Love the way hats keep your head dry but hate when they squish your hair?

Back when i had dreadlocks i could never find hats or hoods to go over my big ol' head! So to keep me snug and dry i made my own pattern for this oversized hood/hat. Before long i'd made them for a bunch of my friends, and they look so cute on everyone, big hair or not :)

Buy the pattern for $4.50

www.alittlestranger.com

Step 1: You Will Need

Printed pattern (avaliable in my etsy shop, or you can email me direct if you dont have an Etsy account)

Materials:
a) Fur Fabric (around 70 x 25cm)
b) Fleece (around 100 x 25cm)
c) Long Fur (around 70 x 10cm)

Tools
d) Snap Fastener setter (for installing the snap fasteners)
e) Snap Fasters (you could use velcro or a button instead)
f) Scissors
g) Marker Pen
h) Thread in a co-ordinating colour to your chosen fabric
i) Pins

In this instructable I've used an overlocker but that's just because i have one, a sewing machine will give you beautiful results :)

Step 2: Prepare Your Pieces

1) Mark out your hood lining onto fleece and cut out.

2) Mark out the straps onto fleece and cut out.

3) Mark out the ears onto fleece and cut out

4) Mark out the main hood onto fur and cut out
Tip: Use your pointy scissors to cut through just the fabric backing, rather than the fur itself. This avoids short patches in the fur :)

5) Mark out the ears onto fur and cut out

6) Mark out the fur trim onto long fur and cut out
Tip: I only had a small piece of long fur, so i cut out the fur trim in two halves and fixed them together in the middle

Step 3: Assembling the Hood

7) With right sides together, sew around 3 sides of the straps leaving one short side open. Turn them inside out.

8) Take one fleece and one fur ear piece and with right sides together sew all around, leaving the base open. Turn them right side out.

9) Sew up the darts on the hood lining and outer.

10) With right sides facing, sew the fur hood pieces together along the curved back seam.

11) With right sides facing, sew the fleece hood pieces together along the curved back seam.

12) Position the fur trim on the main hood, starting by pinning at the centre before pinning both ends. Sew along this edge.

Step 4: Finishing Touches

13) Pin the ears into the ear slits with the fleece side of the ears facing towards the long fur trim. Sew securely into place.

14) Pin the straps onto the fur trim, about 1cm up from the edge.

15) Pin the lining onto the fur trim, making sure the centre of the lining meets up with the centre of the fur trim. Sew securely along this front edge of the hood.

16) Sew along the bottom edge of the hood, leaving a 7cm gap. Use the gap to turn the hood right-way-out.

17) Sew the gap in the bottom seam shut using a neat ladder stitch

18) Install snap fasteners onto the ends of the straps. Velcro tabs or a button would also work well.