The CAT's Hat (for a toddler head)

I wanted to make this hat for my son - so I browsed online and couldn't find a tutorial that wasn't out of paper or that looked nice.  So from me to you...

Materials needed:
Red Felt
  - 3 red strips each measuring 3"x22"
  - 1 red circle 6.75" in diameter
White Felt
  - 2 white strips each measuring 3"x22"
  - 2 white circles each 13" in diameter (with a 6.75" circle cut out of the center)

The easiest way I found to get the opening centered was to fold the red and white circles into quarters and line up the corner and trace the red circle's outer line onto the white and then cut.

After you have your 2 white circles, sew around the outside rim, flip right side out and baste (use a longer, gathering stitch) both layers around the inner circle.

Sit the brim aside and then sew the red and white strips together, alternating colors (red, white, red, white, red).  Then I topstitched along the edge of each color (for 3 reasons . . . it give the hat more stability to stand up and hold its form, it looks more professional, and it keeps the seams on the inside laying nice and flat)  But topstitching is totally optional. 

Then you'll want to baste along the edge of the red strips on the ends.

Next, fold the stripes in half, matching up the colors and sew along the edge, making a tube.

Now to add the top to the hat tube.  Pin the red circle to the right side of the opening in the hat tube and sew.  I poked myself several dozen times in this step trying to sew, but since it's a circle, you should pin it a lot to keep the curve going nicely. (this is why we basted the red stripe, so you can pull the gathering string to adjust the edges to match up - you may need to baste around the red circle's edge as well - but I didn't need to.  After sewing, turn right side out.  See how nice that looks!

Now, we just need to sew the brim to the hat tube...using the same manner as the top, pin the brim to the hat tube at the bottom (right sides together) and then sew.  This is why we basted the red stripe and the inside of the white brim - in case one piece is larger than the other, you can pull the gathering stitches to make them match up while pinning. 

After the hat was all together, I also top stitched around the bottom red stripe and the white brim where the hat tube meets the brim.  I haven't top stitched around the outside of the brim yet...still deciding if I want a stiffer brim or a floppier one. 

This is a little big on my 2 1/2 year old, and it's too small for my head, but it sits on his head just fine

It's only a problem when he pulls it down over his head and then freaks out cause he can't get it back up.  If that's a worry for you, just make the circle you cut out of the center of the white brim smaller than 6.75"