When my son asked me to sew an 18th century pudding cap for his (not quite a toddler) daughter, since she’s always hitting her head, 
I gave it my best shot.
No pattern. No directions. Just some analysis photos I took last December at the milliner shop in Colonial Williamsburg of their pudding caps.
I can’t believe I figured it out!
Created with scraps from my every day fabric stash, the stuffing is historically accurate.
For the stuffing I used wool, courtesy of the Colonial Williamsburg sheep, to create the “bumper pads” of the cap.
While Little Miss E watched me stuff the band, I let her touch some samples of wool, and I stroked her skin with it…which she liked a lot!
Meanwhile, her farm loving mama geeked out regarding the origin of the wool! 
In five hours I measured, drafted, and machine stitched this while visiting, playing, preparing dinner, and eating.
Arriving at 4pm, they went home at 9pm with a new pudding cap!
Obviously, she loves to play with the doors of my cabinets, always smacking her head (and squishing her fingers). She cries then goes back at it. 
So while busy with the cabinets, my son put the cap on her…
When she took it off, her mama put it on her too!
Looking at us in disbelief, Little Miss E removed her cap, inspected it, and put it on herself…then gave it to us to wear.
We took turns wearing it and returning it.
I missed the best photo/video op when she finally pulled it onto her head then played with the cabinet doors.
When her head nearly smacked the frame, she pulled the hat off so it wouldn’t be in her way and we were all crying: No! That’s what it’s for!
So hilarious!
