An Unusual & Meaningful Sewing Project

Frequently I get asked to take on sewing projects for other people. 

Fixing Pony Pal Mila's favorite stuffie for the umpteenth time? Her smile when I am finished is always worth it!

A fitting with a bride - she wasn't happy with the closure of her dress and asked if I could fix it.

Repairing Pony Pal Kate's mermaid tail so she could wear it again. (Apparently mermaid tails keep your legs really warm while you are sleeping. Maybe I should make one for myself and see if that's true.)

A very disgruntled Pepper trying on a coat that I was making for Kathy's guide dog, Nacho. They had a holiday event to attend and she wanted him to look festive.

She is a very patient girl, but was she ever glad when I finished and took it off her!

From the "I'm in charge of costuming for a musical and I hear you sew; will you make these costumes for me?" to the "My pants need to be hemmed, will you hem them for me?" I turn most of those requests down. I simply do not have the time. (My most unusual sewing request came at an 18th century event. "Do you make loincloths?" Um, no. Just no.)

But there are times I agree to help - and recently I got a request that I really wanted to do. A very young child with cancer was losing her hair due to chemo. Her head was cold, winter is coming, and things were rather rough. Her aunt, a blog reader, reached out to me, sent some pictures of a hat she'd bought the child, and asked if there was a way to line it to make it warmer and more comfortable for her niece. She also told me she knew I was busy and would understand if I could not take the project on.

This mom of 6, grandmother of 16, and sister of a cancer survivor (Leslie) was not going to say no. I wanted to alter that hat for that little girl.

The aunt explained that she wasn't sure it could be lined and I agreed - the problem with lining the hat would be that that would take away some of the stretchiness and could affect the fit. She was willing to take the risk and I was willing to try, and the hat arrived last week.

I started by tracing both sides of the hat onto paper, adding seam allowances and a longer than needed hem length (to allow for adjustability and errors), and then cut two pieces out of white fleece. Fleece doesn't fray, it stretches, and it is soft and warm - perfect for what I hoped to do.

I pinned the two pieces together and then stitched them together up one side, over the top, and then down the other, leaving the bottom open.

Flipping the hat inside out, I slipped the lining over it, matching the side seams, and pinning the hem all around the bottom. It was a good thing I'd cut the length longer than I'd thought I needed - it was perfect as is.

Next I began hand stitching the hem of the lining securely to the hat using small stitches and hiding them within the yarn so they could not be seen.

When that was finished, I flipped the hat back to right side out, slipping my hands up into it and smoothing out any folds or wrinkles. There was still stretchability even with the lining intact and so I think the hat will fit just fine.

The hat goes out in today's mail and a little girl will have a warm and comfy hat (cute, too!) to wear while she undergoes chemo.

Thanks, Auntie A, for letting me do this project for your niece. You said prayers would be welcome so I send mine on her behalf. And blog readers, if you want to pray, think good thoughts, send karma, etc. please do. Auntie A says that would be welcome.