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Lace Trimmed Jersey Knit Scarf

by | DIY

Add a lace edging to a soft jersey knit scarf! www.1dogwoof.com

Every time I pull out my trusty sewing machine, I am reminded why I rarely pull out my trusty sewing machine. But it’s SCARF WEEK, and that makes it worthwhile! Plus, I’ve been crocheting a lot lately, and it felt sew nice to do something a little different, a little scarfy and a little lacy. And a little t-shirt-y.

Add a lace edging to a soft jersey knit scarf! www.1dogwoof.com

Have you ever put on a really soft, really comfortable shirt and wondered what would happen if that shirt just kinda hung out around your neck instead? Well, I guess it’s happened to enough people because there’s plenty of t-shirt scarf inspiration out there on the interwebs. I like my tshirt crafts, but it’s really the material that I like, not the fact that I used to wear it as a shirt. It’s really all about the soft stretchy jersey knit, whether it’s 100% cotton or a polyester/rayon blend; there’s just something so cozy about jersey. Probably helps that I’m a Jersey girl too!

Add a lace edging to a soft jersey knit scarf! www.1dogwoof.com

For my scarf, I didn’t take apart a tshirt. I went and bought a swatch of jersey knit fabric that was on sale. I loved the soft green and oatmeal stripes on the fabric, and as a joke, wore the fabric around my neck for the ride home. My husband asked why bother making a scarf when it looks like I’m already done?!

So, this project–a square, jersey knit scarf with a vintage lace edging. It isn’t so much of a step-by-step tutorial as it’s a collection of tips to help you sew a lace edging onto super thin jersey material. I fiddled around for days before getting it right, so here I am to spare you the trouble!

Me and my vintage bike. www.1dogwoof.com

Tip #1: For thin fabric like this loose and comfortable jersey knit, cut a LARGE square for your scarf. I cut mine at 36″ and wished I cut it bigger so there was more fabric to give me that sense of coziness. I have a J.Crew scarf that is 48″ square and I had thought it was too big, but that’s probably closer to where you want it.

lace_edge_scarf-15

Tip #2: Use a cutting mat to cut your fabric. Folding the fabric and lining up the edges can also help you get that square shape. But hey, it’s jersey knit. It’s pretty forgiving, especially along the two sides that curl.

Tip #3: Curl? Yup! The fun thing about “t-shirt fabric” or jersey knit is that it curls, like a scroll. Pulling the curl gives you t-shirt yarn. In this case, the curl conveniently allows to skip hemming! Yeah! On the 2 non-curling edges, I folded it over and ironed it down. These are the edges to which I attached the lace.

Iron down the non-curling edges. www.1dogwoof.com

Tip #4: Speaking of lace, don’t you love this vintage lace I found in my stash? I got a whole bunch of different vintage lace borders at an estate sale a while back, but never found a good place to use it. Figured now’s a great time!

Love me some vintage lace! www.1dogwoof.com

Tip #5: Alright, with your fabric cut, your edges ironed down, and your lace ready to go, it’s time to SEW! As a helpful hint for you, and a reminder for me, here are the settings I used. I kept the tension as low as possible and chose a small zigzag stitch. I played with the width of the stitch until I decided 3.0 was my Goldilocks; it wasn’t so narrow to not capture both the fabric and the lace, nor was it so wide to be too visible.

Thank goodness for this picture.

Tip #6: Here’s the fun part. I didn’t actually layer the lace on top of the fabric. I just put them side by side and zigzag stitched my way to victory. So the tip? GO SLOW. Don’t push, don’t pull, just let the sewing machine do its thing.

A close-up of my zigzag stitch. www.1dogwoof.com

That’s it!

I sewed lace on two edges and reinforced the ends. Writing it all down now makes it sound so easy, but I had a hard time figuring it out, probably because I was so rusty when it came to wrestling with the sewing machine and the super super thin stretchy fabric. Seriously, I was looking at my quilting muslin wondering if that’d feel good around my neck…

Howdy, says my lace trimmed scarf. www.1dogwoof.com

A lace-trimmed jersey knit scarf mixes vintage sweetness with a modern look. www.1dogwoof.com

If you’re handy with sewing, this shouldn’t take long at all, and then you’ve got another cozy comfy scarf to pair up with you favorite t-shirt! If sewing isn’t quite your thing, you can try your hand at a couple easy crocheted scarves, like this hot pink number, or this “perfect-for-beginners-and-great-for-cold-winter-days” basic infinity scarf.

Want More Scarf Week Inspiration?

The sewing fun has only just begun! Be sure to chomp those shark scarf teeth into each of these inspirational D.I.Y. projects hitting the blog-o-sphere today.

10 D.I.Y. Scarves for Sewists | Here are 10 do-able projects, many of which are beginner level, where you can stitch your way to your own D.I.Y. scarf! We've got neck scarves, head scarves, scarves for kiddos and babies...and and this is just one of FIVE inspirational themes during the Second Annual Scarf Week. Let's get scarfy!

Quick and Easy Knit Infinity Scarf by It Happens in a Blink Simplest DIY Lace Infinity Scarf by The Southern Couture Sewing a Patchwork Loop Scarf by It Was Weekend How to Make a Bandana Scarf for Baby by Burlap & Babies Upcycled Scrappy Scarf by Lucky Scarf Lace Trimmed Jersey Knit Scarf by One Dog Woof Scrap-Busting Children's Scarf With Pockets by Crafty Bonds Easy to Sew DIY Two-Sided Scarf by Apron Strings & Other Things Kids Infinity Scarf by The Crafting Nook Wire Head Scarf Tutorial for the Beginner Sewist by The Thinking Closet Image Map

Click the images above or links below to check ’em out.

1. Quick and Easy Knit Infinity Scarf by It Happens in a Blink

2. Simplest DIY Lace Infinity Scarf by The Southern Couture

3. Sewing a Patchwork Loop Scarf by It Was Weekend

4. How to Make a Bandana Scarf for Baby by Burlap & Babies

5. Upcycled Scrappy Scarf by Lucky Scarf

6. Lace Trimmed Jersey Knit Scarf by One Dog Woof

7. Scrap-Busting Children’s Scarf With Pockets by Crafty Bonds

8. Easy to Sew DIY Two-Sided Scarf by Apron Strings & Other Things

9. Kids Infinity Scarf by The Crafting Nook

10. Wire Head Scarf Tutorial for the Beginner Sewist by The Thinking Closet

We’re only in the middle of Scarf Week, so take a look at what’s coming down the wave.

ScarfWeek2015-Rec

To access all 5 days of Scarf Week, visit our co-coordinators, Lauren from The Thinking Closet and Vanessa from Tried & True. They’ll be updating their posts with the clickable collages as they go live this week. And you can also follow along with our hashtag, #ScarfWeek2015.

Stay scarfy!

13 Comments

  1. Melanie

    I really like the lace trim. I usually don’t do lace, but this doesn’t seem like too much! It’s the right amount of feminine!

  2. ChiWei

    I know, right? I guess that’s why even though I have all this lace edging in my stash, it’s taken me so long to use it. Some of it is beautiful but I can’t see myself wearing it. Thanks Melanie!

  3. Amanda

    Love that vintage lace!! Thanks for sharing!

  4. Mackenzie

    I love the vintage lace! Now, if you could just do a video tutorial on how to wrap it around your neck so beautifully.

  5. Bet

    Love this! I haven’t sewn since my 9th grade Home Economics class but I’ve been feeling the desire to get a sewing machine and wreak havoc. This is a perfect little project for me. Thank you for sharing it. Have a wonderful day!

  6. Elena aka. Midsommarflicka

    I love love love tha lace edge!! And the pattern & colors of your fabric as well, looks so great all together! 🙂

  7. Drew

    What about that awesome bicycle in the background?

  8. Lauren @ The Thinking Closet

    Ahhhh! So many enthusiastic thoughts. a) that bicycle in your shoot (so vintage fab). b) the power of the zig zag…I need to use it more! c) how comfy cozy that scarf looks nestled around your neck! d) your writer’s voice, which never fails to make me smile and want to eat up your entire blog’s archives in one sitting. Sooooo glad you were a part of Scarf Week 2015, ChiWei. It was bigger, better, and scarfy-er because of you! Off to pin….

  9. ChiWei

    Thanks Lauren! Yes, I need to post more pictures of that bike for sure!

  10. ChiWei

    Thank you!

  11. ChiWei

    Yes, the bike is AWESOME! More to come, right?

  12. ChiWei

    Haha, if you only saw me standing around, using my window as a mirror, adjusting and readjusting just to take a photo and then doing the whole thing over again. 🙂

  13. ChiWei

    Thank you!

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