The following bonnet hat pattern was originally published in The Brisbane Courier, February 10, 1931. The hat was designed for teenagers and young women in their twenties, but the size and style can be adapted for any age.
This is a great summer or winter project, depending on the fabric you decide to use.
Fabric: felt.
Brim: If the brim is too floppy for you, you can make the brim out of two thicknesses of felt or wire it.
Alternative fabric: The hat can also be made out of soft fabrics, such as silk.
Brim instructions: “To make a pattern for the brim of the hat, cut a piece of paper ten inches wide, and 16 inches deep. Rule this paper into two inch squares as shown… Use a soft pencil to outline the shape of the brim on the paper, drawing it so that the lines cross the lines of the ruled squares as they do in the diagram. Place the edge of the pattern marked A here on a fold of the goods in cutting the hat brim.”
Crown instructions: “To make the brown you will need a circle of the hat material cut seven inches in diameter for the top. For the sides you will need a straight piece five inches deep, and long enough to reach around the head, plus a seam allowance. Gather the edge of this circle and top of the side section just enough to make them conform to the lines of the head, then join as at B. Hollow out the bottom of the crown in the center back about an inch, as indicated here by the dotted lines at C. Hollow out the front of the crown a half inch as at D.”
Finishing instructions: “Turn up the slashed sections around the head size of the brim as at E, and sew through them in attaching the brim to the crown.”
