The Military-Style Cover, by Genniewren Designs, is a form of peaked cap. The design is based on a real officer's cap and is fully lined. It features a flat sloping crown, a cap band, a peak (or bill in military parlance, also sometimes called a visor) and traditionally features eyelets for “ventilation”.
This military-style cap pattern can be used for most branches of the military world-wide, depending on the color fabric you use. It also works for police uniforms, security guards, chauffeurs, bus drivers, in fact any uniform that needs a smart cap! The pattern includes two sizes to make allowance for dolls with slightly different sized heads. It contains two styles, both with a sloping crown. View A has a tall crown height, View B has a standard crown height. Simply use the lower crown pieces to match your chosen cap style – all the other pattern pieces are the same for both versions.
The peaked cap has been around as a style for quite some time. It dates back to the early 19th century when it was brought in to replace the more cumbersome bicorne and tricorne hats worn by officers during the Napoleonic wars.
During the Crimean War (1853-56) officers wore peaked caps to distinguish themselves from the lower ranks who wore mainly pillbox style hats with a chin strap (a bit like a bellhop’s hat). Afterwards, it became fashionable for officers to add gold braid and “frogging” onto the cap bills so that an officer’s rank was immediately apparent to other members of the organization. The tradition has continued ever since in the British military, and the gold braid is informally called “scrambled eggs” in the Royal Navy.
By the First World War the peaked cap style of head covering was worn by most ranks as part of their every day uniform. Nowadays a softer more casual style of headgear is worn day to day, with the peaked cap remaining part of the Number 1 and Number 2 dress uniforms.
So where did the idea for this shape headgear come from?
The origins of the peaked cap lie in humble roots. A very similar style cap was worn by the working men of Northern Europe, particularly fishermen and manual laborers. The caps were made from wool, canvas or reclaimed fabric. The bill helped to protect the eyes from bright sunlight and also from the rain. Those who worked outdoors in poor weather would sometimes waterproof the hat with tar. It’s thought that this is the origin of the shiny bill or visor for some of the military caps.
Believe it or not, during the 1970s a denim peaked cap was very popular as a male fashion accessory, especially when worn with a matching denim “safari suit”. A little later in the same decade the girls borrowed the style too, wearing their denim peaked caps with hot pants and peasant blouses.
Today, this style of cap is still popular as a fashion accessory, and not just in the military. Peaked caps are worn by marching bands, by members of voluntary first aid organizations, by biker groups, and they are even a fashion item in Japanese youth culture.
A set of machine embroidery designs featuring military-style cap patches and "frogging" for the cap bill is also available from Pixie Faire.
Recommended Fabrics: This pattern is designed for mid to heavier weight woven fabrics such as denim, cotton drill or linen/cotton blends. It can also be made from medium weight woolen fabrics. Fabric requirements will differ depending on how many colors you wish to use for the cap.
Supplies Needed:
--One quarter of a yard or a fat quarter is sufficient for a single color cap with no contrast band or bill.
- 11" x 22" lining fabric
- 6" x 10" heavyweight fusible interfacing for the bill
For caps with contrast sections you will need
- 11" x 22" of your main crown fabric
- 14” x 2” strip of fabric for your hat band (this can be cut from the main fabric if desired)
- 12” x 5” fabric for the peak (or bill in US military terms). “Wet look” vinyl fabric gives a good shiny effect, but it lacks body and will need heavy weight interfacing. Satin will also work if you cannot get hold of the vinyl.
OPTIONAL:
- 6 x 1/8” (3mm) eyelets in a color to match your fabric. (With eyelets the measurement is the inside size of the hole.)
- One quarter of a yard of medium weight fusible interfacing – to help give your fabric body if it is lightweight. Please note that if you are using the shiny vinyl fabric that is not suitable for fusible interfacing, so you will need to use the sew-in interfacing instead.
- 2 brass buttons for the hat band if required by the uniform you are making
- 1 yard of mini piping in a suitable color. If you cannot find the piping in your local sewing store, look for mini piping in online heirloom sewing stores, or you can make your own using #5 cotton crochet thread and some bias tape.
- Military braiding, black, brass, gold or silver. You might find some interesting braids in the upholstery section of your hobby store.
- Military-style or police-style cap badge. (Please note that Genniewren Designs has digitized a machine embroidery design set of military style cap badges and cap bill frogging, which is also available at Pixie Faire.)
Skill Level: Intermediate
What You Get: One 37 page sewing pattern that you digitally download as a PDF file so you can start your project immediately! The PDF sewing pattern provides full color step-by-step illustrated instructions and full size pattern pieces. A PDF reader is required to view and print the files (example: Adobe Reader or Preview for MAC). The download link is received immediately after the transaction is complete. Print copies are NOT available
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