How To Sew A Preemie Hat {Free Pattern}
A tutorial on how to sew a preemie hat that includes a free pattern is something that I have had on my list to offer for a while.
But with the NICU bonding heart pattern being one of Create To Donate’s most popular, I put sewing a preemie hat on the back burner.
Mostly because I already offer a round up of wonderful crochet hat patterns for preemies and a sewing pattern to make a tiny beanie as a keepsake for families dealing with pregnancy loss.
Plus, sewing flannel hearts for preemies is easy and one size fits all.
Sewing tiny hats that will be put on delicate tiny heads using lightweight, stretchy material, however, is a whole different ball of wax.
I mean, at least when you’re making a no-sew hat for children or reversible fleece beanie for adults, the whole process is a little more forgiving.
Oh, and I will be posting newborn sizing in a separate post soon, because not all babies in a NICU are preemies so I want to offer an option for those families too.
Designing A Free Beanie Pattern For Preemies
So when I finally started work on the tutorial and creating this free beanie pattern for preemies of different sizes, like I do for all the Create To Donate patterns, I went back to review my research and thought through what would, and what would not, work for charity sewing.
In my research, I found what may very well be one of the OG preemie hat sewing tutorials from Extraordinary Ordinary Life posted in 2009.
Then, I went through the crochet hat patterns for preemies I’ve included in round ups to get a general sense of that design and sizing.
And like everyone else online today, I also perused through some short form videos on various social media platforms to see how and where people are making and donating hats to NICUs.
Free Sewing Pattern: Beanies For Preemies
But most importantly, I reviewed healthcare sites with documented measurement information for premature babies with charts like this one and the one from Bronson Health below that detail all of a baby’s measurements to make sure the beanie sizing is appropriate.
Then I went back to one of my ‘dog-eared’ blog posts How To Sew A Beanie, from The Shapes of Fabric to help me draft a pattern.
So, this free preemie beanie sewing pattern with four sizes is my take on what works best based on all of the things I know about sewing for charity and learned through my research.
For reference, below are two of the sizes using the everyday objects mentioned in the above chart.
(Please note: These were hats were made to test the patterns and will not be donated since they have been placed on the balls.)
Free Beanie Pattern For Preemies Is Offered Three Ways
In order to make Create To Donate’s patterns easy to use and as accessible as possible, the beanie template is offered three different ways:
- Download the PDF from the Create To Donate site.
- Download the preemie hat pattern via the Canva link.
- Access the 3D print files via Makerworld to print a long-lasting cutting template for your preemie hats. (I am so excited to offer this brand new option and more templates are coming soon!)
Verify Guidelines Before Donating Handmade Items
As always, please check with your local NICU or preemie-focused charity to ensure you’re meeting any specific guidelines they have before donating handmade items .
If you’re looking for a charity that would love your donations, be sure to check out Preemies of the Carolinas.
How To Sew A Baby Beanie
Since premature babies come in all shapes and sizes, this pattern offers four different options based on an approximate weight of the baby.
These handmade preemie hats work up very quickly and will make a big difference in a NICU family's experience.
We will be making a hat fora a preemie who is approximately 5.5 lbs for the purpose of this tutorial,
Materials
- A piece of knit fabric that is at least 13" x 13"
Tools
- Preemie beanie pattern from Create To Donate
- Rotary cutter and mat and scissors
- Sewing clips
- Sewing machine
Instructions
- Grab your knit fabric.
- Print and cut out Create To Donate's preemie hat pattern.
- Trim your knit fabric to 13" x 13 (if it isn't already).
- Lay the fabric right side down.
- Take the bottom edge of the fabric and fold it to meet the top edge. This bottm fold needs to be with the stretch of the fabric.
- Take the right edge of the fabric and fold it to align with the left edge of the fabric.
- Place your pattern on top of the folded fabric.
- Cut out the preemie beanie shape.
- Open up the fabric folds.
- Fold the fabric right sides together so that the long edges line up.
- Place sewing clips along the long edge and the outside of the hat peaks.
- Use a zigzag stitch to sew the outside edges of all four hat peaks and the long edge of the fabric.
- Turn the fabric right sides out.
- Pull the bottom of the sewn tube through to meet the top of the tube, creating the folded bottom edge of the hat.
- Align the center seams together. .
- Clip the layers together to form the top curve of the hat.
- Use a zigzag stitch to sew all four layers together and finish the hat.
- Time any excess fabric at the top of the hat.
- Turn the hat right sides out and fold the bottom edge about 1" to finish the look!
Notes
- A jersey needle is highly recommended (affiliate link). Sewing went much faster and had less hiccups once I changed needles.
- Folding he fabric twice means there is only one side seam.
- After completing a hat, carefully check that all of the edges were captured in the top seam of the hat.
Every Preemie Hat Donation Makes A Difference
With the hat pattern available in four different sizes, it’s easy to make four hats in a sitting. And every hat you donate to a NICU makes a difference.
So break out all the knit fabrics and have fun sewing for a cause!
