Plaid Flannel Fringed Scarf

A couple of weeks ago, I jetted over to Fabric Depot.   I was only there to get a small rotary cutter but ended up with a lot of inspiration as well.

As I was cruising to the side of the store where they keep notions, I spied this glorious flannel and next to it, a project sheet for making a fringed scarf. A collaboration between Sew4Home and Fabric Depot.

It looked simple. I knew immediately who it was for (creative friend) and it turned out to be very therapeutic, sitting on the couch, watching Harry Potter and then Gilmore Girls on Netflix, mindlessly extracting one thread after another to create the fringe.

I was so tired from working so much, that this project helped me be creative without taxing my brain. It probably took about 8 hours to fringe this. This is not a quick project, but it is simple.

Happy Halloween

H*A*P*P*Y    H*A*L*L*O*W*E*E*N

Anthropology Style Catch & Release Scarves

I just finished another Catch & Release Scarf. Sewing with elastic thread in the bobbin is so easy and makes for a stylin' scarf. The elastic allows you to twist it, knot it and basically style the scarf anyway you want. The drama of the shaping and the ease of sewing it are wonderful.

I used up some material in my stash to do these. I am so proud of myself.
Of course it is a gray January at 5pm in Oregon so the lighting leaves something to be desired.

 

***Added a few days later: What a difference outdoor light can do to help with colors - even with our gray, dismal January lighting.

Lattice Smocked Scarf

 My friend, Pencilgirl, and I were both inspired to try our hands at Lattice smocking. This was featured in a recent Threads issue; November 2010.  Nicole Smith, the author, wrote a concise, easy-to-follow article about how to do both the lozenge and the lattice style of smocking. We took some spare knit and sewed from the back creating the folds.

Pencilgirl took it another step forward when she came over and showed me a finished scarf. She lattice-smocked each end and did a single row to connect the two ends. This short scarf would look amazing with a broche to hold it in place. She did  a regular hem along all of the edges. This is a silky, thin solid fabric.

Tie-Dye Scarf

I was inspired to make this scarf after seeing it on the SewMamaSew blog in the Handmade Holidays for November  17, 2010. Category: Hipsters. 
It's so cool to be hip.
Here's the link to the tutorial.

Here's how mine turned out. I used a length of tie-dyed cotton sheeting that my friend, pencil girl, whipped up. I believe she wanted me to look at it and tell her how she could make a scarf for me but I turned it around when I saw the above post. My original tiny thoughts about this tie-dyed material was to make it straight and narrow and somehow fringe the ends into somewhat long spirals. Maybe add some beading. I am so glad I didn't see that idea through. This sewing with elastic in the bobbin is so much more rewarding - and faster.


 You start with a thin material. This cotton sheeting, well washed and re-purposed, is almost too thick. Measure and seam together a piece 90 inches x 17 inches.
You could either use your serger for a rolled hem on the edges or use your iron and fold over 1/4" and fold again 1/4". Sew down for a neat edge.  
Leave the ends unseamed for now.

 

 Next, spread the 'scarf' out and mark, lengthwise, three lines evenly spaced. I folded my side edges to hem so my finished width was 16". I laid my quilter's ruler out and saw easily that my three lines would be at 4", 8" and 12" (4 inches between lines). It's not rocket science and they don't necessarily need to be exact. Random, undulating lines could be on the next scarf I make.

Grab an extra bobbin and nylon elastic thread. Wind the bobbin by hand trying not to stretch the elastic too much as you wind. The tutorial said a longer stitch length (4)  and higher pressure foot tension is key. Use your regular thread on the upper spool. The elastic thread is only on the bobbin.  Sew as normal down each of your chalked lines.

 

To finish, hem your scarf ends with a narrow 1/4" hem by folding over 1/4" and folding a second time 1/4" and sewing it down.

Proudly modeled by Rocket. Or,  fill in the blank space for what Rocket really thinks about being abused like this. "________  _________  ______________  ____  _______  _________"