The Jersey Ruffle Scarf: Two Ways

October has brought with it my favorite season, and with that season comes one of my favorite accessories -- scarfs! And it looks like last year's trend in scarfs is back and even more popular -- ruffles! I *heart* ruffles. Add a little ruffle to a purse or a skirt or shirt cuff, and you add instant femininity and cuteness. I do think ruffles can be overdone, but when used in good measure it can make an outfit and a scarf is an easy way to sprinkle a little "rufflage" in :).

Back in February, I had some of my best girls over to make some of our own ruffle scarfs. Now, you can pick up some pretty cute ones for about $10-$12 pretty much anywhere this season, but if you're feeling crafty and want to save a couple bucks, you should try to make a few of your own! They would be great for gifts too if you want to make a few extra for friends!

Now, I'll be honest -I had a little trouble figuring out the elastic thread part. It was trickier than I expected...and one of my friends had a top -loading machine (I have a side-loader for my bobbin) and I'm not sure we ever figured out how to do it on hers. But if you can get it to work, this makes a super cute ruffle. So I figured out an alternative way to make a ruffle scarf that doesn't use the elastic that is even easier if the first way isn't working for you.

Ruffle Scarf #1 (with elastic)

Supplies:

* 1-2 yds jersey knit fabric (FYI: 2 yds will give you the right length and you can make several scarves from it...1 yd you can sew two strips together to get the length you need and not have as much left-over)
* Matching thread
* Elastic thread (you can find it in white or black in the elastic aisle)
* Scissors
* Sewing Machine

STEP #1:
Cut your strip of fabric 12 inches by 72 inches. You can play around with the width if you'd like to give you different looks. As far as length -- your scarf will end up being about half the original length once you ruffle it, so if you like it really long you may want to sew a couple strips together.

STEP #2:
Starting at the end of the fabric strip, cut up the middle at least 12 inches. Do this on both ends of the fabric. It will look like two tails on each end.

STEP #3:
Wind the elastic thread by hand onto your bobbin, keeping it loose NOT taut. If you keep it too tight it will pull and break. Load regular thread, preferably a color that matches your fabric, onto the top. *Turn your tension OFF* --very important!!

STEP #4:
Start at the end of one tail and sew up the middle of the tail all the way to the end of the opposite tail. Don't forget to back-stitch to tack the ends or else the elastic will just pull right through. The fabric should start to automatically gather as you go. Repeat on the other side. Here you can see the two straight seams from one end to the other. (This scarf was a bit shorter than some of the others I did, by the way.)

And there you go! Warm neck + cute accessory = happy ME!

Ruffle Scarf #2 (without elastic)

Supplies:

* 1/2 yd - 1 yd jersey knit fabric
* Matching thread
* Pins
* Scissors
* Sewing Machine

STEP #1:
Cut your fabric into squares, approx. 4"x4" or larger. The more squares you cut, the longer your scarf will be. I cut 2-3 dozen for this scarf.

STEP #2: Line up the squares so that the corner of one overlaps the other and the point is in the middle of the adjoining square. Secure the squares with pins.

STEP #3: Start at the corner of the first square and sew a straight seam all the way from one end to the other down the middle of the squares. Remove the pins as you go!

This scarf won't be as full and ruffly as the first one, but it is still a very cute look and is great if you can't use the elastic! Let me know if you try either of these -- Ruffle it up this fall!