I am a big fan of newsboy caps, which I think flatter my somewhat long and narrow face. I own an assortment of store-bought caps, but I have long wanted to sew my own: a good-quality newsboy cap made from Irish tweed or Italian wool can cost $100 or more.

A self-drafted newsboy cap

A few years back, I tried my hand at cap-making, using a thrift store newsboy I disassembled to draft a pattern. I traced the pieces—actually, just one of the eight crown panels, as I mistakenly believed that the crown consisted of identical panels—and did my best to construct the cap. The result, while attractive, wasn’t right. The hat was too pancake-shaped; the lining was too thick, which puffed up the pancake; and the inner band, just a piece of grosgrain ribbon, was too flimsy.