Holiday Chair Scarf Tutorial

Here's the drill for today:

2 yards of 56 inch wide material, preferably to match your holiday table.
matching thread
sewing machine
scissors
measuring tools (stick or tape)

This make four (4) chair scarves

You will be straight seam sewing, beginning and ending each seam with a back stitch. A back stitch is made by starting the machine slowly, making a few stitches and then using the reverse button on your machine going directly back over those same stitches, stopping at the end and then sewing forward, again directly over those same stitches. This secures the thread and keep your seam from unraveling.

There are two ways to do this:
Option one:
Cut four strips of fabric into 14 inches wide by 72 inches in length. set aside.
Option two:
Fold the fabric lengthwise in half, cut on the fold. You now have two 28 inch wide pieces by 72 inches long. Fold those two pieces of fabric in half lengthwise again, and again cut on the fold which will give you four pieces of fabric, each measuring 14 inches wide by 72 inches long. set them aside.

Step One: Sewing
Fold each single piece lengthwise, right sides together, matching edges. Pin if it makes you feel more efficient. Do this with each piece of fabric.

Beginning at the corner, ( remember to backstitch as you start and finish each seam) start at the folded edge and sew a straight seam towards the opposite corner, the corner with the raw edge. Stop before you go all the way to the edge, making your stopping point equal to the size of your seam. (you should be equally as far from each edge) Slowly rotate the hand wheel of your machine to drop the needle half way into the fabric and then stop.

Lift the presser foot, then turn and rotate the fabric to allow you to sew down the length of the fabric. Lower the pressure foot and begin sewing again. Sew down the edge to just about the half way mark. Don't panic if you are short or longer form the middle, just make sure you have plenty of length on either end when you stop sewing. Back stitch.

Leave a space in the middle of the edge large enough to put your fist through, about seven inches or so.

Back stitch and then sew to the corner. Do the same procedure you did before to turn the corner easily and sew to the last corner. Back stitch.

Repeat with each of your four scarves.

Step Two: Turning the fabric.

Now that you have finished all the sewing, place your entire hand in the open part of the seam. Grab the end of the fabric and pull it through, turning the fabric inside out and right side out. Use your fingers to pull out the tight corners of the corners and make them as square as possible.

Repeat with each scarf.

Step Three: Ironing
Carefully steam iron the scarf flat. Pay special attention to the corners. When you iron over the open seam, use the iron to make the seam turn in as if it were sewn, making the seam allowance the same width as your sewn seams. Steam press.

Step Four: Back to Sewing.

Go back to the machine and, remembering to backstitch beginning and ending, sew as close to the edge as you can while closing the opening. You will be sewing on the right side of the fabric. The closer to the edge you can make that seam the less visible it will be and the more secure.

Step Five: Square Knot

A square knot is made by wrapping the scarf around the inside of the chair, near the seat, at the base of the back. Take the left part of the scarf and wrap it over and through the right side of the scarf, pulling tight at the center back of the chair. Take the right end of the scarf and go over and through the left end of the scarf and pull the square knot tight. Fuss with it a bit to make sure all the edges are like you want them and make it pretty.

Remember the old saying for a square knot: Left over right, right over left. That's just about it!