The Finishing Touch – The Scarf and Shawl
One of life’s most adaptable, wearable and useable accessories has always been the scarf; adding colour, softness, femininity, line and drape to everything it embraces.
Scarves and shawls are suitable for every season and with every look – from feminine to boyish, sophisticate to casual; it’s the easiest way to wear beautiful fabric.
Try mixing textures and colours; boucle mixed with velvet, silk with wool or pashmina, and linens with rayon’s.
Beautiful ethnic weaves and patterns or contemporary, classic prints cover every situation and taste.
When the days and evenings are warmer go airy, light and breezy with scarves in chiffons, georgettes and softest silks; all in the most delicious colours and prints. Add beading, embroidery and other embellishments as an alternative to heavier jewelry pieces.
By the sea or the pool you can’t go past large cotton and rayon prints used as sarongs or shoulder cover-ups or you could go all-out and drape gigantic printed scarves as loose, languid, long halterneck dresses.
Scarves can never be too rich in winter so try velvet trimmed scarves in rich colours or never-die animal prints to create the perfect finishing touch to any of the season’s best looks. Try sewing up a few reversible scarves to make a designer statement and use all those beautiful pieces waiting in the ‘stash’ for just the right moment.
Other great looks for winter include dramatic pleated scarves and shawls, long textured scarves in neutrals and giant scarves in bright jewel tones to wrap up in.
Click here for different ways to wear scarves.
STITCH & WRAP Scarf
So little time, so little fabric, so sensational.
Once you’ve made one of these little wrap scarves, you’ll make a dozen. Make them in different fabrics and colours and they will carry you through the snuggle season and into the pretty, floaty days of spring.
You’ll need
Gridded pattern paper
50cm of 115cm wide fabric (for both sides from same fabric)
OR 40cm each of two different fabrics
Matching thread
Here’s How
- Scale up pattern. Click here for pattern.
- Cutting alternatives for different looks:
- Cut two sides in the same fashion fabric
- Cut each side from a different colour
- Cut one layer only in silk georgette and hand-roll the edges
- Pin both sides together, right sides facing and stitch all edges except the short end.
- Trim seams, clip corners and curves.
- Turn through to right side. Roll each seam between finger and thumb to work the stitched seam to the top. Press.
- On the short end press a 6mm hem to the inside of the tube.
- Fold this pressed edge in 5cm towards the body of the scarf.
- Stitch, right on the pressed edge, of the short end, through all layers.
WOW! It doesn’t get any better than that. No hand sewing and finished in a flash. As with all scarves there are lots of ways to wear this one –
Basic (right top)
Hold (A) in your right hand and (B) in your left hand. Place curve (E) around your neck. Now take the longest point (C) and thread it through the loop (F), halfway between (C) and (B). Make sure the loop (F) is scrunched up and fan out the tail so that it sits forward.
Bow (right bottom)
Repeat the Basic, then pull (D) through loop and adjust to suit your neckline.
Tie (far right top)
Place the scarf around your neck and take the longest point (C) and pull all the fabric through the loop (F). Adjust to form the shape of a tie.
Cravat (far right bottom)
Repeat the tie, then take the longest point (C) and bring it under, then over the loop (F), only half way, then fan out to form a cravat.
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