The Hat

I've been on a quest. A quest for a long time to find the perfect sunhat. Alas, I have a really small head, which makes it difficult. Plus, I find it very annoying to have sunhats blow off, so those cute straw hats with the big brims just never seem to work.


I thought I had found the perfect hat. However, my children gave me such grief about this particular hat when we were at the beach earlier this summer. I wore it every day on the beach anyway because who really wants a sunburned part! Has that ever happened to you? And then it peels? First it's really sore, and then you're combing gross bits out of your hair.


Here's the hat, also known as the Baby Hat.

Yep, the baby hat is the name my kids gave to this hat.


When we got home from the beach, I searched through all the patternmakers for a sunhat to make. This one is the best that I found.

So I made this one. I made the small, which Ms. Butler says should also fit small children. Sheesh. Then, you only use a tiny fraction of the fabric yardage recommended. And no need to buy a contrast for the lining, since you can't actually see it because it's on your head. Those are just some of my gripes.


I didn't use the canvas recommended, but a sandwich of stiff interfacing and fusible batting. I only used the batting in the crown of the hat.

OK, kids... better? I think it looks ok, but I'm really not a hat person, so I feel like all hats look a little foreign on me. Moving on, though, I devised something that addresses the wind problem.

I left small openings in the side seams near the brim and threaded a grosgrain ribbon through. I think it looks kind of cute from the back. Now for the horrifying view. If it gets really windy, I can adjust the ribbon, pulling down the inner bit for this:

Yes, I feel like this looks pretty ridiculous, but hey, I won't lose my hat.


I may have to keep looking for the perfect hat.