For Sunnier Days Ahead: Elbe Textiles Serpentine Hat

Another project on my summer sewing list was to make a large, reversible sunhat. I envisioned something that could equally be worn relaxing to the beach (someday again in the near future), walking around the neighborhood, or just sitting outside in my backyard. The pattern I decided to use for this project was the popular Serpentine Hat from Australian sewing brand, Elbe Textiles.

I aimed to use a heavy-weight canvas or linen, and ended up finding a lovely Canvas Duck fabric in my favorite color of the moment: gray. Since I wanted to make this a fun reversible hat, I opted for an abstract patterned cotton/linen blend for the lining. This hat is available in four sizes. The pattern instructs to use a tape measure or string wrapped around the crown of your head (where the hat band sits) to select the correct hat size. According to my measurements, I selected a size XS (21″) and it fit perfectly.

This was my first time making a hat and also sewing with more heavy-duty fabric. The pattern is much simpler than I imagined and only consists of two sets of five pieces and some interfacing for a structured brim. Sewing with heavy duty fabric was not that difficult either, but I did go a bit slower to ensure I was effectively sewing through all layers of fabric thicker than I am used to. I used a denim needle to handle the canvas fabric and interfacing and that worked perfectly, especially as my sewing machine is equipped to work with heavy duty materials.

Two sets of hats are sewn together to make one reversible hat.

Inside of one hat layer. Includes interfacing on the brim pieces.

I made a muslin toile before I dove into sewing the real thing, especially as it was my first time sewing a hat. It took me a few tries to figure out how to correctly match up the brim to the top of the hat so it correctly fit my head, but after that it was pretty smooth sailing in terms of construction. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to sew my hat up! This project takes less than a day if you have uninterrupted time and have prepared all the pieces.

The pattern instructions provided a great amount of detail and were very easy to follow. The most difficult part for me was topstitching as my stitches were visibly uneven around the brim edges. I seam ripped the brim way too many times! The topstitching is still a bit wavy for my liking, but I felt that what I ended up with after about five seam rips was about as good as I would get. Note to self: stop being so much of a perfectionist or I’ll never get through my long list of sewing projects.

Another issue for me was matching up the side seams of the top part of the hat to side seams of the brim. It’s more visible on the solid side of my hat, so the next time I make this hat I hope to be able to avoid this mistake.

I love the style of this hat, as it is exactly what I was hoping for in a sunhat. The brim is wide enough to protect from the sun but not overly dramatic, and the mid-weight interfacing provides just the right amount of shape and sturdiness (I did not want a floppy brim). The sizing fits like a charm on my head.

I would definitely make more of these hats. My family members have already asked me to make hats for them! I’d prefer another hat with a smaller brim for a more casual look, so I will trim down the brim size the next time I use this pattern. Overall, I highly recommend this pattern, especially as a quick, satisfying make, and as something that would be a wonderful handmade gift.