with knits. It sews much nicer and more evenly.

For the inside liner pieces, you want to leave a little space open and unsewn.

Now with right sides facing pin the two hats together.

Turn it right side out through that hole you left open in the liner. Sew the liner’s hole closed  by folding in the raw edges and sewing it close to the edge with a straight stitch.

Push the liner up into the outer shell and you’re done! If you want more of a cuff, make your pieces a bit longer….probably more like 9 inches.

I made my strawberry hat a bit longer…

I also cut the leaves with pinking shears because the leaves on my strawberry inspiration had leaves with bumpy-ish edges.

EDITED TO ADD: I just washed this hat and the leaves curled up WAY too much. You want to sew the leaves doubled up and together, like I did with the apple hat or use a material other than knit. You could also let it air dry instead of putting it in the dryer, or iron them out with every wash.

I free-hand painted the seeds on with fabric paint. It’s got a messy look to it, but it was faster than embroidering the seeds on, or freezer paper stenciling them on.

And now…my favorite and probably the quirkiest…the pineapple.

I made this hat differently because I wanted the leaves to stand up more.

First…I focused on creating the pineapple texture for the body of my hat:

I cut two rectangles of fabric 14 inches by 8 inches. One yellow and one brown/tan.

I quilted the two pieces together with a cross hatch design. This does not have to be perfect. Any imperfections will go nicely with the texture step we do next, which is to snip the yellow layer with an X. Every box needs to be snipped. Be careful not to catch the brown layer with your scissors.

Then wash it and dry it. The jersey knit curls up and gives you the cool pineapple rind effect.

Now get another brown fabric rectangle that is 14 x 8 inches. This will be your liner piece.

Fold both pieces in half, right sides together. Sew up the short sides with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. 

I use a half inch seam allowance for pretty much all my seams for this hat because of the fussy nature of the bumpy fabric I created. I just wanted to be sure to catch all layers and such.

Turn the liner piece RIGHT side out and slide it into the outer piece {which is still wrong side out}…so you have right sides facing.

Pin around one end, I used a 1/2 inch seam allowance, and sew. Pull it all right sides out.
Push the liner into the main hat piece.

Now for the leaves. Cut the sleeve off a green t-shirt…about 4-5 inches long. I like to use the existing sleeve because the thread on the inside matches the shirt and won’t be as noticeable than if I sewed it up one side with a thread that just kind of matches.

You also need a one inch strip of sleeve that you will use in a minute.

Slide the green sleeve leaves piece over the main hat body piece, with right sides facing.

Pin and sew all the way around with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Pull it right side out.

Cut out some triangles about 1 1/2 inches above the seam line where the leaves and main hat body meet.

Then take that one inch strip of sleeve you cut and set aside earlier. Tie it close to the base of the “leaves” with a square knot, leaving about an inch of green fabric as part of the hat. Cut off the excess at an angle so it looks like one of the other leaves.

The leaves will curl up a bit in the wash. If you don’t want that, use a material other than knit or lay it flat to dry instead of putting it in the dryer after each wash.

And you’re done! Cute right?

Edited to add a cute pic of my baby wearing the pineapple hat:

Baby Pineapple hat - sewing tutorial // Delia Creates

I can just imagine a scrunched little squishy newborn face under that hat. 🙂

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Comments

  1. um…I giggled when I saw these! I love the pineapple especially. How fun. We grow a garden, and it would be fun to make a butternut squash or something else that we grow! 🙂 A tomato would be cute, especially on red-faced angry days. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing, these made my day!

    Reply

  8. Aw. These are so cute! However did you think of the pineapple texture idea? Inspiring. I can't wait to see these on a little baby. 🙂

    Reply

  49. Delia, how many times do I need to tell you that you are a serious GENIUS?!?!? These are, well, almost heart-stopping. How do you do it? Pinterest, here we come! I can’t wait for all of my friends to see what a genius you are. :o)

    Reply

  51. I can't believe how simple this seems. The first time I read it over, it seemed a LITTLE complicated. But then I read it a second time and it's so easy! I'm totally making this!
    p.s. I've never really sewed anything in my life.

    Reply

  52. I just made two of the hats and they turned out really good. Your tutorial is great for beginner people like me.

    Reply

  54. HI! I once made my Daughter an aviator-type hat that was pastel plaid -hence, my email name, lol- it was cute. But not as cute as these!! You are very talented, Delia!! Verrry cute!! -Stacey.

    Reply

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