Sunday project: a denim cap

[Henry Hall]

Not sure if it was here or at C&T, but someone posted a pattern for a flat cap (wrongly called a 'newsboy cap'). I thought I would try it out and decided to make it out of a worn-out pair of jeans. I managed to do the whole thing in a few hours (about three and a half, inbetween cups of tea).

I did it pretty rapidly, so there are some effects of carelessness, like the lining being off centre (though I did quilt it myself), and the peak a bit off centre, though it's virtually unnoticeable in wear. It's nice to do something that can be finished quickly for a change.

Anyway here are the results, it has a sort of 'workwear' look:










(edit: I think I've put this in the wrong place!)

[hutch--]

Looks great, I would wear it in the cold weather.

[pfaff260]

Looks good!!

[Schneiderfrei]

Its good, I find it very difficult to get the peak dead centre.

I have been trying to find an acceptable curve for the sides of a pleated flat cap.  I like a bit of roundness to the sides.  Always had a secret wish to be T'Grand Master at Ecky Thump.

G

[spookietoo]

Cool cap Henry!  Looks like it was fun to make.

I'm still working on work wear for myself, but now that I have my collection of vintage machines, I'm really wanting to spend some time playing with denim. Of course one of the machines still needs an overhaul also.

It really is a bit of a pain being able to do so many different things. The older I get, the less I seem to be able to prioritize.  Or maybe I'm just getting slower and not as much is getting done....... naw! ... I refuse to accept that ....even if its true....

[jruley]

Very nice Henry!  I took an old one apart a couple years ago, ironed the pieces flat and used them for a pattern.

How is the crown of yours constructed - three darts in the back or some other way?

Its good, I find it very difficult to get the peak dead centre.

Try folding the bill (Americanese for peak) in half, and the crown in half.  Match the fold lines.

[Henry Hall]

The sides are shaped seams (a bit like princess seams) which run to the back, ending in much the same way as rear darts. The top has a single centre dart at the back.

The peak was actually marked up for matching, but it must have slipped when I was sewing it on (it was hand-sewn too). The sides were also hand-sewn to the top.

[Schneiderfrei]

What have you used to interface the peak?

I found that a challenge.  I have 'siliconed' together three layer of nice french cotton canvas.

[peterle]

I use a stiff plastic sheet thatīs originally meant to be a place mat for the  dining table. can be bought in any dollar store, and washes pretty well. No problem piercing it with the sewing machine.

[Henry Hall]

I was going to use that sort of plastic (so it would withstand washing), but I decided to just use a piece of canvas and stitch the three layers together - those three lines of topstitching. Denim is stiff enough to hold shape and this will be a lot easier to wash.

Whether it will be quite so good after 50 washes...well who knows. The cloth came from an already well washed pair of old jeans though, so maybe.

[jruley]

The best results I've had (for a linen "mechanic's cap") were two layers of canvas duck with a layer of some sort of stiff open-weave "buckram" in between.  The buckram is sticky, so I was able to iron the assembly into a curve by pressing it on a ham before sewing it together.  I sewed a few rows of topstitching through the reinforcement and the bottom layer of linen.  The top layer of linen was cut slightly oversize, so no seam showed once it was turned and pressed.  The result is flexible but holds its shape pretty well.

[Schneiderfrei]

That's cool peterle, 

My natural instinct is usually to go for the most difficult in any given case.

They are great other options jruley and Henry,  I had wondered if the sewn canvas was firm enough, yours looks good.