A gift from the Angel of Warmth
For this easy scarf tutorial, you will need:
Scissors
Seam ripper, awl, or other tool with a small pointed end
Woven flannel fabric. Our absolute favorite is the Robert Kaufman Mammoth and Shetland Flannels
Fabric Cuts:
If you prefer a small scarf, then you will need 1/2 yard of 44"wide woven flannel fabric. Your finished scarf will measure 16" by 42".
I prefer a great big wrap of a scarf, so I purchase 2 yards and cut it in half lengthwise to make TWO 20" by 72" scarves.... one for me and one for a friend.
I like to pre-wash and dry my fabric first. If your fabric is pre-cut, be prepared for a bit of fraying during the laundering.
Once your fabric is prepared, take your scissors and by carefully using a line in the weave as your guide, cut off the frayed and irregular edges of the fabric. You will do this on all four sides of the scarf.
Now for the fun part. Using your seam ripper, start pulling out the cross weave threads along one short end. I usually fray about 3/4 inch down, though you can certainly fray the ends up to a few inches... personal preference applies here. Once you finish both short ends of the scarves, start pulling the cross weaves along the two long sides of the scarf. The long sides I usually keep a bit shorter (1/2 inch of fray or less).
When you've finished all four sides, you will have corners that look similar to this...
And just that easily, your scarf is ready to wear! Wrap your scarf around you and start enjoying it.
After making my first scarf, I was a bit curious about further fraying with wear and tear, and washing.
So I did an experiment with my sewing machine...
Along only one end and one side of the scarf (so, only half of the scarf) I sewed a stay stitch carefully along the edge between the frayed and not-frayed fabric.
The other half of the scarf I did not sew. Then I washed it. Because I wanted to simulate a bit of wearing and washing, I actually gave it a rough washing and drying with a load of towels.
Below are the results after washing and drying. The sides that were not sewn have a couple of loose cross weave threads that might need to be pulled, whereas the sewn side does not. But the difference is so slight that using a sewing machine to stay stitch the scarves seems completely unnecessary. It it easy to just pull a few frayed threads here and there as necessary. It truly is a No-Sew project!
Here's my completed great big soft wrap of a scarf....
