Materials:
– 1 piece of fabric about 90 inches long
– elastic thread
– matching thread (all purpose)
– rit dye (optional)
– tailors chalk
– sewing needle
* Your fabric needs to be light weight, breezy, and somewhat see thru. I think a cotton voile, cotton lawn, or cotton gauze would work really well. I am not sure what mine is made of but I found it on clearance in the home decor section.
here is a closer look at my fabric:
1 – Cut your fabric so that you have one long piece that is about 90″ x 17″
2 – To finish the two long edges fold in 1/4″, press, fold another 1/4″, and press again. Edge stitch both sides with normal all purpose thread.
3 – Leave the top thread of your machine with your normal all purpose thread. Hand wind the bobbin with your elastic thread.
4 – Using your tailors chalk, mark 3 vertical lines down the middle of your fabric – each 4 inches apart.
5 – With all purpose thread as your top thread, and elastic thread as your bottom thread, stitch all three vertical lines from top to bottom allowing it to gather as it goes. Do not back stitch at either end.
*test on scrap fabric first. i found that my machine used the elastic thread best at a longer stitch length (4) and the usual straight stitch.
here is a good link to learn a bit more about sewing with elastic thread.
6 – Using a sewing needle, pull the regular thread to the back and tie a knot with the elastic thread to secure ends. (the video suggests backstitching but everything else i read said you shouldn’t backstitch with elastic thread as it wont hold.)
7- Try on scarf to make sure that the length is what you want (depending on how much your machine gathered your fabric it may be different – the goal is about 40″ long)
8 – Finish off ends the same as the sides by folding at 1/4″, fold again at 1/4″, press, and stitch.
9 – If you want a different color as I did, use RIT dye to dye your scarf. I used teal.
Finished scarf:
