I have a toddler with very sensitive skin, who refuses to sweat, so outside play in the summertime is really rough on him. He gets a rash from sunscreen and he overheats really quickly, then takes forever to cool back down. If I can keep him shaded and moistened, he can stay at a reasonable body temperature without burning. I decided to make him a hat that I can wet down. I wanted one with a wide brim that would also shade his lily-white skin. Enter the bucket hat.
The Pattern: Reversible Bucket Hat Free Sewing Pattern
The Designer: Oliver + S
I've never made a hat before, so I didn't know what I was looking for or what to expect. I saw some super cute patterns for bonnets on Etsy, and almost bought them. (I'm talking sweet little brimless bonnets with animal ears. *sigh*) In the end, I decided I've spent enough on patterns this paycheck, and a free pattern was the way to go while I decide if millinery is my cup of tea. Or even my glass of milk. I like fast projects that don't take too much concentration, so that was important too!
I browsed Pinterest for a while and this hat pattern kept coming up. I would see a cute hat and click on the link, and almost every single time it was some variation of this pattern by Oliver + S. I figured, if that many people were using the pattern, it had to be pretty good. And it is!
The pattern is just 3 basic pieces - the top, the sides, and the brim. Assembly is really easy and fast for the reversible hat. With this pattern, you can use your imagination for all kinds of embellishments and variations, or you can just keep it simple like I did. And it takes very little fabric. It took about 2 hours to complete, from the time I hit the print button to the time I clipped the last threads of the finished project.
I am really lazy about hand stitching, so I was happy to see a blog post describing how to assemble the hat using just your machine. You can find that tutorial here.
My toddler claimed the hat so fast that I didn't get to take pictures of it until his nap time later in the day, when the hat had already been doused with the hose several times, which is why it looks a bit crumpled in the photos. I'm pretty impressed with how well it holds up to the abuse. I chose not to use interfacing for the brim, since I wanted to use it as an air conditioner, but the finished product is a nice, crisp looking hat, that I'm sure would keep its shape really well if you actually follow all the directions.
The pattern has 4 sizes, which fit an 18" head (0-6 months) to a 21" head (6-8 years), so I will absolutely be making hats for my other littles as well. I've got some butterfly fabric that is just begging to be a hat for my youngest daughter.
The Oliver + S website has lots of free patterns and excellent videos and tutorials, which are great for anyone who is learning to sew. They also have a book called Little Things To Sew. It's full of sweet projects that look simple to whip up.
Now if only the hat came in teen sizes, I'd make one for my daughter to take to camp this summer!
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