---
title: "Florent: FreeSewing's Flat Cap"
sidebar_label: Florent Flat Cap
---
<DesignInfo design="florent" />
## Designer Notes {#notes}
I found a scan of a hand drawn flat cap pattern, for one size and experimented
with scaling on the screen of my laptop and tracing it through with tracing
paper stuck on the screen.
The goal was to make it fit my (rather big) head circumference. I also made a
few caps, improving the shapes with each prototypes. But then someone asked me
to make one for them... meaning I would need to scale my parts to fit their
head circumference.
At that time I heard about freesewing and as I am a bit of a geek I gave it a
try to draw my (then improved) pattern pieces. Sure enough I was able to play
with it and get it to scale the parts, to fit any head circumference. I believe
since then a few improvements have been added by other members of the community
and it is always a pleasure to see theses caps popping up on the freesewing
website or on Instagram.
Quentin
## What You Need {#needs}
To make Florent, you will need the following:
- Basic sewing supplies
- About 0.5 meters (0.6 yards) of a suitable fabric ([see Fabric
options](#fabric))
- About 0.5 meters (0.6 yards) of lining fabric
- Tape, a bit more than **head circumference** + **ease** that you used for the
pattern
- A sheet of plastic or something rigid for the brim (1 mm thick or less)
## Fabric Options {#fabric}
For the main fabric of your cap, a thick fabric will shape better, but if you
go for a lighter fabric, you can interface it to give it more body.
The lining can be anything, but it is usually something light and nice.
## Cutting Instructions {#cutting}
To make Florent, cut out the following parts:
- **Main fabric**
- Cut **1 top** on the fold but don't include the center seam allowance, or
**2 top** with the center seam allowance.
- Cut **1 side** on the fold, or **2 side**.
- Cut **1 brim top**.
- Cut **1 brim bottom**.
- **Lining fabric**
- Cut **1 top** on the fold but don't include the seam allowance, or **2
top** with the center seam allowance.
- Cut **1 side** on the fold, or **2 side**.
- **Plastic**
- Cut **1 brim interfacing**. Tape the pattern part to the plastic, don't cut
the notches in the plastic, but you can mark it (engrave it, or with
permanent marker maybe). You don't really want any sharp edge, so make sure
everything is smooth and rounded a bit (especially on the pointy sides).
:::note
The brim bottom part is inset, while the brim top part is offset so that the
seam falls "underneath the brim edge". Keep that in mind when cutting the
parts, and mark them accordingly, so that you don't end up with the seam on top
of the brim (I don't want to force you into this design choice, I simply want
to point out the difference between the parts so that you are aware of it and
act accordingly).
If you want to avoid a seam down the middle of the top part, you can cut 1 top
_on the fold_ rather than 2 tops and sew them together. The fold line would be
the horizontal stretch of the top part, and you'd only have a seam at the right
side where it tapers downwards.
:::
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