DIY Quilted Trucker Hat with Free Dresden Plate Pattern
Hey GIRL! According to my current social feed, most of us are in our granny era right now.Â
Well, I’ve actually been stuck in mine since I was about 11. So seeing all of the vintage quilt-inspired projects flooding my feed lately, is a trend I was fully primed for. Give me florals, patchwork, old-school quilt patterns, something I can make in an afternoon, and I am there.
I’ve been living in hats lately, so naturally, I decided my trucker hat needed a quilty chic makeover and we needed a pattern that my Crafty Gals could easily replicate.Â
For this project, I took a traditional Half Dresden Plate quilt pattern and sized it perfectly to fit the front of an Otto trucker hat. I snagged my hat at Hobby Lobby and my fabric pack on Amazon
Let’s SEW, y’all!
Supplies
For this project, you’ll need:
- My free Half Dresden Plate pattern. Link Below
- 8 coordinating cotton fabrics. Here’s the pack I used.
- Foam trucker hat I used Otto Brand in Tan
- Sewing machine – Here’s the updates version of the one I have.
- Coordinating thread
- Fabric scissors
- Small rotary cutter and ruler, optional but helpful
- Straight pins
- Iron
- Spray starch, optional
- Aluminum foil
- Small pointed tool for turning your Dresden points
- Old toothbrush
- Hot glue gun or needle and thread for attaching the finished applique
Seam allowance: We’ll use a 1/4-inch seam allowance throughout this project.
Overall finished Piece measures 3.5 X 6.75″
Step 1: Choose Your Fabrics
I started with a coordinated charm pack of quilting cottons that I found on Amazon because I loved the mix of colorful floral prints.
A charm pack makes this especially easy because everything already coordinates, but you definitely don’t need one. This is also a GREAT project for using up those little fabric scraps you’ve been hoarding because they’re too pretty to throw away.
You’ll need 8 different fabrics total.
Seven will be used for the Dresden blades, and the eighth will become the half-circle center.
Before you start cutting, choose your favorite fabric from the bunch and set it aside. We’ll use that one as the dominant print for the center of the Dresden Plate.
Step 2: Cut 7 Dresden Blade Pieces
Using the blade template from the free pattern, cut 7 Dresden blade pieces from seven different fabrics.
To speed things up, I stacked some of my fabrics and used a quilting ruler with a small rotary cutter to get nice, precise cuts.
Pay attention to where you’re placing your template on patterned fabric, especially if you’re working with larger florals or other directional designs. You only need a tiny piece of each fabric, so move your template around until you find a section of the print that you really want featured on the finished blade.
Then use the half-circle template to cut one center piece from the dominant fabric you set aside earlier.
Step 3: Sew the Dresden Points
Now we’re going to turn those flat little blade pieces into the pointed shapes.
Fold each blade in half lengthwise with the right sides of the fabric together.
Using a 1/4-inch seam allowance, sew straight across the wide top edge.
I like to chain piece mine to make this step faster. Instead of stopping and cutting my thread after every blade, I sew one blade, feed in the next, and continue until all seven are connected in one little fabric train.
Just remember to backstitch at the beginning and end of each blade seam.
Once all seven are sewn, snip the chain apart.
Step 4: Turn and Press the Points
Before turning your blades right side out, carefully trim the corners next to each seam.
Removing that tiny bit of excess fabric reduces the bulk inside the point and helps you get a much cleaner finished Dresden blade.
Turn each blade right side out and gently push out the point.
I used a little manicure stick to work mine into place, but anything small and blunt enough to push the fabric without poking through it will work.
Repeat with all seven blades.
Next, press each blade flat.
I’m using a little spray starch here because it helps everything stay crisp while I’m assembling the Dresden Plate, but starch isn’t necessary.
The important part is making sure the seam running down from the point is centered on the back of each blade before you press it.
Step 5: Prepare the Half-Circle Center
Now let’s work on our center piece.
And I’ve got a handy little hack for getting that rounded edge nice and smooth.
First, trim the paper half-circle pattern along the dashed guideline included on the pattern.
Place the paper template over your fabric half circle, then use a small piece of aluminum foil to wrap around the fabric and template together.
Use the template as your guide while gently manipulating the fabric around the curved edge.
For now, we’re only folding the curved edge under. Leave the straight bottom edge raw.
Once you have a smooth curve, press the foil-wrapped piece with your iron and get it nice and hot.
Then set it aside and let it cool completely.
The foil helps hold everything in position while the fabric cools, leaving you with a beautifully shaped curved edge without having to fight a million tiny folds.
Step 6: Arrange Your Dresden Blades
Lay all seven finished blades out in front of you and play around with the arrangement until you’re happy with the order of your fabrics.
This is where you’ll really start seeing your little quilt design come together.
Once you’ve settled on your arrangement, remove the half-circle center from the foil and set it aside.
Step 7: Sew the 7 Blades Together
Take your first two blades and place them together with the right sides facing each other.
Line up the edges and sew down the right side using your 1/4-inch seam allowance.
Unfold them.
Then place the next blade right sides together with the blade you just attached and sew that seam.
Continue working your way across until all 7 Dresden blades are connected.
As you sew, make sure the blades you’ve already attached stay off to the left side of your needle so they don’t accidentally get caught underneath your next seam.
Once they’re all connected, press your seams nice and flat.
You should now have that classic Half Dresden Plate fan shape!
Step 8: Attach the Half-Circle
Position your prepared half-circle over the bottom center of the Dresden blades and pin it into place.
Topstitch only around the curved edge, sewing nice and close to the folded edge.
Leave the straight bottom edge alone for the moment.
And technically, at this point, you’ve made a traditional quilt block called a Half Dresden Plate.
But we’re not quite finished because I wanted mine to have a little extra somethin’.
Step 9: Add the Raw-Edge Fabric Backing
Fold the remaining raw straight edge of your Half Dresden Plate under and press it into place.
Next, lay the entire Dresden piece on top of another piece of coordinating cotton fabric. I used the same as my center piece.
Pin it in place.
First, sew across the straight bottom edge.
Then carefully topstitch around the entire outer perimeter of the Dresden Plate.
When you reach each point, slow down. Leave your needle down in the fabric, lift your presser foot, pivot your piece, lower your presser foot and continue sewing down the next side.
Repeat around every point until you’ve sewn around the entire design.
And don’t forget that backstitch to lock it in place!
Step 10: Create the Frayed Edge
Trim away the excess backing fabric, leaving approximately 1/4 inch of raw fabric showing around the outside of your Dresden Plate.
Now we’re going to make it look a little less “I just sewed this five minutes ago” and a little more “cute vintage quilt I found tucked inside Granny’s cedar chest.”
Grab an old toothbrush and gently scrub along those raw edges.
This will fluff and separate the fabric fibers, giving the applique that soft, frayed, washed-and-worn look.
Keep going until you get as much texture as you want.
Step 11: Attach the Dresden Plate to Your Trucker Hat
And here’s the part where the sewing purists might come for me.
Y’all can make your own choices!
I wanted this to be a quick, beginner-friendly project, and I have absolutely no intention of tossing this hat into the washing machine.
So…
I hot glued mine on.
I positioned the finished Half Dresden Plate on the foam front of my trucker hat and carefully attached it with hot glue.
Afterward, I went over the piece with my iron to make sure the glue was well fused to the foam front of the hat.
If hot glue on a quilt block makes your eye twitch, you can absolutely hand stitch your Dresden Plate onto the hat instead.
You do YOU, Granny.
And She's Done!
A traditional Dresden Plate quilt pattern turned into the cutest little DIY patchwork trucker hat.
She’s giving chic granny. She’s giving vintage quilt. She’s giving Yeehaw Meemaw!!
And she’s exactly what my wardrobe needed.
The best part is that you can make this project look completely different just by changing your fabrics. Go bright and retro, soft and floral, sports team colors, plaids, bandana prints…whatever floats your little fabric-loving boat!
Grab my free Half Dresden Plate pattern, dig through that fabric stash, and get to work Crafty Gal cuz this one’s going to get you a lot of compliments!
