Sunday, December 12, 2010

Tutorial-Mop Cap

A real, old-fashioned mop cap, just like Laura wore on "Little House".  These caps are so quick and easy to make.  Every little girl you know will want one.

I was making a cap for a little girl and one for an 18" doll.  The first step is to cut 2 circles for each hat.
The girl's hat is about an 18-20" circle and the doll's is about 12-13".

Sew a narrow seam around the edge leaving an opening for turning it to the right side.

Turn to the right side and press.


To form the casing for the elastic, sew a seam 2.5 inches from the edge all the way around the circle.  Sew another seam about 2 inches from the edge of the circle-leave a small opening for inserting the elastic.


Insert elastic in the casing.  I use 3/8" elastic and for a child it should be about 18 inches long.


Stitch the opening closed and top-stitch all the way around the outer edge.


That's it-so cute! And all your little girls will love this mop cap.  Also available in my store.

73 comments:

  1. Best tutorial for mop cap I have seen yet, and I've looked at several. Perfect timing too I am making these to go with a Laura and Mary wardrobe I am sewing my girls for Christmas, Thanks!!

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  2. Thank you for this tutorial.. I've just made it for my grand daughter's Victorian day tomorrow :o)

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  3. My daughter is playing the cook from Alice in Wonderland in her ballet show in July.
    This is a wonderfully simple way of making a hat as part of her costume - as long as the ballet teacher agrees - this will cause this sewing-shy Mum no problems at all *and* I don't need any fancy fastenings which is essential as she has a quick change over of costumes. She is also playing a Rook (castle in a chess game) and a flower in the garden. Thank you and blessings, Patti
    Jack(ie) - Dorset, England

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  4. Thank you so much for this tutorial. It is very easy to understand and follow. I'm making this mop cap as part of my daughters Betsy Ross costume for school.

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  5. Jack and Jeana,
    Glad you found the tutorial helpful. Let me know if there is another tutorial you would like to see.
    Patti

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  6. Easy to follow and great results. Making for grandaughter's Big Bad Wolf in Grandma's clothes costume.

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  7. Great tutorial, thank you so much. I'm a musical entertainer and we often play for Colonial events. I made the cap 22" and it fits better for an adult.

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  8. Children are performing 12 days of Christmas for parents, have 3 weeks to sort the costumes, cap great for milking maids, thank you very much for simple, straight forward instructions.

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  9. I am the cook in Alice in Wonderland, a great comic role and made this cap oversized, it looked amazing and it was so easy. thank you for such clear instructions.

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  10. How long is the elastic for the 18" doll? Thank you for this great tutorial.

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  12. Sorry for the delay in responding, we have been traveling. The elastic for the doll is 12 inches. I use 1/4 inch elastic for the dolls. Have fun!

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  13. I have made 2 of the mop caps now. The second one I put lace on. I will sell it for more than the plain one. Your directions are so good and coomplete. I was able to make the mop caps quickly and they turned out beautifully. The lace I used was eyelet, and I am going to make one with clunney lace on it next. There are people in our muzzle loading groups that like to dress authentically and these will certainly be a nice addition to the clothing collections. Thanks for the great directions. Beth

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  14. I just finished making a mop cap for my daughter's upcoming play. Thank you for sharing this tutorial. It was clear and easy to follow. My daughter is so pleased.
    Mom in Berkeley, CA

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  15. Awesome and easy! I just found this website about two hours ago, found some fabric, and whipped up this mob cap for my daughter's presentation on Betsy Ross tomorrow (she let me know at dinner she wanted a "costume"). She gets this cap, a shawl, skirt and a flag (from the closet). Panic is now gone. Thanks so much!

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  16. How big would you make one for an adult? (I have used this tutorial to make kids' mob caps and they turned out awesome, btw)

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  17. Stephanie,
    You can use the 22" circle or make it up to 25" if you want a really floppy mop cap. Either way will work fine. Have fun!
    Patti

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  18. Hello.. I am so glad I found this ! My daughter's will loves these. What size circle would you recommend for a newborn? Also, what size circle would I cut for an 18" head?? Thank you so much ~

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  19. Thanks so much, glad you found it helpful. I would use a 12-13" circle for a newborn (same as for a doll) and an 18-22" circle for the larger head. A larger circle will give you more of a ruffle (just move the casing in a little). It is almost impossible to mess this up because the caps are so cute regardless of the size of the ruffle.

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  20. Maxine in AustraliaJune 8, 2012 at 1:13 AM

    I am making the 16 costumes for our pony club's musical ride in June this year and I will be adapting your pattern to fit over the girl's helmets. Thank you for putting your pattern and advice on the web :)

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  21. I'm making a Betsy Ross cosume for our town's upcoming 4th of July parade. Putting two patterns I already had on hand for the dress, but had no mop cap pattern I had kind of thought about how to make one, but was delighted to find this. I'll give my 13-star American flag as extra wave as I march along!

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  22. thanks so much for this! My little girl wants to be little miss muffet for fairy tale day at school. Rock on!

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  23. Thank you!My children used this for a carnival and they looked great!

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  24. I am so very glad that many of you found this tutorial helpful. It is so much fun sewing for little girls and watching their delight with their new outfits.

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  25. I love your tutorial! I'm teaching myself to sew and this was very easy to follow. I have one question though, if I wanted to add lace along the bottom, at what point would I do that? Again, thanks!

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    1. Thanks for your kind words. I am happy to hear the tutorial was so helpful.

      The proper way to add lace would be before you begin assembly. You would lay the lace on one of the circles with the bound edge of the lace near the raw edge of the circle. Sew the lace down then lay the other circle on top and continue with the directions above.

      I hope this helps,
      Patti

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  26. I was getting terrible results for 'granny nightcap' but somehow I discovered the term 'mob cap' and that led me straight to your wonderful tutorial... and none too soon for Halloween! Little Red's grandmother is now covered, literally and figuratively!

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  27. Once again, thanks, I am so glad this tutorial has been such a blessing to so many!

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  28. Perfect! Thank you!

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  29. I <3 you for this! I was going to buy a pattern just for the hat, and they wanted to charge me $12! I thought I would wing it, but last ditch effort, I did one last search for Miss Muffet Costume ideas. Low and behold: This popped up! I am so excited! It turned out exactly like I wanted! Thank you so so much!

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  30. Thank you for the tutorial! My own little "Laura & Mary" will have adorable caps for bed under the tree this year!

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  31. You dont know how helpful this post was to me in my hour of need.
    When your daughter arrives home from school and wants a villiager costume for the next day its cutting it short to say the least.
    But with a scarf and your guidance I did it!
    Many thanks

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  32. I am so very happy that this tutorial has proven so helpful to so very many people. Thanks for your kind comments.
    Patti

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  33. I just finished making this hat for a friend of mines daughter who is going to be in a school play. It turned out so cute! I used white eyelet on one side and plain on the other side. She can reverse it if she wants . Thank you SO much for the step by step instructions. After searching the Webb, your directions were very easy to understand. Blessings to you and yours.

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  34. Fantastic tutorial. Just made a mop cap for my daughter's school presentation on the American Revolution. Thank you truly!!!

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  35. Our day respite centre is having a 'come in your pj's' day. The older ladies are nervous about coming in their pjs so - They are bringing their slippers and I am making a 'mop cap' for each of them. Your instructions are so easy that I can easily do one for each - with a slight variation to personalise them. Thanks

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  36. Thank you so much This is for a school project and I've never sewd befor so I'm sooooo grateful. Thank you!

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  37. Bless you and thank you! I hope you are still reading these comments. I just made a mop cap for one of my ESL students who is going to be Betsy Ross in her homeroom class's "Living Museum". All the other kids had something for a costume and she was really sad because she had nothing. I had figured out a possible way to make one, but your tutorial showed me how to make it super nice, and as other posters have noted, it took less than two hours. I'm a mother of grown-up boys, but I'm going to make some in floral patterns for my cousins' kids - lots of little girls there. Deepest gratitude!

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  38. Took me about 20 minutes from start to finish. Easiest thing ever (even with me messing it up LOL). Betsy Ross costume done :) thanks so much!!

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  39. I'm getting ready to make me a Berenstain Bear Mama Bear costume for Halloween and need a polka dot mob cap. These are great instructions and I'm excited to get going on the hat now. Thanks!

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  40. I just found this tutorial to make my night cap for Golde in our Fiddler on the Roof production at church. Thanks so much!

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  41. Excise me, but I am very picky about some things and calling something the wrong name is one of them. I have noticed several people calling them "mob" caps. I think it may be because of the type-o you made in the previous page. If you correct that it may stop the the misunderstandings. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would ever think that they are called MOB caps. What kind of mob would ever wear these??? Picture it!!! LOL!!! Unless they have another definition for the word mob??? LOL!!!

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    1. The correct term for this bonnet is mob cap. I only used both terms to make searching easier for anyone who might need these instructions.
      I will pass along the info I found on wikipedia-
      "A mob cap or mob-cap is a round, gathered or pleated cloth (usually linen) bonnet consisting of a caul to cover the hair, a frilled or ruffled brim, and (often) a ribbon band, worn by married women in the Georgian period, when it was called a "bonnet". Originally an informal style, the bonnet became a high-fashion item as part of the adoption of simple "country" clothing in the later 18th century. It was an indoor fashion, and was worn under a hat for outdoor wear. During the French Revolution, the name "Mob Cap" caught on because the poorer women who were involved in the riots wore them, but they had been in style for middle class and even aristocracy since the century began."
      Hope this helps.

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  42. I know that this sounds ICKY! but I have to share this. These caps also come in very handy if your child's school is RIDDLED WITH LICE!!! You can braid up long hair using baby oil just in case, pin the braids to the top of the head and put on the cap. Make them in floral patterns or in colours that will match your kids clothes. Also, you can pin a silk flower to one side to make it even prettier. Just remember to take the flower off before you wash the cap. It worked for my kids who came home FIVE TIMES in one year with lice. After spending $30 each time and thoroughly cleaning the whole house, spraying RC Spray everywhere, including putting all of their toys, especially stuffed toys, in a large trash bag & spraying it thoroughly before tying it shut. I also sprayed the inside of our cars including the carpets. I got really angry after the school nurse kept calling it a re-infestation when I knew it wasn't after all the expensive work I had done. So once more with the Rid-X, then I used baby oil on their hair to kill any creepy crawly adults before they could lay any eggs and these caps for the rest of the year. For boys just use the baby oil, it clogs up the spiracles through which these bugs breathe. Without breathing they die! LOL It worked for my kids and I know it will work for anyone that has the same problem.

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  43. Thank you! I used this pattern to make a cap for my daughter's Little Miss Muffett costume. She's 2, her head circumference is 18", at the measurements worked perfectly. I used 18" circles of fabric and an 18" piece of elastic.

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  44. thanks for this pattern...it was so easy!!!!!

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  45. I, too, couldn't find anything when I searched for a granny cap. Much to my surprise I found this cap. I was laughing when all the comments were about kids and dolls. I needed a Mrs. Santa cap. I used red plush fabric and got an awesome cap. Santa will be shocked when he sees his Mrs. Claus. Thanks a ton, you saved me.

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  46. Thank you for posting these awesome instructions! I consider myself to be a beginner when it comes to sewing, and I found the directions easy to follow. I was able to complete the mob cap in less than an hour. My daughter needs a costume in order to participate in "Colonial Day" next month, so thanks for helping us out!

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  47. Thanks for this awesome tutorial! I was able to create my daughter a mop hat for her Little Miss Muffet costume using your pattern:) check out my blog to see the pics! and thanks again for sharing!
    http://wrightbyme.blogspot.com/2014/02/little-miss-muffet.html

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  48. I am so happy that so very many people have found this useful and I apologize for the delay in responding-Google had me locked out of my blog for quite awhile. Again, thanks for the many kind remarks.

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  49. Another thanks! My 10 year old daughter needs a cap for her play, she's actually going to sew it with my help.

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  51. You are welcome and I am really happy to hear she is learning so young-never too young to start them!!

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  52. This looks so easy! I am making this for an eight yr old girl. May I ask, please, what age will this hat fit?

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  53. Thank you so much for this pattern. It's World Book Day tomorrow and I've just finished my daughter's costume, thanks to you!

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  54. Great pattern! Thanks so much for posting. Daughter is dressing as Abigail Adams for school report and she did all the sewing herself! First real project and it looks great!

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  55. I just made one for my daughter's Colonial times field trip tomorrow. Thank you very much for sharing!

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  56. Thanks for your instructions! I made the school a cap for the mother bunny in the Peter Rabbit play.

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  57. Fantastic pattern and worked great. Thank you so much! I just finished sewing 3 bonnets for my daughter and her classmates, and will be making more.

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  58. Thanks so much. I just whipped one of these up for a costume for a client.

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  59. I would like to point out that these hats are actually "Mob Caps" and not Mop Caps as so many people seem to think.

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    1. The correct term for this bonnet is mob cap. I only used both terms to make searching easier for anyone who might need these instructions.
      I will pass along the info I found on wikipedia-
      "A mob cap or mob-cap is a round, gathered or pleated cloth (usually linen) bonnet consisting of a caul to cover the hair, a frilled or ruffled brim, and (often) a ribbon band, worn by married women in the Georgian period, when it was called a "bonnet". Originally an informal style, the bonnet became a high-fashion item as part of the adoption of simple "country" clothing in the later 18th century. It was an indoor fashion, and was worn under a hat for outdoor wear. During the French Revolution, the name "Mob Cap" caught on because the poorer women who were involved in the riots wore them, but they had been in style for middle class and even aristocracy since the century began."
      Hope this helps.

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  60. what size should the circles be for an 11 year old

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    1. So sorry for the delay in responding-I would use a 20 inch circle for an 11 year old.

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  61. Thank you so much for posting this! It was really easy to follow the instructions. I can't believe how great the cap came out, since I'm no sewing expert. It was the finishing touch for my daughter's Colonial Day outfit.

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  62. Thanks to all for your kind comments. I am so glad this has helped so very many people.

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  63. I live in poplarville just a few miles north of you....thank you so much for the cap tutorial....my granddaughter is gonna look soooo cute in this...she is two....

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  64. Brilliant and so simple! Thank you for this pattern. I love how you assume a certain amount of sewing knowledge. So good! My daughter is so happy and is now very much looking forward to the school excursion heritage tour of the city (Newcastle, Australia).

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  65. Absolute beginner & I had no trouble following this. Fantastically easy pattern, thank you.

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  66. Thanks so much for this pattern. Curiouse what is the size of the pattern for adult.

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  67. Sorry for the delay in responding. For an adult I would use a 22" circle. Have fun!

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