BUM BUM BUM BONNET!

Let us now embark on, what I think is the most complicated piece of pioneer garb, the bonnet.
In this tutorial I am using what's left of the sheet I used to make the skirt. I'm using an old flat sheet from my closet because it was free (or super cheap if you want to buy a sheet instead of normal, bolt fabric).

If you don't like these instructions, I've found other helpful Bonnet Tutorials at Buns and Baskets, also this really cute baby bonnet, that I'm sure you could make into an adult bonnet, at Delia Creates. 

List of Materials

1. Fabric
2. Scissors
3. Sewing machine
4. Pins
5. Iron/ Board
6. Elastic 1/4-1/2" Cut into an 8" length
7. Ribbon 1/4 -1/2" Cut into two 15" lengths (optional) 

Measuring/Cutting

I enjoy very much diagrams

It's sideways, but you get the idea.

Note: The two pieces you are using for Ties could be replaced with Ribbon, it means less sewing.

Stop! Desist! Go no further! You shall not pass!

Before you get carried away cutting and folding, I forgot to add one very important detail. You need to hem both side edges of your Head Part piece. I didn't do this, and when I went through the entire process I had these weird.. jagged...raw cut edges on either side of my bonnet. I was able to clean them up, but it was difficult once I had my Brim all sewn to the Head Part, and the Elastic in, so STOP, hem first, then do ALL the below instructions just as normal. If you aren't exactly sure where I'm telling you to hem, here's a diagram:

Where you should hem is indicated with RED. Also, make it a small, thin hem.

Okay, I assume you know WHAT a hem is and HOW to hem something... so you can move on now. 

Folding and Cutting

You're going to have to cut curves at the top of the Head Part and the two Brim pieces. Here's another diagram on how to do that. Hopefully, it will help

Head Part

1. You will fold the piece in half from left to right.

2. Then you will fold it in half again, but from bottom to top. This is indicated by the red dotted line.

Here's a diagram.

 

3.  Once it's folded you should have a layer that is 4 flaps thick. Take the top 2 flaps and fold those on the diagonal. It should look like this. 

4. Then fold it on the diagonal again. It will look like the picture below on the right. 

 

5. Then, fold it on the diagonal a 3rd time. 

 

6. By the time it's all folded it should look like the below picture. 

 

7. Cut along the blue line. When you unfold it you should have a perfect curve.

Brim Pieces

You repeat this procedure with the two brim pieces.  Except folding in the beginning will be slightly different, here is a diagram of the initial folding.

1. Fold the Brim Pieces in half from top to bottom.
2. Then, fold in half again, but this time from bottom to top.
3. Repeats steps 3-7 in for the Head Part instruction, folding diagonal 3 times, then cutting.

When all is said and done this is what your Head Part and Brim Pieces should look like.

Next,  you need to fold each of those pieces in half and mark it, because you will need to line the brim and the hat perfectly when you sew them together. Like so. 

You should mark the top of the head part and the bottom of the two brim pieces.

Now, you will set aside the Head Part, and pin the two brim pieces together with the pretty sides touching.

Sew those pieces together along the curve.

Sew along the curve of the 2 Brim Pieces.

Notice I don't have any interfacing or batting to make it thicker. You don't really need them for this pattern because the brim comes out kid of short, but if you want a stiff brim, then get some interfacing and sew it onto the brim during these steps.

Set Brim Pieces aside, and grab your Head Part. Sew a gather stitch along the curve of the head part. 

Here is stitch.

Close up of the stitch, you can see the mark I made.

It should look like this once it's all gathered. 

Now, head to the Ironing board with you Brim Pieces. 

 Turn the Brim inside out and iron it flat.  Then, along the open edge, fold the fabric inwards about 1/4" and iron.

Fold it inward.

Iron down. 

Now, slip the gathered edge of your Head Part into the folded and ironed opening of the brim and pin it together. Make sure find and line up the center marks you made in the beginning.

Top: opening in the Brim. Bottom: gathered Head Part

Line up the center marks and pin

 Once both the Brim and Head Part are pinned together. Then sew.

See it's staring to come together!

Now we are going to work on the nape of your neck. Hem your Tie pieces by folding both long edges inward, then ironing it, then folding the whole thing in half and ironing it like so:

Ling edges folded toward the middle.

Fold the whole thing in half, then pin it together down the length of the Tie.

You can iron and pin, but I just held it together with my fingers.

Here's what the Tie should look like when your done. Make sure do sew BOTH pieces.

You can forgo this whole process by PURCHASING RIBBON!

Set the Tie pieces aside, once you have them sewn, and get out your hat and your Elastic.

1. You are heading to the Ironing board with your newly brimmed bonnet, there you're going to fold the bottom of your bonnet, the part that sits at the bottom of your skull, and fold it inward about 1/4", iron flat.

This is the bottom of the Hat.

 2. Fold it inward a second time, this time about 1/2", Iron. You are creating a kind tube that will house the Elastic.

See? The Elastic will go into here. DON'T put it in yet, I'm just showing you.

 3. Sew along the edge of that tube you just made.
4. With a Saftey Pin attatched to the end of your Elastic stuff it through the tube.

 4. Once you get the Elastic all the way through, sew down the elastic on one side leaving a 1/2" gap.

Tilt you head sideways.

 5. Bunch up the fabric, pulling the Elastic through, ALMOST, out the other end.

See how I'm pulling the Elastic through the other end on the far right. DON'T pull it all the way through, I'm just showing you.

 6. Sew down the Elastic, just like you did the other side, also leaving a small 1/2" gap.
7. Grab the Ties, or Ribbon, and slide them into the open end of the tube. Do this on both sides. Then sew, following along the pre-hemmed line.

Sewing the Tie in place, making my stitches along the pre-hemmed line. 

BEAUTIMUS!

 Here is the whole completed outfit!!

Please, please ask questions and leave comments. I want to make sure you understand.

Every Girl Loves a Skirt

     Alright, let's get started on our skirt. We made the apron, now we need to accompany that with a beautiful skirt made out of a bed sheet.

Yep, that's what I said, a bed sheet. I'm pretty fond of them because it's essentially FREE material.

List of Materials:

1. King Size Bed Sheet
2. Sewing Machine
3. Iron and Ironing Board
4. 1/4" Elastic Band 
5. Safety Pins (optional)
6. Pins (optional)
7. Serger (optional 

Take Note:

I will be using a King sized bed sheet. You could actually get 3 skirts out this one sheet. I will also be using a Serger to do some fancy seems. This is just for aesthetics, a regular sewing machine will be just be fine. 
 Measuring the Skirt
 Here is a nifty chart.

• Fold your sheet in half, long ways or hotdog style.  
• Measure the length you want the skirt to be from your hips/waist to your ankles and                add 3 inches then cut.
• Use the fat hem at the top of the sheet as the bottom of your skirt. Mine has a pretty design on it.
  
  Sewing the Skirt

See how pretty sides are touching?

• Then sew along the open edge of your skirt. Make sure the pretty sides are touching. By the end it should look like a tube. 
• EXTRA STEP: If you left enough seem allowance, you can serge along your stitches.  This is entirely optional.

This is what my hem looks like.

Ironing the Waistband 

 Fold down the top of the skirt about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch and then Iron it flat.

I don't know why this picture is sideways

Still, sorry about the sideways picture.

 Fold it down again, this time a little wider, maybe 2 inches.

This is why we added 3 inches to the length of the skirt in the beginning.

This is what it should look like when you've done all the ironing.

 Sewing the Waistband
     I like to start sewing close to the side hem.  You're going to leave a gap between your starting point and end point as you sew along the top of your skirt. It will create a small opening where you will slide your Elastic.

This is the gap you will slide your Elastic through.

 Next, attaching a safety pin to one end of your Elastic, slide it through the waistband.

Notice, I am not using a safety pin to help pull the Elastic through my loop. This is because I do not own safety pins, I used a paper clip and tape.

This is what it looks like when you get the Elastic threaded through the waistband.

 Now you will need to sew the Elastic together.

 As a finishing touch you can finish sewing up the gap you left for the Elastic. I didn't though, in case I'm giving this skirt to someone who is *cough* *cough* skinnier then me, that way there will be an easy opening to take the elastic out and adjust it.

 How to Measure the Elastic

Hold your a length of elastic around the part of your torso where you want the skirt to sit. Pull it quite snugly. Over lap just a bit so you will have something to sew together, then cut.

This should be an earlier step, but I figger you guys are smart. You can measure an Elastic band.

The Finished Product

Not too shabby.

Here is with the Apron I made.

Hope this helps you. If you are looking for something a little different, I found a great skirt tutorial at Show Tell Share blog. In that blog, the dress is also made from a sheet, but is also a lot prettier than mine.