Above:
Brown fabric is Essence, from Daisy Janie's organic fabric collection Tilly.
Organic fleece from worthygoods textiles
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Scarf #1 is finished! Yeeha! And none too soon b/c the mercury is a-droppin' this weekend back to regular, nippy winter temps. Thank you for making me accountable, Nicole (@Followbunny)!
The creation of the scarf was semi-conceptualized in design & process, but mostly I wung it (past tense of the action verb "to wing"). My goals included a soft, natural edge like the one Betz made (that I mentioned yesterday); an undulating, feminine look when worn; and a high, snug fit under the chin, like an Elizabethan collar. Lastly, it had to be utilitarian with fleece - mama needs to keep warm!
Here's how to make one for yourself:
- The edge-to-edge width of the organic fleece is about 62", so that's what determined the length of my scarf. Cut 1 strip of fleece 5" wide. If you want yours longer, piece strips together.
- Cut & piece 2 strips of 45-inch wide fabric, 5" wide. Trim to length of fleece.
- Cut a 2" tapered edge on all fabric ends.
- Create a lettuce-edge hem. This is a cool technique I learned when I created Betz's upcycled cashmere shrug, which can be found on Craftsy. There are a lot of tutes on this stitch.
- With wrong sides of the fabric and fleece together, and with the fleece on the bottom, use a narrow zig-zag stitch to sew the 2 pieces together.
- Start about 2" down on one of the long sides. Make sure your needle is down in the fabric. Pull the fleece layer toward you to make it stretch as far as you can without torquing the needle or degrading the weave of the fleece.
- Keep the edges matched, keep a strong tug on the fleece, and stitch along the very edge. This part was tricky with 2 fabrics, where one needs to be stretched and the other does not. Also, the fleece will roll if you're not slow and vigilant. I re-adjusted my tug about every 5-6", making sure the needle was down every time. Pinning won't work b/c it won't allow you to pull as needed to get the undulating edge. oliver + s also has a nice description of the technique, too.
- Do both long sides, trim as needed on short ends b/c fabrics will not match up 100%. Complete zig-zag on short ends.
- The scarf will have some puff at this point. Stitch a straight stitch down the center, letting the printed fabric on top gather and tuck as you stitch over it. Repeat with 2 more straight stitches, each halfway between the edge and the center straight stitch.
- All done!
Consider a more narrow scarf if you don't like the high-collar look. You could use a lighter weight fabric (even a voile) for a more fluid flop-n-flow. Use an organic knit jersey fabric instead of fleece, and you'll get some serious ruffly edges going on! Remember that the more your edges ruffle, the shorter your scarf will be - so add length to your fabrics as needed. Have fun!
To find a retailer stocking Daisy Janie's Essence organic fabric, visit our 'where to buy' page.
