Sewing: Faux Fur Slip-Through Scarf (Tutorial)

I love white in any season--before or after Labor Day--but it is especially beautiful in Winter. I have always been a fan of a reduced palette: whites, neutrals, tints. So when Kirstin asked me to join her and Delia in their Winter Whites series I was thrilled. Not only to participate, but also to see how others are inspired by a whitewashed Winter palette. You may have seen my post KoJo Designs but just in case, I wanted to share it here while it is still Wintry (I'm really getting Spring fever--aren't you?!)

 

It is stating the obvious for you who have visited before, but my creativity is centered on my family, predominantly my three little girls, so I predictably thought about making something for them: Faux Fur Slip-Through Scarves. I'm such a sucker for animal prints and textures. And they like them too.

I made some Faux Fur Infinity Scarves before Christmas in rich browns and was excited about the idea of using faux fur in white once January arrived. So I made a White Faux Fur Infinity Scarf (Audrey is wearing it above) and for the Winter Whites series, a Slip-Through Scarf in a child-size. And why not one in light pink too?

I love these slip-through scarves because they go on so easily, and they stay on. And this light and fluffy variety is pretty fun to wear.

I've got a tutorial for making a Faux Fur Slip-Through Scarf for you or your little girl. Or one for each of you! And all your friends... 

This is a pretty easy and quick project but if you haven't sewn with it before you may want to check out my tips for sewing with faux fur in this post before beginning. They make a big difference in cutting down the mess and making sure the final product is just what you had in mind.

 

FAUX FUR SLIP-THROUGH SCARF TUTORIAL

You'll need:

• Faux Fur fabric (see dimensions for pattern pieces below)
• Lining fabric such as polyester charmeuse, or a knit or even fleece (see dimensions below)
• Coordinating thread

To start, draw and cut out TWO PIECES of your faux fur according to the size you are making:

Small child: 15.5"x 4.5"

Bigger child: 16.5" x 4.5"

Adult size: 20" x 4.5"

Cut ONE PIECE of your lining fabric:

Small child: 30.5"x 4.5"

Bigger child: 32.5" x 4.5"

Adult size: 39.5" x 4.5"

Orient your pieces of faux fur short ends together with the hairs running opposite directions as shown in the photo above. You will pin sew (with a .25" seam allowance) these two pieces right sides together along this short edge to form the back center seam. The fur should then run down on both sides of the scarf when your little girl is wearing it.

Here is a photo of the finished seam (above).

Now you will want to brush or comb all the fur away from the long edges towards the center of the scarf...

...and then pin the lining piece to the faux fur, right sides together. Stitch all the way around the scarf using a .25" seam allowance. But LEAVE A 3" OPENING on one side of the center/back of the scarf for turning.

Clip the corners. You can zigzag stitch all the was around your seams if you'd like for added strength on these seams.

Turn your scarf right side out and brush out any hair caught in the seams.

Tuck in the raw edges of your faux furn and lining at the opening, pin, and topstitch close to the edge.

The pile of your faux fur will make this stitching virtually invisible.

Now to create the slit for the slip-through you will create what is essentially a giant buttonhole.  Mark a  3" line in the center of one of your scarf ends as shown in the photo above. Pin the top and the bottom of what will become the 3" opening. This opening should be the follow distance up from the end of the scarf:

 

Small child: 3" from the bottom

Bigger child: 4.5" from the bottom

Adult size: 8" from the bottom

Brush away all the "hair" from this line so you can see the backing to sew on. This will make your stitching nearly invisible.

Set your sewing machine for a zigzag stitch about 1/8" wide and shorten your stitch length so it is almost a satin stitch. You can practice on a scrap piece of fabric to see if the zigzag is dense enough to form a buttonhole. 

Start at the top of the opening marked by your pin and zigzag stitch in a straight line down to the other pin. Pivot and zigzag stitch for 1/4". Pivot again and stitch up to the top of the opening parallel to your first line of zigzag stitching. These lines of stitching should nearly touch. Pivot at the top and sew across the ends of these two lines of stitching. You've just made a manual buttonhole!

Use a seam ripper or small snips with your scissors to open this slit, just as you would open a buttonhole.

Voila! Pretty cool, right?

And when the pile falls back into place, the stitching can't even be seen. So easy!

Now you can slip the opposite end of the scarf through this opening and secure it around your neck. Super soft and warm. I hope it adds some nice color to the rest of your winter.

Thanks so much for having me in Winter Whites! It's always a pleasure to participate and watch a Delia Creates - Kojo Designs series!