How to Make an Asymmetrical Scarf Dress

Create an elegant dress with large, colored scarves.

Lightweight, soft and colorful, scarves in silk, satin or polyester have enhanced women's wardrobes for centuries. Sewing similar or contrasting scarves together diagonally can produce an asymmetrical, visually interesting hemline on either a long or short dress. Purchased scarves are already hemmed and available in a diverse assortment of sizes and prints, needing little to no prep work before starting a project. If commercially produced scarves are too pricey, stitch up some handmade scarves and personalize them by dying or painting the fabric. Scarf size decides the length of the dress.

Things You'll Need

• 2 scarves, 42-inch square or larger
• Iron
• Press cloth
• Sewing pins
• Measuring tape
• Sharp scissors or rotary fabric cutter
• Tailor's chalk
• Sewing machine
• 2 yards matching double-sided satin ribbon, 1 to 2 inches wide
• 2 decorative metal 1-inch D or O rings
• Invisible or matching thread

Instructions

1. Press two scarves with a dry iron on the lowest heat setting while using a press cloth to protect the fabric. Lay the scarves, hemmed sides facing, on a large work surface or the floor, matching edges and corners.

2. Pin the scarves together at spaced intervals away from the edges to keep the fabric from slipping. Measure 6 to 10 inches from one corner along one edge and pin the scarves together at the mark.

3. Sew a seam from the mark to the end of the scarves, keeping the edges very even and stitching along the scarf hems. Back stitch at the starting mark and at the end to lock the stitches.

4. Open the scarves at the new seam and press under a 1-inch diagonal fold on either free corner along the seamed side. Lay a D or O ring inside the fold and pin the fold to hold the ring in place. Stitch the corner of the fold to the main fabric, following the outer edge of the corner and stitching across the triangle. Do this with both corners.

5. Cut the satin ribbon in half and press a 1/2-inch fold into both ends of both pieces. Fold the ribbons in half lengthwise and stitch a seam close to the edges, ensuring you stitch the folded ends. Find the middle of one length of ribbon and insert it through a ring on one of the dress corners. Push the free ends through the loop and pull the ribbon tight, adjusting the ends so they're even. Do the same with the second ribbon.

6. Tie the ribbons around a model's neck with the scarves inside out and adjust the fit, centering the V in the middle of the chest. Bring the free ends of the scarves around to the model's back. Adjust the fit, keeping the loose ends even. Insert a pin into both scarves at the point where they meet in the back when the fit is correct.

7. Lay the scarves out flat, matching edges and corners. Insert one pin through both scarves at the point where the two pins meet and remove the two pins. Stitch a seam from the pin along the scarf edges to the bottom corner. Turn the dress right-side out and press.

Tips & Warnings

• Stitch four small square scarves together along the finished edges to create one large scarf.

• Finish the ends on 2 yards of ribbon or silk cording to make a long, wrap-around belt.

• Ensure all edges are perfectly matched before sewing to keep the seam angles even.

References

• ScarfAid.com: Ties that Bind – History of Fashion Scarves

Resources

• Sew4Home: Sewing with Silk