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Congrats to yesterday’s winner, Katrina E., on winning Day 4’s daily giveaway! We will be in contact so that you can claim your prize.
It’s Day Five of National Sewing Month! Don’t forget to visit Seams and Scissors every day to find daily giveaway opportunities and sewing ideas! To enter today’s daily giveaway, find the contest rules and leave a comment below. Also look out below for details on how to enter our National Sewing Month grand prize that includes a BERNINA 215 Sewing Machine! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.
Today’s National Sewing Month post is brought to you by Caroline from Sew Can She!
Hello sewing friends! My name is Caroline and I am a sewaholic, lol. Today I am taking a break from my blog over at SewCanShe so I can do some selfish sewing with you. You sew all the time for other people, so why not spend an hour to make something sweet for yourself? Let’s face it, sometimes moms forget to accessorize. Well, this infinity scarf made with just a yard of soft cotton voile is an easy accessory that you can wear anywhere. And it has fine french seams and a neat 1/4” hem. Lovely!
So let’s get started! You will need:
- 1 yard of 44” wide light-weight cotton or other easy to drape fabric (more about my fabric choice below)
- matching thread
- rotary cutter and mat
- optional – narrow-hem sewing machine foot
The fabric I used is soft organic cotton voile from Birch Fabrics (available at Fabricworm). Voile is like quilting cotton, but more lightweight and suitable for blouses, dresses, and scarves. It’s perfect for this project because the print looks almost the same on both sides, so when your scarf twists and turns, it looks gorgeous all the way around. Many of our favorite quilt fabric manufacturers are also making voile, including Birch Fabrics, Westminster, and Art Gallery Fabrics.
You could also use another lightweight fabric such as linen or rayon. This tutorial is based on 44” wide fabric. If your fabric is wider or narrower, you’ll have to make adjustments.
Cutting Instructions:
1. Cut the selvages from your yard of fabric (see photo above).
2. Then cut the fabric in half making two half-yard pieces (both pieces 18” tall and approximately 42” wide).
Sewing French Seams:
3. Pin the half-yard pieces wrong sides together along one short edge.
4. Stitch the seam with a 1/4” seam allowance. I used my 1/4” quilt piecing foot for this, but you could also follow the guides on your sewing machine.
5. Use a ruler and rotary blade or scissors to trim 1/8” away from the seam allowance.
6. Press the seam to one side, and then press right sides together with the seam along the edge.
7. Sew again with the fabric right side together and again a 1/4” seam allowance.
8. Now press your pretty French seam to one side. 🙂
9. Make two twists in your fabric, and place the remaining short ends wrong sides together. Sew another French seam, making a twisted circle of fabric.
Sewing a narrow 1/4” hem:
10. Sew a line of stitching all around one long side of the scarf, 1/4” from the edge. It doesn’t matter if you sew on the right or wrong side.
11. Press the raw edge to the wrong side along the line of stitching. That line of stitching you just made will make it easy to turn a nice straight hem.
12. Turn the folded edge over one more time and press.
13. Stitch close to the folded edge for a beautiful hem. Repeat on the other long edge and you’re done!
Optional hem technique – if you have a narrow rolled hem foot for your sewing machine, you could use it to sew a pretty hem too. See my tutorial on using a narrow rolled hem foot {here}.
Thanks so much for reading this tutorial! If you love selfish sewing like I do, keep your eye out for my new book coming out this Fall – Just For You: Selfish Sewing With Your Favorite SewCanShe Bloggers. It’s an amazing collection of projects from some very talented bloggers including tote bags, dresses, scarves, belts, and more! You can also keep up with me by visiting SewCanShe.com and signing up for my daily newsletter.
Happy Sewing!
Don’t miss all of Caroline’s amazing projects at SewCanShe!
Also remember to check out the Project of the Day right here!
To enter the daily giveaway, leave a comment below telling us:
Do you wear scarves?
Official Rules for Daily Contest
- There is a maximum of one entry per person. The entry will be based upon a comment left on this blog post. Duplicate comments will be deleted and are not tallied.
- Winner will be selected at random from the comments on this blog post below.
- You have until tonight, September 5th, 2014 at 11:59p EST to leave your comment on this post. Comments posted after that will not be counted.
- Contest open to anyone 18+ in US and/or Canada.
Enter here for the National Sewing Month 2014 Grand Prize Giveaway.
AllFreeSewing
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I rarely wear scarves, except for warmth in the winter. Nice tutorial, though.
Yes, I love to wear scarves. I tend to use them as head wraps instead of neck accessiories. Happy sewing!
I only wear scarves in the winter when I am shoveling snow. Thanks!
I love to wear scarves. I don’t wear them as much when the weather is hot as when it is cooler. I especially like infinity scarves because then there are no ends that can dangle into things when I bend over.
I only wear scarves when it is extremely cold. I don’t like things that are close around my neck.
I only wear scarves in the winter time.
Yes, I love wearing scarves. In cold weather the extra warmth is great.
I usually wear hats rather than head scarves, and knitted neck scarves/cowls. I used to wear a lot of scarves when I was younger, they seemed more in style then, I guess I’m behind the times on them trending again.
I love to wear scarves when I dress up at all.
I love scaves and wear them all the time, they are such an addition to my wardrobe. I love to give them for gifts you can not have enough
Yes, I love to accessorize with scarves all year round. I am thin so adding volume to my upper body helps with hiding my small bust. I love to knit scarves for others as well as myself. I have a scarf from over 30 years ago that my mother gave me and it is still my favorite and most worn scarf in my collection.
I do wear scarves, they compel outfits, & help give a more sophisticated feel/ look. I’m too picky though, good idea to DIY one.
why yes, yes I do wear scarves 🙂
Yes, I wear scarves! Love them!
I wear scarves often, my office is cold year round and a scarf is ususally just enough to keep me comfortable.
I wear scarves a lot in the winter.
I don’t, but my Daughter does all year long and infinity scarfs are her fave. Thanks for a great tutorial, now I can make some for her to add to the giant collection she already has 🙂
Great tutorial! I haven’t found the perfect scarf yet, but yes I wear scarves! This may help me just create THE PERFECT scarf for me!
I enjoy wearing colorful scarves especially jewel tones and rich rusts and oranges.
I love to accent with scarves
I wear scarves fall, winter, and spring. As I live in the South , summers are too hot for scarves.
I wear scarves & make them for a favorite niece and her grand daughter that shares our love of wearing them!
Nothing changes an outfit as quickly as a scarf. I often wear scarves to work, but my favorite is to throw one on with a solid tee shirt and jeans… and you’re dressed right up! Top off with a blazer and you look very fashion forward.
I love the way scarves can change an outfit. I love the new trend of scarf “necklaces”… that mix fabric and pendants or beads.
I love to wear scarves! I do for all seasons.
The great thing about scarves is that they always fit!!! 🙂 I wear them…lots!
Yes, not often but I have a few I really love and wear.
I like to wear them when the weather is cool, just don’t need the extra layer in the summer heat. I also like to use them to decorate with too.
I wear scarves only in the winter.
I rarely wear scarfs but I have some beautiful ones my sister and mom knitted that I wear in the winter time.
I don’t wear scarves except in the winter. I hate things around my neck but I give them away to people.
I love to wear scarves! The are the perfect assessory!
I used to wear scarves a lot when I worked in an air conditioned office. It is hot where I live. Now that I am retired, I don’t wear scarves much any more. This is a lovely scarf though.
I don’t because I live in a hot climate, but I do sometimes carry a light scarf in the summer to keep off the sun sometimes.
It gets too hot here in south Texas, but I have trip in a few weeks and would love to sew a scarf for the trip. Love the tutorial and now to find some fabrice to go with my batik that I purchased some time ago. Just was not sure what to do with it. I was thinking a scarf, but now I do. Thanks for the tutorial. Judith, Texas
I love scarves; I have a big tote bag full of most silk or wool scarves. Some I use to put my hair up.
Hello, I don’t wear scarves often, but the hand made ones are so cute and there are so many unlimited fabric designs out there, I rather have fun making them for others and utilize any tutorials.
I rarely wear scarves.
I love to wear scarves and have a lot of them. They can make a big difference in any outfit. It is fun to see what scarves can accent each outfit and that can work with many outfits.
Not only do I wear them, I sew them and knit them any chance I get. I’m rarely without a scarf, either around my neck, draped on my clothing, or on the collar of my jacket/coat. Love this pattern!
I like to wear scarves to assessorize and keep my neck ,head and ears warm.I also love to sew!
I have granddaughters that love these scarves. I am trying to learn to make them as gifts to surprise them. Thanks for the help. I am. New and have to run out for every project. Not so with this one.
Oh I love wearing scarves so I am hoping I can follow these instructions to make a few for Christmas gifts.
I love to wear infinity scarf’s. My daughter gave me a beautiful infinity scarf that I love to wear! I’ve been temped to try making one!
I am 75yrs. old and living on social security so monies for gifts is always hard to come by. Thank you for the tutorial, it is much appreciated. Hopefully, these may be made in fabrics other than cotton. I would love to make them for family and friends in a silk like or polyester fabric. Again, thank you.
Yes I love to wear scarfs. I have been making some for Christmas presents. They make beautiful gifts.
I have had several cervical spine surgeries so my neck has many bad scars; I wear scarves to hide them. I also have to use a plastic brace and again scarves will hide the brace. Without a scarf I have had people stop and ask me about the brace; I am embarresed when this happens. Children will stare and act afraid; a scarf hides the mess that I live with.
I am an avid seamstress so I design my own scarf and use scraps to create my “own” fabric.
Sew all the scraps togeather and then trim it to make the edges straight. Then make a narrow hem all around; or serge it. There are many ways to hem-a ruffle; just serged; a narrow double hem. What ever works with your scarf. Have fun with all those “pieces” that are floating around because they are just too beautiful to throw away!
I love scarfs and I wear them often. I can never get over how an item that ranges from very formal and dressy to a shabby piece of cloth can not only alter our appearance but the way we feel. It should have been called a chameleon. (if I spelled wrong my apologies) I have one of those awful turkey necks just like my great grandmother. (thanks a bunch grams) So the scarfs come in handy for a cover up and the warm scarfs are great in winter for copd and other breathing ailments.
Try this scarf in rayon or rayon blend. Rayon is very comfortable in the summer,(unless you live in Houston, Tx. or Arizona.) I like to make them as quick gifts for my nieces and grand daughters. You can make several in colors they like, for work, in no time.
Daphne59
My DIL wears them however I rarely wear scarves, except for warmth in the winter. I will be making several of these as gifts. Thank you for the tutorial.
There are so many different scares that a person wear anytime of year, make a knitted one crochet one, then there is silk or chiffon you know what I mean things like these I would wear them according, the infinity scare, the cowl, there is light, heavy, medium just use your good mind to decide which one you would wear anytime of year.
I WEAR SCARFS ALL YEAR ROUND. THIS MAKES ME WANT TO MAKE SOME OF MY OWN FOR SPECIAL TIMES. WITH THE HOLIDAY’S COMING UP THEY WILL BE GREAT FOR GIFTS AND WOULD NOT COST THAT MUCH NOR TAKE UP TO MUCH TIME. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE DIRECTIONS.
I love wearing scarfs they are a great accent to your outfit and look very professional!! Thank you for details to make my own I will defiantly have one of every color!
I love to wear scarves whenever I can. I love to make them from clothing I find at garage sales and thrift stores, this way I can make it as long or as short as I want it to be.
Thanks
Who doesn’t love scarfs
I usually only wear scarves in the winter but I’m wanting to make some now just for fashion!
I wear scarves in the winter especially when shoveling snow I like to experiment with light weight fabrics to match my outfit. but I enjoy making them and giving them away to homeless or charity
She gave very clear directions for the process to sew the scarf. Well done! But I would not like to take a chance that the french seam, the hems along the edges or the wrong side of the fabric could move and show so I would not make it this way. The method of enclosing all seams is what i prefer to make.