Hi all
Little sewing projects like scrunchies are a great way to welcome in the Spring. Full of colour, they can really brighten up a dull pre-spring day! They are also brilliant for reducing the size of my cabbage patch.
That’s my fabric cabbage rather than the green stuff eaten with a Sunday
roast. And it’s not really a patch. It’s more of a plastic bag
full of various sized scraps from previous sewing projects.
Now I like making
scrunchies but, I’m not a fan of faffing about turning fabric tubes
the right way out. Especially this time of year when everything is a
bit hectic. So I came up with a slightly less patience draining
method.
Why
not join me and stitch up a few of your own scrunchies with this easy
tutorial.
- Fabric strip measuring 16 inches (41cm) long by 4 inches (10cm) wide
- Elastic strip measuring – ½ inch (1.2cm) wide by 7 inches (18cm) long
- Thread
- Plastic Clips or Pins
- Safety Pin
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Sewing machine
Step
1
Choose
and cut your fabric. You can use any fabric and any print or pattern.
Choose
a matching thread or use a contrasting one. It’s up to you.
Cut
your elastic.
Place
your fabric on your ironing board right side down. Turn ¼ inch (1cm) over
on each of the long sides and press with your iron.
Step 2
With
right sides together, fold the fabric in half lenghways and stitch
together along the short edge. Use a ½inch (1.2cm) seam allowance. You'll end up with an 8 inch (20cm) circle.
Snip
a small triangle off the top and bottom of the seam you just stitched. Make sure you
don’t clip through the stitches. Press the seam open with your
iron.
Step 3
Fold
your fabric circle so that the wrong sides are together. Use plastic clips or pins to hold in place. Double check that the right side of the fabric is facing you.
If
you have a free-arm machine, take your accessory tray off so that you
can put your scrunchy around the machine. Don’t worry if you
haven’t. If you have a flat bed, just make sure to keep one side of
the circle out of the way as you go around.
Stitching on the right side
of the fabric will create top-stitching. If you’ve used a
contrasting thread, this is where it will show.
Start
at the seam, stitch as close to the edge as you can. Leave a gap
of about an inch and a half. Doesn’t matter where on your circle,
just make sure you leave one.
Step 4
Attach
the elastic to your safety pin. Using the safety pin, push the
elastic through the gap in the scrunchy and continue around the
circle. Remember to hold the other end of the elastic as you ease the
elastic through. When the safety pin reappears, take it off and line
up the two ends of elastic.
Step 5
Stitch
the elastic together by stitching backwards and forwards a few times.
Then, push it into the gap in the fabric circle.
Then
it’s just a case of sewing the gap shut. Again, sew on the right
side of the fabric. Try to line your needle up with the existing
stitching.
Gently
ease out the gathers that the elastic has made so they are a bit more
even. And there you have it!
A faff-free scrunchy.
A word of caution - making these can be so much fun that it can be a little bit addictive. Enjoy!
Bye
for now
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