Keep Your Head Warm

A few weeks ago Heather - the founder of the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild - issued a challenge to the guild: "The Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild Founders Day One Hundred Hat Challenge, or TBMQGFDOHHC for short. Or, how about the 100 Hat Challenge for really short."

The first few hats I made.

"The challenge to the guild is to sew 100 (or more) hats for the Early Head Start program kids. These children, ages 6 weeks to 3 years old, who attend the program are at or below the poverty level. As part of their daily routine, the wonderful teachers at the center take the kids outside to play. Quite often, they don't have hats in the cold weather to keep them warm. I'd love to be able to provide each child with a hat or two (one to go home, one to stay at the center.)"  Heather provided a pattern as a suggestion and set us all upon our task.

These hats were made by Amy and MJ.  Check out the other amazing stuff on Amy's Instagram.

Several members of the guild created hats and the race was on to make a bunch of hats for children in the Early Head Start program.

Here is my finished stack of hats.  54 in total.

I got to work making hats using my growing piles of fleece scraps leftover from other projects.  I created a simple hat that is four wedge pieces for the crown and a folded band.  I made them in two sizes.  Most of the hats were made using two or more fabrics.  If it was a scrap bigger than 6" x 6" it found its way into a hat.  a couple of these hats were made with five different fabrics.  I think I managed to thin the fleece scrap herd more than a little.

All the hats were turned in at the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild meeting on November 9th.  The total hat count was 150+.  Not too shabby for a two-week notice!

While I didn't do it for the prize, there were prizes to give away.  For making the most hats I received a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 10.  So many fun blocks to make.

I also received this fun collection of charms.  Several others also won prizes of fabric.  The giant pile of hats was great.  Knowing that little heads will be warm this winter is even better. 

Since I drafted this pattern I'm thinking about writing a tutorial to make your own.  If you would be interested please let me know.  They aren't hard to make and fleece is such a forgiving fabric.