Sewing: Faux Fur Infinity Scarf for Women (Tutorial)

 

It seems there isn't enough of us to go around these days. Enough love, enough support, enough hugs, enough protection, enough faith. It's tough. I am relieved my children aren't old enough to see the news. I am grateful to have them at all, and to have them safe and healthy and home when they are supposed to be.

 

It's hard to pick up where we left of last Friday morning but then I thought about the things I am driven to do when someone I know is hurting. I've called and I've shown up and I've brought food and given hugs and sometimes I've made things to provide a hug when I can't be there. There is always someone who could use one.

 

So I thought I'd go ahead and share this tutorial I'd planned for last week because you could make this cozy scarf, and quickly, to wrap around someone you love, or to extend your Christmas giving list a bit, or to insulate yourself a bit from whatever is troubling you. Small things can make a difference.

I designed this pattern for women, but it works just fine for girls too. If you aren't familiar with "infinity" scarves, they are giant loops, which you twist in an "8" or infinity shape and throw over your head.

 

I made a couple and I think I may head back to the fabric stores for more faux fur. Just remember to keep the vacuum handy so you're ready for the faux fur snowstorm.

 

 

Click through to read the tutorial for the Faux Fur Infinity Scarf. (And if this is your first time sewing with faux fur check out my tips for that here.)

FAUX FUR INFINITY SCARF TUTORIAL

 

For a finished infinity scarf measuring 6"x60", you'll need:

• 1/2 yard faux fur (I found soft, beautiful stuff at Hobby Lobby this year)
• 1/2 yard lining (I used a polyester satin)
• coordinating thread

To make:

 

Cut two pieces of faux fur and two pieces of lining each measuring 7"x31" (you could cut one piece of each measuring 60"x7" if you find fur wide enough, but I couldn't find it). (View my tips for cutting and sewing faux fur in this post.)

 

With right sides together, sew together the two pieces of lining and the two pieces of faux fur along one of the short ends with a .5" seam allowance, forming two long strips. Iron the seam flat on the lining piece.

With right sides together, pin together the faux fur and the lining pieces along the long edges. (Leave the short edges free.)

Stitch using a .5" seam allowance. (The short ends are still unfinished.)

Turn the material right side out and you'll have a long scarf with unfinished/raw short ends.

Now for the tricky part. As an aside, I made a cowl a couple years ago (The City Cowl) and it was so counter intuitive to sew it with a lining and no unfinished seams! I figured it out, but I made this one a bit differently because it seemed easier.

What you need to do is join the short (raw/unfinished) ends to form a big circle or loop. Fold the scarf in half to bring the short ends together so the faux fur is right sides together on the inside and the lining is on the outside like so:

Pin the short (raw) edges of the faux fur together being careful to keep the lining free. Hold the lining out of the way as you stitch the scarf together along this short edge. Stitch the entire short end from seam to seam where the fur and lining are seamed on the long edges using a .5" seam allowance.

When you unfold the scarf you'll have the fur side joined with your last seam, forming a big loop, and the lining side still unfinished (you can see the furry seam allowance peeking out underneath the lining).

Now seam the lining. Do this by smoothing down one of the raw ends of the lining over the seam in the fur and tucking it under the other end of the lining so they overlap. Then fold under the other raw end of the lining over the top of the first piece you laid down, and pinning carefully in place. You are concealing those raw egdges by tucking in and folding under. Stitch this close to the folded edge. You could use hand stitching here for a really nice finish, or as I did, stitch with your machine all the way through the two layers (lining and fur).

The seam should line up closely, if not directly on top of, the faux fur seam you first stitched. To hide the seams in the fur, pull some of the pile out of the seam and fluff it a bit as shown in the following "before" and "after" photos.

 

And you are finished! You have a faux fur infinity scarf (or two) to wear or giveaway. I hope you can take advantage of this last minute gift idea. If not for the holidays then for some other non-occasion to simply share a little bit of yourself.

Take good care.