Quick and Simple Hooded Tube Scarf

Burrr. It's getting pretty chilly. About time I got my act together and shared this fun hooded tube scarf that I've been meaning to post for over a month now!
Inspired by a ready made scarf from American Apparel, I set out to make my own and have found I like mine even better than any of the mass-market scarves I've recently seen.

It goes together incredibly fast and due to the material used it requires very little finishing. I plan to whip up at least three more as gifts. They are great for a last minute handmade treat and a few of my friends have already shown interest in receiving one.

Here's what's needed:
   1/2 yard of 54" or wider Sweatshirt material, interlock, bamboo knit or other stretch knit.
   coordinating thread
   fabric marker/chalk pencil
   rotary cutter, straight edge or acrylic ruler and mat
   any hoodie or coat hood to trace
   optional - scrap felt for flower embellishment

Here's how:

Lay out your fabric still folded at center seam, take care to smooth out any bumps or folds. Fold hood in half and lay ontop of fabric at selvage, with hood opening looking toward center fold. Use chalk or fabric marker to trace outer edge of hood. Remove coat hood or hoodie.

Next draw a straight line from bottom of hood line across to folded edge. Then freehand draw a curved line starting from the top of the hood continuing straight out to the folded edge. This line should become nearly perpendicular to the bottom line. The shape should be as pictured above.

Now using your rotary cutter and straight edge cut along bottom line. Then free hand cut along hood edge and top curve, slow and steady with out lifting your blade. Set this large piece aside. Next using your straight edge or acrylic ruler cut a 4"x 22" strip from the remaining fabric (see upper left portion in above photo).

Unfold large scarf piece, pin strip right-sides together along one rounded hood edge. Strip will be longer then hood edge, trim off extra. Sew with a 1/4" seam allowance. Trim seam to 1/8". I find I can get the cleanest cuts with knit fabric by laying it flat on mat  and trimming seam allowance with my rotary cutter rather then with scissors.

Now with right side facing pin center strip to opposite hood edge. Again, sew with a 1/4" seam allowance and trim to 1/8". Turn right sides out and Voila.

To wear first put on hood, twist once and wrap slack around to back. Wear with hood up or down.

For felt flower (same as the flower in our current header) simply cut out a five petaled flower and 2 green leaves from scrap felt. Get pdf of flower template here. Attach the three pieces by sewing a few cross stitches in the center of the flower with a contrasting color of floss. Attach a safety pin or a brooch back and pin onto scarf.

Though knit fabrics yield the quickest results, this scarf could be made from anything you like, as long as it's wide enough. It'd be supper cute in the new extra wide Anna Maria Dobby Dots or a wide wool, lined with a sweet voile print. To do this I would make two of the above scarfs, one from an exterior fabric and one from a lining. Then I would sew the two together with right sides facing using a 1/2" seam allowance, first along top curved edge. Then along the bottom edge leaving about 5 inches open. Turn right sides out through opening and close using a blind stitch or topstich around top and bottom edges.  And done!

Old friends. New friends.

Some old friends have return and some new friends will soon arrive.

First, the much anticipated Amy Butler reprints (Classics) have started coming in, beginning with the much loved Full Moon Polka Dots in camel, tangerine and slate, as well as several other beauties including one of my AB favorites, Lacework.

As for the new friends I mentioned:

(Update They're HERE!)

My mom and I had the chance to see, feel and swoon over Anna Maria Horner's newest fabrics, Little Folks and Dobby Dots.

Man! Are they amazing.

The Little Folks voile's are ultra soft, with great drape and a wide color palette. The perfect material for today's sewers who do it all, from quilting to garments to simple home linens, etcetera. Her Dobby Dots are simultaneously gorgeous and adorable. Their fun nubby texture, colors and stripes provoke a vintage quality. I can't wait to get my hands on these. I've been dreaming of them ever since she published this on her blog... but now since seeing them in the flesh (or should I say thread) I'm really going to have to try hard not to obsess.

(And HERE too!)

All new Anna Maria is due to arrive in December.

Along with these Freespirit Fabrics we are also awaiting Denyse Shmidt's new line Hope Valley. We put our order in a few weeks ago and they are all so brilliant that we ordered the entire line. We should start to see those in the shoppe in December as well.

To sneak a peak now, click here.