Laura, our Floriani Educator, has given an amazing tutorial on how to make DIY Scrub Hats for your Healthcare Friends! Follow along below..
Supplies needed: 1 pc 11 ¾” circle 1 pc 10 ½ x 30 Strip for band of hat 1 pc 1” wide by width of fabric for tie
Step 1: On 10 ½” x 30” band fabric, fold in quarters so all four corners are lined up. Mark 1” in on the 30” side and 2 inches down on the 10 ½” side and draw a line connect the marks. Cut on the lie through all four layers.
Step 2: Place band right sides together and sew seam at ½” allong 10 ½” cut edge. Press the seam to one side and top stitch the seam down to the band. Clip the fabric at the turn points so the seam lays flat.
Step 3: Fold fabric circle in half and mark ½ points on opposite sides. On the back of the hat, create three ½” pleats going away from the center on both sides. There is no need to measure these, if necessary, you will make the pleats slightly deeper or shallower to fit the band in the next step.
Step 4: With all six pleats pinned in place, fold the band in half to find center front to the back seam. Begin pinning the top of the hat at the center from working back toward the center back seam. Adjust pleats as necessary to fit to the center back seam. Repeat from the center front to the back seam on the other side of the hat top.
Step 5: Using a 3/8” to ½” seam allowance stitch cap top to the band, back tacking at both the beginning and the end. Seam allowance just needs to be the same all the way around. Press the seam allowance toward the band.
Step 6: on 1” strip of fabric, press both long raw edges to the center of the strip. Hint: Stitch Perfection Tape, which is a double side stick wash away tape that is needle friendly will hold your edges to the center. If you look closely at the picture you can see the stitch perfection tape running down the center of the strip, no need to burn your fingers with steam at the iron. Press the strip wrong sides together, to encase all raw edges. Sew a straight stitch close the edge of the strip to close. Hint: Because there is not much fabric against the feed dogs sometimes the strip does not want to start feeding under the foot. Place a piece of Floriani tearaway or Quilters Select tearaway at the beginning of the strip and it will feed in right from the start. Just simply tear away the stabilizer when the seam is complete.
Step 7: Flip up and press the seam on the bottom of the hand band approximately 3/8” to ½”. After the hem is pressed up, carefully line up the back seam and press in the bottom band fold, by matching the upper seam to the bottom fold. Pin out 5” from either side for placement of your button hold in the next step.
Step 8: From the center back seam measure out five inches and place a mark for where your buttonhole goes. On my sample the button holes are on the inside of the band against the head, because that was what my friend requested. It helps to keep the “straps” out of the way. With a square of Floriani Nylon Fusible Mesh, press where the button hole is going to support the fabric. Hint: You can just make out a yellow headed pin at the five inch mark. If you place the pin on the outside of the hat band you can see where to press you Floriani Nylon Mesh without using any marking pen and line up your buttonhole as well.
Step 9: Create a ½” buttonhole (or there abouts) at both 5” markings. Using a seam ripper, open your button holes. Hint: To open your buttonholes, place a straight pin across the ends to prevent cutting through the ends of the button hole with your seam ripper.
Step 10: Bring the botton edge of the band up to match the circular stitch line that attached the top to the band. Moving around the hat press the bottom edge in place making sure the band does not start to “get twisted” because you are pulling to tight. Now pin the band in place. It helps to use a pin every inch or so. Once it is pinned in place, sew very close to the folded hem, enclosing the seam that attached the band to the hat. I like to use a longer stitch length of 2.8 to 3.0. This will make any easing that needs to be done work out better. HINT: Remember if you have a little pleat in the band, its on the inside so no one will ever see it. You want to make sure the fold is even with the hat seam and the band stays straight. You can simply use your seam ripper and slightly push the band fullness in towards the foot while you are sewing and the “fullness” eases in.
Step 11: Using a straight stitch or decorative one if you would like, place a row of stitching just higher than the button holes, creating a casing for the draw cord. Although it is not necessary I like to use a row of straight stitches on both sides of the buttonhole.
Step 12: Using a safety pin, a bodkin etch, feed the draw cord through the back of the hat going in one buttonhole and out the other. Hint: If you have a small circular knitting needle it worked great! Once the draw cord is in place, put a knot on both ends to prevent it from pulling out from the casing.
Your scrub hat is complete and ready for donation. There have been some requests to sew a button onto both sides of the hat for elastic bands from face masks to attach to. I just do not know where to suggest they get placed so it is not included in these directions.
If you blow in you can notice that the one surgeon just has her mask on the outside of the scrub hate and around her ears, no button necessary for her!
