Free Vintage Sunbonnet Pattern: {Sewing}

Sunbonnets and more sunbonnets! Make ‘em to match your housedresses, your gardening outfits, even your sports clothes or your square dance costumes. Here’s one that opens flat for easy ironing and it’s so very easy to make. Two-thirds of a yard of average material will be enough.

The proportions shown on the chart should remain, but the scale may be varied to suit the size you plan–two and a quarter inches for each square will come out about right for the bonnet for an adult. The straight side of the brim should measure 18 inches and crown piece should be 20 inches long and 16 inches at the widest point-enlarge the scale accordingly. For a child’s bonnet, make the squares smaller.

Face the crown piece all around with a bias strip cut an inch and a half wide. Then sew a bias casing at X for drawstrings; work an eyelet in the center of casing and fasten strings at the side seams; later, tie them at center.

Cut an interfacing of heavy muslin and stitch with both brim pieces. Turn right side out and stitch around curve–as many rows as desired. Whip the straight edge. If you wish a light-weight slat type brim, it can be done with long emery boards from the manicure goods section. Use these stiff boards as slats, sipping them into channels that are stitched crosswise just outside a penciled outline of the emery boards; leave one end open so the “slats” may be removed for laundering.

Sew snaps or buttons at dots. From O to O, sew, snap or button a band about a half inch wide by 8 1/2 inches long, to be a stay to keep the bonnet from slipping forward.

The curved outer edge, as well as tie ends, if you wish them, may have lace or embroidery trim. Broken line on chart shows optional shape for neck, if you want more protection from the sun.

Source: The WorkBasket (June 1952)

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