Newboy Caps by Waffle Patterns (free pattern)

The pattern of the Newsboy Cap by Waffle Patterns was a nice discovery from the first confinement.

That Newsboy Cap the 1st is the test model of the gifts for my dear brothers-in-law.

The Newsboy Cap pattern

Clearly, I’ve always had a very moderate love for elbow to elbow crowd in the shops before Christmas. But of course, this year even more so than the previous ones. As a result, hand-made gifts.

As if being short-sighted with a hypermetropic / astygmatic ancestry wasn’t enough for my happiness.

For the brothers-in-law, I went with the idea of a headgear with this nice flat cap pattern from Waffle Patterns.

This free pattern is very professional and clearly illustrated. Makes you want to try other Waffle Patterns patterns.

However, the flat cap pattern only comes in 2 sizes (55 and 58) on separate .pdf files. 

Taking measurements for a hat: the circumference of the head should be measured at the place where the hat is placed sliding a finger between the head and the measuring tape.

This is to ensure that the hat fits comfortably.

Apart from this subtlety, it’s quite simple: the measurement in cm = the size of the hat. Not like with bras or clothes.

On the other hand, it seemed to me that the instructions for a stiff enough visor were a bit light.

However, this is common to all the cap patterns which all seem to be quite limited on the subject of visor reinforcement.

It’s a concern that I found in the book Je fais mes chapeaux by Rebecca Meurin, in this other Newsboy Cap pattern (very different !) or this Vogue v6289 Newsboy Cap pattern (again !!*) tested by Peter Lappin (Hu hu hu. Excuse me, ‘s not nice to laugh at people’s names, but his is so cute in French !!)

*but what did these newsboys guys wore in the end? The investigation remains open.

The Newsboy Cap’s by Waffle Patterns consists of 2 identically cut pieces in the fabric & lining, plus the visor.

A length of grosgrain or petersham is also needed to create the head entry as we say in milliner’s jargon.

Sewing of the Newsboy Cap

Sizes

La taille 58 avait, quant à elle, l’air d’être autour du 59.

For this first version, I made a 55 which turned out to be 2 cm too big.

Hence the addition of a strap at the back to have a cap that stays on my head when facing the wind, waves and tide. But especially facing the wind.

The size 58 looked like it was around 59.

The sewing went like clockwork otherwise… even if you have to expect a smurf-style state before sewing the visor.

Head entry

A few tips from my milliner’s course:

• The petersham must be curved with iron and steam.
• It is then sewn with the longer side to the hat, the shorter side then resting much better on the inside of the head.
• I used a hand picot stitch (invisible stitch) to sew the head entry grosgrain. The pattern suggests doing it by machine. But I have my little pride as a milliner.

Newsboy Cap’s visor

For the visor, I tested :

• on my cap: 2 layers of fusible Vlieseline S 320 (to be cut without the seam margins)
• on the second cap: a layer of fusible interlining + a cardboard reinforcement
• on the 3rd cap: 2 layers of iron-on Vlieseline S 320 + 2 layers of fine fleece

Everything works pretty much even if I’m still looking for something more professional.

Finally, the front of the cap is sewn with a stitch on the visor.

My only problem with this pattern is that I don’t really see how I will be able reduce the head circumference to fit my noggin better… 

I’ll have to look into this for the next one.

Christmas presents

My 2 brothers-in-law each had their own cap: a little wide for one, a little tight for the other. But I hope that all this will work out with time.

To remember though: the place where the front of the cap rests on the visor must be adjusted when the owner of the cap tries it on. 5 mm of offset and nothing fits anymore.

It is also possible to put a press stud in place of the small dot by hand.

Conclusion

The Newsboy Cap by Waffle Patterns is a great pattern even if you have to keep in mind that it is a long cap, with a generous visor part to protect the face. It is a style from a time when hats & caps were meant to be generous.

Otherwise, I still find the sewing of headgear soooo satisfying. It’s fast and it gets rid of fabric remnants real easy. You can test and screw up without any hassle, waste of time or money.

Besides, it’s classy too, isn’t it?