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How to Make a Sunbonnet for an 18 Inch Doll

Sundresses allow the sun to touch your arms and shoulders, but sunbonnets were designed to keep the sun off a woman's face to protect her complexion from sun damage. Make a traditional sunbonnet with a wide brim to finish your doll's prairie girl outfit. Sunbonnets are also a pretty way to protect a doll's hair and face from sun and dust when the doll is on display; the bonnets are much more attractive than a plastic cover.

Things You'll Need

Tape measure
Fabric
Scissors
Medium-weight, sew-in interfacing
Sewing machine
Matching thread
2 9-inch ribbon pieces

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the doll from ear to ear. Add 1/2 inch to this measurement and cut two circles with this diameter from the fabric.
- 2
  Cut one circle in half and use it as a pattern to cut a piece of interfacing,
- 3
  Place the two fabric half-circles together using the right side of the fabric. Place the interfacing on top of the fabric and align all edges.
- 4
  Sew along the curved edge of the thin pile of fabric with a 1/2-inch seam allowance.
- 5
  Trim the seam allowance to 1/4-inch. Clip the curve by cutting slits in the seam allowance every 1/4 inch. Cut close to the seam but be careful not to cut the stitching.
- 6
  Turn the fabric right-side out so the interfacing is on the inside. This is the brim of your sun bonnet. Press the brim. Topstitch it by stitching close to the turned edge, if desired.
- 7
  Sew a line of basting stitches 5/8-inch from the edge all the way around the other circle. Make a second row of basting stitches in the seam allowance 1/4-inch from the first row.
- 8
  Fold the circle in quarters and place a pin in the edge of the fabric at the folds to mark the quarters of the circle. This will be the back of the bonnet.
- 9
  Pull up the gathering threads and pin the brim to the back with the right sides of the fabric together and the raw edges even. The brim should go three-quarters of the way around the back of the hat. Adjust the gathers evenly, including the gathers in the portion of the hat that is not pinned to the brim.
- 10
  Sew the brim to the back of the hat.
- 11
  Fold the remaining raw edge into the hat making a 1/2-inch fold. Zigzag stitch this fold down over the gathers in this section to hold them in place.
- 12
  Sew the ribbon to the bottom edge of the brim on each side of the bonnet.

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