Sun hats

It's finally getting warm and sunny in Wisconsin, which means it's sun protection season for us pale people. While sunscreen is de rigueur for spending more than a few minutes outside, you may have noticed my obsession with another sun protection method - hats. I'll readily admit that this is partly an excuse to occasionally get new hats like this beauty.

The real challenge is the kiddo, who inherited my super pale skin coloring. He needs sun protection but doesn't always consent to wearing a hat. For some reason, the cuter the hat, the more likely he is to take it off. Let's not discuss his reaction to the first hat I sewed for him (which I still have to show you), but at least he seems to like the second.

A bucket hat is classic for a little boy. This pattern comes out of the book Sewn Hats (which I've used few times now) and the fabric is what I found in my stash that had enough yardage and wasn't flowery.

I made a few modifications, including:

• I used a heavyweight interfacing for the brim.
• I lined the inside of the crown instead of adding an interfacing and using the recommended bias tape seam finishing.
• I added a chin strap just in case kiddo didn't like to keep this hat on his head.

Happily, kiddo likes to wear this hat and has even brought it to me and asked for help with putting it on! So now I can worry a bit less about having a toddler with sunburn. Whew.

Nerdy York

Have you ever fallen in love with something at first sight? I think this is fairly common among crafters. We see a yarn or fabric, we covet it, and it doesn't matter that we have no project in mind because we just have to have it. This lovely flora and fauna cotton voile was definitely that type of fabric.

I've been a fan of cotton voile since I used it in my first Scout Tee and could not resist more in an amazing print. If you've never used cotton voile before, it is a lightweight and soft cotton but can sometimes look a bit rumpled after washing or with wear.

My challenge with this fabric then was to show off the amazing print while taking advantage of the fabric's properties. I put the compromise at sewing a simple silhouette. After some back and forth, I settled on Seamwork's York top with some minor tweaks:

1. Because voile can rumple, I decided to forgo the sleeve cuffs.
2. To avoid visually interrupting the fabric's pattern, I did not bind the neckline but instead used single fold bias tape to stabilize the inside of the neckline; this gives an uninterrupted pattern from hem to neckline. I used the main fabric for the bias binding.
3. Due to the above modification, I could not easily implement the called-for tie at the back neck (not that I really wanted a tie), so I added a small loop of bias binding and a button to close the top back. If I remake this pattern, I might skip the back seam and closure entirely as the neckline is wide enough to go over my head.
4. I made sure the pattern lined up at the back seam, requiring vertical adjustments of the two pieces (of less than 1 inch) and then trimming the two pieces to be symmetric. (I also made front piece have symmetry down the middle.)
5. I took off almost 2 inches from the bottom hem for a more flattering length.
6. I used french seams for all of the seams.

Now that I see this list, I'm impressed with my sewing ability to be totally comfortable making all of these tweaks. My more frequent sewing projects are really paying off in terms of elevating the small details in my projects. So win for my sewing skills.

Besides being happy with my sewing skills, can I just say how much I love this top? The fabric is perfect and I love how flattering the pattern is on my body. Happiness all around.