For their latest 500 book, Lark Books wants hip, trendy and modern scarves – but with a twist…

They’re looking for upcycled scarves, scarves sewn from interesting thrifted materials – they want you to think outside the traditional “scarf” box.  Lark Books has emphasized modern and urbane for this one.

The book is focusing on sewn scarves for the beginner or intermediate stitcher.  They’re looking for cool scarves, but with a do-able how to for less experienced seamstresses.  The scarves can be the wearable kind, or strictly for home decor as well.

Want to take part?  Read the rules online here, and get sewing!  But you’d better hurry, because the call for entry closes on October 15th, 2009.

*Contest Alert* you can win a pair of Peace & Love earrings and a Peace & Love charm bracelet from Twisted Silver here!

image: Stock.xchg

Post from: Blisstree

Call for Entry – 500 Scarves

For me, Christmas and the holidays are a time to celebrate with friends and family, create gifts, enjoy the delicious food and enjoy the music.  I feel so grateful to be able to share my holidays with people I love.

But it’s also important to remember that not everyone can celebrate – especially if they’re cold! Making some easy fleece mittens or scarves and then donating them to your local woman’s shelter, youth shelter or homeless shelter can be a great way to share your holidays with others.  This can also be a great stash-buster – it’s perfect for getting rid of those scraps of fleece that seem to accumulate…

The easiest scarf is a simple rectangle of polar fleece, cut from one width of fabric and neatly trimmed.  Cut it so the scarf is approximately 12 inches by 60 inches (most commercially available fleece is 60 inches wide).  You can also fringe the short ends if you’d like.  Quick, easy and no-sew!

Fabricland has a free, online pattern for an easy pair of child’s or adult’s mittens.

This fleece hood scarf from About.com is a great way to use up scraps of fleece.

Also from About.com – this fleece face warmer is perfect for the kind of day we’re having here – brrrr!

image: Stock.xchg

Post from: Blisstree

Create a charitable Christmas – free patterns for mittens and scarves to give away

Now that the fringe is all tied, we need to trim it so that the ends are nice and even.  I prefer to drape the scarf over a surface like a door and trim the fringe free-hand.  Now if you’d prefer to not do that, you can lay the fringe flat onto a cutting mat and use a rotary cutter & ruler to make sure it’s even.

I have to admit that I don’t get too fussy about the ends being perfectly even – but you can be as accurate as you’d like

Here’s the finished scarf, with me wearing it – in my somewhat dirty bathroom mirror LOL:

image: © C Findlay-Harder

Post from: Blisstree

how-to of the day: making a fringed fabric scarf – part three

I’m showing you the quick ‘n dirty way to create a fringe – I’ll explain a second method at the end of the post

To begin, you need to figure out how long you want your fringe to be.  I’m going with a big, long one, so I’m wrapping my yarn around the long side of a standard shoe box lid.  You could use a book, a piece of sturdy cardboard… Just combine the yarn you want to use and start wrapping away.

How many times you ask?  Well… the short answer is – it depends!

Each full wrap (all the way around the lid, once) makes one hank of fringe.  You could measure and figure out how many fringes you want per inch or you could do what I’m doing and just wrap until it looks good

Here’s where I decided to stop wrapping:

 Now you need to cut one end of the yarn wrap – very slowly and carefully, making sure to hold onto the strands.  They’ll spring out and land everywhere otherwise!

I love how the cut yarn looks on the fabric already:

 Now we need to get our yarn attached to our scarf (which has been finished off with a simple rolled hem on all four edges).

Using very sharp scissors, poke a small hole in the very edge of the scarf – just big enough to squeeze your crochet hook into:

 Now take one hank of yarn (I’m using a blend of five yarns, so one strand of each color equals one hank for me) and fold it in half.  Place the folded end on the crochet hook, like this:

 Gently pull it through the fabric and use the crochet hook to grab the loose ends of the yarn:

 Now pull the loose ends of the yarn through the loop and pull gently to close the loop.  It should look like this:

 Don’t pull it too tightly, or you’ll deform the bottom edge of the shawl.

I’ve decided to add an extra knot for a little extra security.  It’s just a simple knot, but you could add beads or charms to it as well:

Now keep on fringing!  It took me under an hour to tie the fringe on the top and bottom of my 15″ wide scarf.

If you want to be a little more organized and neater when you’re making your fringe, cut a piece of cardboard – as wide as you want your fringe.  Cut little notches into the top and bottom of the cardboard – approximately every 1/4″.  Wrap your yarn onto the cardboard, catching the yarn in the notches.  It will make it easier to keep everything from springing everywhere after you cut the yarn.

I’ll share the finished scarf with you tomorrow

all images: © C Findlay-Harder

Post from: Blisstree

how-to of the day: making a fringed fabric scarf – part two

 I bought it as a “mixed fiber” bolt end – it’s only about 14 inches wide and 44 inches long.  It feels like a rayon or acetate blend and I love the flowers and burnout detailing.

It’s one of those little pieces of fabric that tends to accumulate in stashes – I bought it because it was pretty, not because I had a plan for it – oops!   It’s too small for a tank top or camisole and too lightweight for a purse.

I think it would make a pretty scarf – but it’s a just a little short for my taste.  I think a fringe would finish off the ends nicely – but I don’t really want to have to go out and buy a pre-made fringe.

What’s a fiber-aholic to do?

Go diving for yarn of course

I pulled these out of my stash and quite like the effect. They pull out the accent colors from the fabric, but I don’t think they’ll overwhelm the delicate print and fabric.

I’ll show the next step tomorrow

images: C Findlay-Harder

Post from: Blisstree

how-to of the day: making a fringed scarf