Wednesday 22 May 2013

Chemo Scarf made from a fat quarter

I thought I would do a little tutorial on how I did the chemo scarves. These are from a fat quarter, which leaves a very small tie at the neckline. The result of the tutorial is for a pre-adjusted scarf that can just be slipped on. You can adjust the directions to suit you.
Cut wadding strip (from offcuts of quilt wadding). approximately 15-16in x 2 1/5in.

1. Take one fat quarter or cut a square from a length of fabric. Mine were approximately 20in square - a fat quarter metre. Square off the fabric - all the sides should be equal.
Fold from opposite corners to make a triangle. Press fold.

2. Fold the fabric in half on the folded edge and press a little crease to mark the centre.

3. Turn the fabric with right sides together. Fold the wadding strip in half and place the fold of the wadding against the centre crease mark.

4. Open wadding and pin in place through top layer only. Open fabric and tack stitch into place. (not pictured)

5. Fold the fabric again with right sides together. Stitch a 1/4in (or 1/2cm) seam along raw edges, leaving an opening on one side at least 4 or 5in unstitched (so you can turn it right side out.) Trim corners and point.

6. Turn the scarf right side out through the opening and poke the corners and point of triangle out.
Press, making sure the edges of the opening are turned in by the depth of the seam allowance.

Adjust the wadding so it is flat. Stitch lengthways up and down and along the short ends to hold it in place. (Scroll down to the bottom photo to see what it will look like. This keeps it from shifting around when it is washed.) When you have started sewing, remove the tacking from step 4 before you get to the point where you stitch over it.

I just feel the position of the wadding through the fabric and stitch it, but you can use your favourite marking method to make sure you know the placement.


7. Put it on your head and tie the ends at the neck. The ends will be very short, so just the first step of tying. Hold onto that and slip off - pin the knot tie so it won't shift. If you have a wig stand or hat stand, put the scarf onto it.
Adjust the scarf by tucking the point in behind the knot and tucking the sides in. Pin the point to the knot.
(If you are making the scarf from a larger square of fabric, you may be able to make a larger secure knot that you don't have to stitch in place.)

8. Use a small button and stitch through all layers. This will hold the knot and the scarf in place so it can be slipped on easily.

9. Put it back on your head and adjust the sides the way you like them. Different fabrics will behave differently, so if you didn't use quilting cotton, the fabric will drape more. It also depends on how far forward you want to wear the scarf. If the person you are making for has lost their hair, they may want it further forward than someone who has a little hair to show at the front.

Hope you find this useful. If you have a question, just ask in the comments.
As I said, you can adjust the steps if you find a way that suits you better.

No comments: