Tuesday, 29 September 2015

Chiffon Scarf

After sewing a couple of infinity scarves recently, I thought I'd sew a regular scarf - a light weight scarf to dress up an outfit. Here's how to make one...

Make a chiffon scarf... a quick and easy project ~ how to make one at Threading My Way

Choose any fabric that drapes well. Mine is chiffon. How the fabric hangs will alter the look of the finished scarf. 

Due to the longer length, this scarf takes more fabric than an infinity scarf. As it can't be cut from the width of the fabric, you'll have quite a bit of fabric left over - enough to make another two scarves, depending on the width of the fabric.

You will need 2⅓yds (215cm) of fabric. Perhaps you could get away with 2¼yds, but I think it's cutting it too fine, in case the material isn't cut straight.

Cut a rectangle 80" x 18" (203cm x 42cm)


Fray each of the short ends. Chiffon is very thin and each strand is rather hard to see, so this took quite a while. I didn't take a photo, but you can see how I used a needle to fray the ends of a bookmark

Ideally, you want a very narrow hem down each of the long sides. A rolled hem would be perfect. I've only ever sewn a rolled hem on a ruffled nappy cover. I was more than happy with the results on the nappy cover, but it wasn't totally even in a few spots. Given that the chiffon is thinner and slipperier than the fabric used in the nappy cover, I figured it would be harder, so I opted to use the regular presser foot.


First up fold over a narrow hem - just over ⅛" - and baste (large hand stitches) close to the raw edge. I didn't bother to pin or measure, just hand stitched as I turned the hem. 


Turn the hem on itself and stitch by machine. If sewing a thin fabric such as chiffon, use a fine needle. I used a 60 universal needle.


My hem wasn't entirely even. It varied from ⅛" to ¼". Ha, ha.. when you think about it, an ⅛" difference is not much. Certainly no one other than me will notice. 

I no longer have this scarf, as it was a present, however I have plans to make at least another two. Next time, I'm going to try to make the hems a little narrower.



After sewing my scarf, while writing this post, I Googled rolled hems and found a very informative article - 3 Ways to Sew a Rolled Hem

Method 1 is with a rolled hem presser foot. 

I like method 2, but it results in two rows of stitching on the wrong side. For most garments this isn't a problem, but perhaps not ideal for a scarf which doesn't really have a right or wrong side, Sew County Chick also uses this technique.

Method 3 is a way of hand stitching I have never seen before and definitely one I'd like to try in the future.

Do you have any tips for sewing rolled hems?

The next chiffon scarf I sew will be for me. I suppose I could use the left overs and make a black one, but I have a purple / maroon chiffon which I have ear marked.

... Pam


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10 comments:

  1. This looks fantastic! I have used my rolled hem foot, but I do think with chiffon it would be very tricky! Every time I do a rolled hem, it gives me stress on trying to keep the fabric feeding evenly. I have not thought of handstitching to hold it in place--definitely looks like the easier way.

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  2. My machine does not have a rolled hem foot available. :( I have done chiffon edges on the serger which works well if you don't mind the thread wrapping the edges like that. I love the hand basting idea, though. It looks like it would work well. I wonder if fusible tape would work on the chiffon, too. I like your little frayed edge, too!

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  3. That's a gorgeous scarf, Pam, and a great tutorial on making it. I am pinning this and also the rolled hems tutorials! I am glad you shared all!

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  4. Gorgeous scarf - I've never worked with chiffon, nor have I done a rolled him - no help from me!

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  5. Great tutorial, I really need to learn how to use all the feet on my machine. I use an open toed foot or, on rare occasions, a walking foot or zipper one. It's amazing how much difference the correct foot makes to a project, but I just never seem to get 'round to it!

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    1. I really need to practise more with the rolled hem foot. Not sure if I'll ever be able to get the fabric to feed through evenly on chiffon, though.

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  6. Pam this must make the softest and most useful scarf. It certainly looks beautiful! Thank you for your instructions and tips! I have always been a bit leery of sewing rolled hems on delicate fabrics, but now I might give it a try.

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  7. Lovely scarf! When you fray the end, do you stitch across the top so that it doesn't fray further? Or does it not fray easily on it's own?

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  8. What a lovely present, and I'm afraid I'm no use trying to add anything to the rolled hem debate - except to say that definitely no one else will notice the variation on yours and it looked great!

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  9. Chiffon is a lightweight, sheer fabric known for its soft drape and elegant appearance. It is typically made from silk, polyester, or nylon fibers, with silk being the most luxurious and breathable. Chiffon's smooth texture is due to tightly twisted yarns used in its weaving. It is sheer and lightweight, often requiring multiple layers or a lining for opacity. Chiffon's fluid drape makes it popular for garments.
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