Saturday, January 4, 2014

Two-toned infinity scarf - from upcycled pashminas


So this is what happens when you buy things on impulse. I wear the hijab and I have a pronounced weakness when it comes to scarves. One of my ongoing quests is to reduce the number of scarves I buy because, really, I don't need that many. These two pashminas are the result of an impulse buy several years back. The colours are pretty but the materials is far too coarse for me to wear around my face so they've been sitting dormant in my drawer.


I decided to turn them into an infinity scarf after stumbling upon a few Youtube tutorials and seeing how easy it is to make one. Plus, I've also been craving for a new infinity scarf since winter set in. The two pashminas combined made a four-layer thick infinity scarf. Two days ago, when temperatures in Toronto dropped to almost thirty below, this scarf did its job in keeping my neck warm and toasty. It also doubled as a heavy hood which didn't flip too easily in gusty winds.

Because of the double layers, there's a few extra steps in this tutorial as opposed to making a regular infinity scarf. You can totally do this with just one pashmina for a thinner infinity scarf. Also, the final step of turning the finished scarf inside out can be a bit nerve-wrecking, but don't panic. Just keeping pulling and it'll all come together at the end!

Check out the full picture tutorial after the jump.

pashmina, infinity scarf, winter, DIY, sewing tutorial
What you need:
2 pashminas
Sewing machine
Straight pins
Needle and thread

*Notes:
1. I used approximately 3/8" seam all around
2. Pressing the seam is not neccessary but recommended. This will make sure the seams lay flat and reduce bulk or bumps along the seam.
3. I trimmed off the tessles on the pashmina, also to reduce bulkiness along the seams.

Instructions:
1. Place both pashminas together and make sure the edges are aligned. Sew along the edges as indicated by the red line in the picture to form a tube. This is optional, but I would recommend pressing the seams open to flatten them and reduce unwanted bulk along the seams.
pashmina, infinity scarf, winter, DIY, sewing tutorial


2. Turn the tube inside out so that the seams are inside the tube. Adjust the tube so that the seams are at the centre. Match up the front and back seams so that they sit on top of each other.
pashmina, infinity scarf, winter, DIY, sewing tutorial

3. Press the edges of the tube to create flat edges. Fold the tube in half and align both pressed edges with each other. Sew all along the edges, as indicated by the red line to form a smaller tube.
pashmina, infinity scarf, winter, DIY, sewing tutorial

4. Again, turn the tube inside out so that the seams are on the inside. Then, fold the bottom of the tube upwards onto itself. Bring the bottom edge of the tube up all the way to the top edge as indicated. You are folding the tube in half where one half is on the inside and the other half is on the outside. Be sure to match up the seams.
pashmina, infinity scarf, winter, DIY, sewing tutorial

5. Align the top edges of the tube. You can trim off the tessles at this point. Sew all around the edge of the tube, which should have four layers of fabric at this point. Leave a two-inch gap as indicated in the picture. Open the gap by separating two layers of fabric on each side.
pashmina, infinity scarf, winter, DIY, sewing tutorial

6. Turn the scarf inside out through the tube by gently pulling the fabric through the hole. Continue doing this until the entire scarf has been turned inside-out.
pashmina, infinity scarf, winter, DIY, sewing tutorial

7. Hand-sew the gap closed with a whip stitch.
pashmina, infinity scarf, winter, DIY, sewing tutorial

And you're done!

3 comments:

Mary said...

Thank you for the tutorial, you have a great site!

Lin Abdul Rahman said...

You're welcome, Mary! I'm glad you like it.

Agy said...

This is lovely. It's very hot over here but I'm sure with thinner fabrics, this would be great for my friends!