Since I was feeling so good yesterday as well, I felt like starting a new project. I have not been sewing in WEEKS and was really eager to sew something. I had bought a couple patterns for childrens' clothing weeks ago and was looking through them. I could not bring myself to making a dress - which I plan on doing before summer - but still wanted to make something that my daughter could use on our upcoming holidays. We FINALLY - after weeks of searching for holiday homes that will allow dogs - booked something and I am VERY excited about it. We will be going to the Baltic sea at the beginning of June which is about 4 hours away from where we live. We were actually planning to go to Denmark as last year - much easier when traveling with a dog - but when I knew I was pregnant I figured a 7-hour car trip might not really be what I want ....
Anyway, that was not what this post was supposed to be about. So, I wanted to sew something for my daughter and decided that I want to make her a sun hat. We are of course hoping that we will be needing one! ;-) And the ones she ownes are a bit tight ... so I figured it would be a good choice. Also the pattern stated that this would be a good project for a beginner. Well, I thought, there you go. Perfect!
It turnes out ... NOT REALLY! I am almost done with the hat. It took me yesterday and today. And ... well, it looks cute ... but is WAY to big!!!! *CRY*
I AM NOT going to undo the whole thing! However, I also don't want to wear this hat myself because of the color choice! I guess you will understand. And I am not a good enough sewer to have an idea how I could save the project!
The hat was supposed to be reversible. I did not yet attach the second part of the brim yet. I am kinda thinking maybe I could somehow incorporate some elastic band at the bit where the hat and the brim meet ... so it would make it smaller. But I guess it would probably look funny cause it would bunch up the hat ...
If it was just a bit too big I would just add some ribbon to the sides. But the hat is quite a lot too big ....
Anyone out there who has some idea - ANY IDEA - how to save the hat???
This is the side I already completely sewed together.
This is the "inside" which is still open.
Just in case you are wondering - how is it possible to end up with a MUCH too big hat if you are using a pattern?
WELL ... all you have to do is make your husband measure your kids head ... and NOT checking!!! (BAD CHOICE!) But to be fair - that only accounted for a fraction of the excess size. As I am not very experienced with sewing my main fear ALWAYS is that the piece turnes out too small. So I tend to rather add a bit when drawing the pattern on the fabric, cutting it and sewing it ... cause I am so scared that I migh take away too much ... Also I am not very good yet at estimating the seam allowance so sometimes on the fabric I add more than I actually use when sewing. If you only have like two pieces this will make your final piece a bit bigger - but still works out fine usually. BUT if you have like 6 pieces - as with the hat - and just add for example 2mm at each side of each of these pieces - well, YOU ARE SCREWED!!!
And the worst thing, I actually DID realize that it might end this way already when I started out drawing the hat BUT did not go through the maths and figured ... well, it can't make THAT much of a difference. Oh yeah, right ...
2 comments:
Hello! That is a really pretty hat! What a shame it doesn't fit as planned. If you want to make it fit around the head more snugly, you can insert some elastic around the inside of the crown, just where it meets the brim. Use maybe 1/2" elastic, and sew a case for it on the inside layer of the crown, but don't sew it to the outer layer as well. this way, only the inner layer will be snug against the head and the outer layer will retain its shape. But this would mean a bit of unpicking (sorry!) and the hat would also no longer be reversible. If the hat right now is just a little bigger than you planned (like 1/2" - 1" too big only), you could still make it reversible by inserting the elastic between the layers and sewing a single line around on the crown 1/2" above the brim to form a hidden elastic case. The other edge of the elastic case would be the seam between crown and brim. Both layers would be slightly gathered now, but barely noticeable as long as the hat isn't too big to start with!
Thanks so much! I like your idea - the first one. The second one is what I was thinking about ... but the hat is too big for that. But the first one should work. Also I don't even have to do any unpicking since the inside is not yet sewn together. I just have to find the elastic ... I can't remember where I put it ... Oh well, this might take a while. Oh, and I don't care if the hat is not reversibel anymore. Better a not-reversibel hat that fits than a reversibel one that can not be used! Also I probably will have to sew the brim to the top part of the hat anyway. (Just in the front) Because it ended up so big the brim does not hold it's shape too well and my daughter will probably end up not seeing a thing. :-)
Thanks so much! As soon as I have time - and find this d*** elastic - I will try this. And of course I'll let you know how it turns out.
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