How to make a baseball cap

1. Materials & tools

Materials (adult size)

• Main fabric (twill, denim or canvas) — about 60 × 50 cm (24 × 20 in)
• Lining fabric — the same amount
• Firm fusible interfacing or a brim insert — for the brim
• Optional: an adjuster strap or elastic for the back

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” → “Baseball cap” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter head circumference, crown depth, brim length and width, and ease. Presets cover child, 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 crown panel and the brim.
2. Cut
   Cut six panels and two brim pieces, plus lining. Fuse interfacing to the brim.
3. Finish the edges
   Zigzag or serge the panel seam allowances — there are a lot of them.

4. Sewing

4-1. Join the panels

1. Sew the panels together in pairs, then join the pairs into two sets of three, then join those two halves.
2. Working 2 → 3 sets → whole keeps the seams meeting neatly at the top. Sewing them one after another leaves a gap at the crown.
3. Press each seam open, or to one side and topstitch, as you go.

4-2. Make the brim

1. Sew the two brim pieces right sides together along the outer curve.
2. Clip the curve, turn and press, then topstitch several concentric lines across the brim to stiffen it.

4-3. Attach the brim

1. Pin the brim to the front of the crown opening, right sides together, matching the centers, and sew.
2. Baste it first and try the cap on — brim position is the difference between a cap that looks right and one that does not.

4-4. Finish the opening

1. Sew the lining crown the same way and set it inside.
2. Bind or turn the lower edge, catching the brim, and topstitch all the way around.
3. Add an adjuster or elastic at the back if you want it to fit more than one head.

✏️ Join the panels in pairs, then in threes, then join the halves. Sewn one after another around the circle, the last seam never closes cleanly and the crown pulls to one side.

5. Tips & variations

• Stiffen the brim properly: a floppy brim is the one thing that makes a home-made cap look home-made. Use a proper brim insert if you can find one.
• Topstitch the panels: pressing the seams to one side and topstitching gives the ridged look of a bought cap.
• Adjuster at the back: it makes the cap fit anyone, and it is five minutes' work.