Vintage Pillowcase Challenge

hppillowcaseavatargif.pngYou know about this? Handmade Parade’s Vintage Pillowcase Challenge? I saw it a while back and had forgot all about it, until I was reminded by this amazing entry(!!!) and I became totally distracted with this challenge. I knew right away that I was making a sun hat (you have to have a good one if you are going to live in Southern AZ!) only, I didn’t have a pattern. I searched the web, and couldn’t find anything I liked. So, I spent the entire day, messing around with circles, bandwidths, circumferences, diameters and pi!!! Boy did I ever flex that mathematical brain muscle!! Ouch!!

After I got, what I thought was the perfect pattern, I cut out my pieces only to find out that they weren’t sewing up perfectly like my mock pieces had!!! I have no clue how that happened, but I re-worked it a bit (actually a lot) and am pleased. It’ll be good for our morning hikes and for keeping the glaring sun at bay. I also dipped my pillowcase in tea to tone it down a bit. It was a bright white before.


I’m totally going to wear it too! It’s loads better than the ill-fitting one that I’ve been wearing for the last several years.

I used a standard size, thrifted, vintage pillowcase for the outside and lining, a double layer of interfacing for the brim, tea for a tea soak, and a wee bit of thrifted lace.

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17 Responses to Vintage Pillowcase Challenge

  1. Teresa says:

    Hi Regina,

    I can’t believe we both made a hat on the same day – and without a pattern too. I did the same thing with the circles and had to play around fitting it together – Mine was just for a costume – but I’m still tickled with how it turned out.

    Your hat is lovely!

  2. Karyn says:

    That is probably my favourite thrifted pillowcase project ever, I love it!

  3. upstatelisa says:

    Wow! what a great use of a pillowcase. Wish I could find some around here! if you don’t mind me asking, what pattern did you use or is your own?

  4. Anastasia says:

    i love it!! very clever use of a vintage pillowcase!

  5. Tab says:

    I adore your hat, I would absolutely wear that. Great use of a pillowcase (I never find such pretty ones)I love the simple trim you added. And it fits you so well!

  6. Piecake says:

    It’s lovely! Very nice work!

  7. Regina says:

    Very nice- I love that style hat! Great in the garden or on a long walk –

    Makes me long for spring – especially since we are all snow and ice right now.

  8. cindy says:

    Way to reuse! That does take alot of brainpower! Looks great! I need one, but it would take more than 1 pillow case to cover my big head.

  9. Lisa Boyer says:

    That is so pretty! Very sweet. And it fits you so well! Great job.

  10. Melissa says:

    what an awesome idea to do with my vintage pillowcases that I just love too much to use around the house. I’m in badly need of a summer hat and this hat you’ve made looks beautiful. Thank you for the inspiration!

  11. Penny says:

    I love the floppyish brim, very cute. Nice work!

  12. andrea says:

    I luuuuuve these hats and the fabric your using from the vintage pillowcases.
    a.

  13. nan says:

    Love the hat. I actually had these sheets on my bed, a few(?) years ago. Still like the pattern.

  14. joanie says:

    Wow, it’s beautiful – any chance of a tutorial? I know how tricky it is to make up tutorials for patterns, I still have a few sitting around waiting to be finished, but let me know if you do one please!

  15. Regina this looks so lovely! Love that you figured out the pattern yourself too. I don’t think I could wrap my head around that math that would take! 🙂

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