How to make a beret

1. Materials & tools

Materials (adult size)

• Main fabric (wool, corduroy or felt) — about 60 × 60 cm (24 × 24 in)
• Lining fabric (cupro or light cotton) — the same amount, if lining
• Lightweight fusible interfacing — for the facing
• Optional: a covered button or short cord for the center top

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Accessories” → “Beret” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter head circumference, puff, facing height and ease. Presets cover child, adult S, adult and large.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Trace the top (a circle), the underside (a ring) and the facing (a band). Weight the pattern down — a shifted circle shows.
2. Cut
   Cut one top, two underside halves and two facings. On wool with a nap, keep every piece facing the same way.
3. Finish the edges
   Zigzag the allowances. Wool frays badly, so do not skip this.

4. Sewing

4-1. Join the underside into a ring

1. Sew the two underside halves together at their short edges to form a ring, and press the seams open.

4-2. Join the top to the underside

1. Match the outer edges right sides together. The top is the larger of the two.
2. Pin at four points, then halve the gaps, then halve again — the aim is to spread the extra fullness evenly all the way round.
3. Sew with the top on the underside, easing the fullness in with your fingertips as you go. Done evenly it puffs; bunched in one place it makes a lump.
4. Press the allowance towards the underside.

4-3. Make and attach the facing

1. Fuse interfacing to the facings, sew them into a ring and fold in half lengthwise.
2. Sew the facing to the inner opening of the underside, right sides together.
3. Fold it to the inside and topstitch 3 mm from the edge.

4-4. Shape it

1. Hold a steam iron just above the crown, without touching, and lift the dome.
2. Stuff it with a rolled towel and let it dry that way to set the shape.

✏️ The whole hat depends on distributing the extra fullness evenly. Pin at 4 points, then 8, then 16. Gather it all in one place and you get a bump instead of a dome.

5. Tips & variations

• Add a lining: cut the same pattern in lining and baste it in before the facing. It stops static and feels better.
• Adjust the puff: more puff for a slouchy beret, less for a flat classic one.
• Top detail: a covered button or short loop of cord at the center is what says beret.