noveltyjunkie

I have had fun with this one and wanted to let you know about it.

I made a jungle themed baby quilt a while back and, since I always keep ALL my scraps, had a little bag of fairly distinctive little scraps that were never really going to integrate too well into any other project. (I wish I could remember the fabric range, but I can't- I got some at a show and the rest online from Canada- a whole 'nother adventure!)

Then I found this tutorial http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com/2010/...e-toddler.html . It is for a fairly easy bucket hat and somehow it occurred to me to try to foundation piece it using the scraps. I have never foundation pieced anything in my life before.

I used an old sheet, made the basic hat shapes, and emptied the scraps out. Lots of them were too small for the hat band, but those got used in the rim. The biggest pieces went on the crown (which has just four pieces on it). Because I had fussy cut the original quilt, lots of the scraps were tails of the animals etc, but I decided to go for it anyway- nothing ventured, nothing gained and with small pieces, maybe it would sort of magically work having pictures of little furry rears on your head?

The great thing about using so many pieces was that it was a self stiffening hat- no need for any fusible web to make it nice and sturdy! The rim was the only bit I lined, because I thought it would not look nice otherwise. The rest of the hat is not lined, but because it is foundation pieced, it is nice and neat inside, with the trusty sheet there, and only the sewing lines showing.

So, here it is- I guarantee you have never sen a hat like it, but I am proud of it :-) It is a gift for the baby that got the quilt. He is now a toddler and hopefully not too self conscious about his attire!