Hemming Scarves

Scarves have been very fashionable for the last ten years or so, and in the winter they also keep my very cold neck warm.  I have a lot of them BUT I seem to wear the same 3 or 4 over and over ... why is that, I've wondered?

Then it occurred to me that I gravitate to the smaller ones for everyday inside wearing.

So, now that I've read more of the Japanese tidying up book and I was ready to start tossing the scarves that don't spark joy for me, when I realized ... wait a minute! ... I sew!  I can fix some of these.  There are scarves that would spark joy for me, if they were just smaller.

This is a great everyday scarf, but way to huge.  I love it, too, because my sister gave it to me this summer when we were finding our family roots in Scandinavia.

Another pretty, but way to big scarf.  These giant scarves just get in the way all the time and keep unwrapping from my neck and getting into everything.  grrrrr

This is a favorite scarf of mine. I will use it to gauge how much to cut off the big ones.

Look at the size difference.  And these scarves are not lying side by side, but I put the small one on top of the large one!!

I've decided to compromise and cut the large one exactly in half. Which is easy to do with my rotary cutter, since I can see the yellow lines of my cutting mat easily though the fabric.

I should hem both halves and send the other half to my sister. BUT, the tidying up book says we shouldn't give things to people just to get rid of them.  But, I think this might have sentimental value to her.  Well, my sister often reads this blog.  So, sister, let me know if you want the other half of this scarf.

I trim away about a third of this other scarf.

Since both scarves were hemmed with a straight stitched tiny rolled hem, that is what I will do for the newly cut sides.  

The hardest part of using one of these baby hemmers is getting it started.  I recommend pulling up the bobbin thread so both threads can be used to gently pull when starting the hem.

I then slide the cut edge into the coil part of the hemming foot and pull it as close to the end as possible. In this case it is difficult because the starting end has it's hem in place already. I will have to do a little bit of hand work after I'm done machine stitching to finished that bit off.

I gently guide the fabric using those threads to get it going and to keep it from getting sucked into the needle hole.

Then this part just takes practice. These rolled hemming feet aren't magic. They don't automatically roll the perfect amount of fabric. You have to, with steady tension, guide just the right amount of fabric so it will fold twice and no more. It's a two hand operation for me, even though you are only seeing one hand now.  (the other hand is holding the cameral) I've fed too much fabric in and then raw edges are sticking out and with too little it only does a single fold leaving raw edges exposed.


BUT, these are great feet to have and know how to use.  Totally worth the time spent practicing.

NOW ... these scarves are ones I like and will wear!


I really must go through the ret of my scarves, not to mention the rest of my fabric stash. Stay tuned!