The Man-Cub needed a cap and gown for his graduation ceremony. We had a leftover Confirmation gown (we actually had about 30 - so we donated them all to the school - they can keep them and use them for their graduation ceremonies for years to come) - but we needed a cap (Confirmation gowns don't come with caps). So of course I had to make one as like a 'real mortarboard' as possible - nothing made of crepe paper and poster board would do for this momentous occasion...
You will need a 9 inch square of cardboard and a little over a quarter of a yard of material in your choice of color - ours was red and shiny - which unfortunately doesn't photograph all that well.
Here's a pattern of what we'll be doing -
First fold your material in half and lay your cardboard on it - with one edge of the cardboard aligned exactly with the fold - then cut around the cardboard, leaving a 1/2 inch seam allowance.
Next - measure around your child's head - divide this number in half - then add 1 inch - enlarge this pattern (a rough sketch should do) to that length. The Man-Cub's head measures 21 inches - half is 10.5 - add one inch for seam allowance (1/2 inch on each side - so his cap was cut at 11.5 inches. Cut 2 pieces. Place right sides together and sew the end seams and hem around the bottom.
This is really the only tricky part - center the cap on one half of the rectangle - right sides together and pin in place - making sure that the rectangle remains flat.
Stitch this in place - you'll need to form a few gathers in the cap as you sew - I just pleated the cap material to make it fit as I went around the circle - but a perfectionist might gather it beforehand and pin it to the circle.
Next sew a button in the center of the other half of the rectangle.
I used a little scrap of cloth on the underside to give it a little more stability.
Finally - fold the rectangle - right sides together with the cap and button on the inside - sew the side seams - insert your piece of hard cardboard - it should be snug.
Turn under the seam allowance and seam this end with the zipper foot - so that you can get as close to the cardboard as possible.
Make a tassle of a contrasting color - we used black - but white and gold are also pretty traditional - I just cut about 10 - 1 foot lengths of shiny stash yarn - folded them over and tied them tightly just about 1 inch from the fold to form a loop - then slide another piece of yarn through the loop and make a knot and slip this over the button.
The Man-Cub loved his mortarboard cap! It was perfect for tossing into the air at the end of the ceremony.
It was a breezy day - the Man-Cub holds onto his mortarboard...
Lined up and ready to 'march' - imagine Pomp and Circumstance playing on the loudspeaker...
His hat did blow off - and it seems he was more interested in holding onto it than receiving his 'diploma'...
All the graduates threw their mortarboards into the air...
I missed a shot of the cake before it was cut...
We were treated to cake and punch after the graduation ceremony...
and we delivered the baby blanket to Mom-To-Be Lori...
...so we arrived at the Prairie Village and had a snack...
...everyone wanted to climb the tower - but it was off limits...
...the Land Office...
...the fancy stove in the depot...
...inside the land office...
...cargo...
... the cook house...
...the jail - they do offer a hand-stitched quilt - but no padding...
...inside a Norwegian Church - a lot of the churches here still have the white altars - known to most pastors as 'walltars' because they can't go behind them - haha...
...a gothic window - sort of reminds of the windows in the Presbyterian Church where we were married...
...a very white church...
...the Norwegian Ten Commandments...
...a prairie school room...
...a log cabin built in 1885...
...inside the cabin...
...outside the Church...
...a covered wagon...
...we had a nice visit - and then a stop at the Pizza Hut for lunch - the kids had a really good time!
