Ali at Breeze Vintage has a question, and has asked for the help of the Dress A Day Hive Mind:
I have an enormous collection of vintage scarves, and it seems such a shame to have all these exquisite silk squares and no particular way to wear them.
Scarves always seem to me to be the sad forgotten children of vintage, so I'm looking for patterns that would work to reinvent them into halter or tunic tops, dresses or bags with genuine glamour and wearability.
Googling has produced pretty thin results (Martha Stewart would have us turn them into useless little hobo bags … ).
and there are a million links explaining how to fold them into not very wearable bandana tie-at-the-back-tops, but I'd like to find some good patterns that would really bring them back to life, not just irritate wearers who can't manage to look like Naomi Campbell in Barbados and be comfortable at the same time.
Any suggestions? I thought that once I had seen a pattern for a gypsy skirt where the scarves were sewn into a waistband by their corners, but perhaps I just hallucinated it …
The scarf above is a Vera … the auction has ended but the seller, kittywantstoshred has a few others up!
A Dress A Day 
Once in a great while you’ll see a 40s blouse pattern on EBay that calls for two super-huge scarves. You stitch them together. Pronto! You’ve got yourself a top Naomi Campbell wouldn’t wear unless she’s got a court date….
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You can make either triangle tops (cut a hole for your head ;-), looks good with a sash or you can make a square top with a knit fabric around waist and wrist. If you have a really large scarf you can make a dress or a tunic – fold in half, cut a hole for your head and make two long cuts for a sash around the waist, sew the two long cuts together on each side – makes a great beach dress!
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You’re on track with the sewing-lots-together for a swingy skirt idea. I’ve mostly seen it used for bellydance costumes. Oh, and it does take a lot of scarves. Cut one or two inches off one corner of each scarf (be consistent, and use same-sized scarves, unless you want them to hang at different lengths) and stitch the short sides of the scarves together, with the cut corners forming the waist. The corner opposite the cut-end points down. Make it big enough to allow for an elastic casing, or insert a zipper at any point. Add your waistband. Ta-Da! The nicest thing about this technique? NO HEMMING.–Lydia
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I own this FWM dress, which is basically a shift with three square silk scarves sewn on strategically (alliteration ahoy!). The third is attatched to the back, in roughly the same location as a bustle.I’d make one myself if I had the equipment!
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I am very interested in this discussion because I also have an embarrassingly huge collection of vintage/not so vintage scarves. Love them and can’t stop collecting them. I have thought of using them as wall hangings, with some of that foam board? We did this bulletin board project with my daughter’s Scout troop and it got me thinking that I could enjoy them that way. Then I could rotate them seasonally–my Vera ladybugs in the summer–and really enjoy the souvenir ones. My Schiaparelli looks like modern art, anyway! Haven’t gotten around to trying it out yet.
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Sometime in the past 3 days, I saw a post where someone had made a blouse using a vintage scarf as the front. I can’t recall exactly where, but I’ll keep looking and hopefully I can send a link later today.
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I’ve been scourign thrift storse for the last couple of years for blue silk scarves that I’m planning to make a quilt out of. Some have rips or stains that I can cut around, but other almost seem too nice to use. The latest find was a Liberty paisley scarf, which I got for a buck.I’m sure I’ve seen a pattern somewhere for a blouse made of two scarves. Seam both scarves together on one end with a space in the middle for a neckhole. Measure space on side for armholes and sew the rest of the sides. On the bottom, you can create a casing at the end (by making a small hem)and using a cord of elastic to gather at the waist, or you could put a casing a few inches up the scarf to create gathers and a little tail or peplum.
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Debra Merlo has several tutorials in which you may be able to use your scarves. http://www.deborahmerlo.com/diy.html
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There is this top from craftster.
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Damn you, Alison! *shakes fist*I was just coming in here to post that craftster link! It was the first thing I thought of when I read the plea…
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I’m loving that FWM dress! Have a friend in LA who used to have a clothing business Precious Threads. She made dresses with knit tops and used vintage scarves to make the skirts. Really pretty.How about 2 sewn together to make a shrug? Threads had a great little piece on making shrugs about a year and half ago. Worth a look.I’ve had a similar dilemma with my collection of vintage hankies. Finally got the nerve to cut apart one that was stained and appliqued the nice pieces onto a vest I made along with lace and embroidery. Just a thought.Come to think of it I make a shirred beret (usually with velvet)by gathering a 3x too large piece of fabric into a puckered masterpiece. Hmmmmm will have to make one then send a pic. Vintage scarf would be lovely used this way. Will get busy. K Q:-)
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Lami, I’m another scarf addict, and to make it worse I hand-dye scarves too, and though some of them are meant for sale, I can’t always resist the urge to keep a particular beauty. I actually have done the wall hanging thing; I have five 11 x 60 habotai scarves lined up on a wall. They’re just tacked at the top with clear pushpins (an idea promoted by a friend who does interior design), hanging free at the bottom where they can be rustled by a passing breeze. So far I’ve kept the same ones up, but they could easily be interchanged.
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Many times one lucks onto a piece of fabric that should be preserved, at least in part, because of the quality or uniqueness of the design. I have a simple top of fabric from the 70’s I believe which is similar to a Turner painting. Sometimes a generous section can be preserved and mounted before a garment is cut. In the case of these scarves, I would sort out those prints that are precious and unique, date them with a label and, as suggested, rotate the display.Then, I would consider using some of the scarves as linings for lightweight jackets, possibly making the garment reversable. Erickson’s First Class Shirt pattern can be used and Kayla Kennington has suburb directions for Modular garments that would be perfect for co-ordinating scarves (see Threads Magazine, issue #117, March 2005, page 62-67). Also, I have seen examples of shirts made of heavier border print scarf fabric made into blouses and light weight jackets using the border as center front and hem, etc, with either matching or contrasting silk for the rest of the garment. As you can tell, I would prefer to see a more elegant use of the scarves than a skimpy triangle top.
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I have seen vintage scarves used as window treatments on the “decorating” channel.And, my 7-year old great-granddaughter uses some of mine for “supergirl” capes.
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Last year I made a Folkwear Hippari jacket as a birthday present for a friend using pieces cut from a patchwork skirt made from used Indian saris (a reworkinig of a reworking). She liked it so much and got so many compliments that I’m going to do the same with with my own scarf hoard.http://www.flickr.com/photos/15947869@N00/203177117/I have also deputized a friend who specializes in haunting weekend garage sales to snatch up any she comes across.
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How about the Threads article, Design a Chic Flwoing skirt with Fabric Strips, August/Sept. 2005 issue?They suggest using strips of left over silks, chiffons, etc. to make a skirt — if you don’t mind cutting up scarves, they would work. Mary Fran, devoted reader
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I have been noodling around with a few sweaters and some stash fabric, trying to imitate this Marc Jacobs dress:http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2898436/0~2376776~2374325~6007363~6007364~6007370?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6007370&P=2The fabrics I have tried thus far for the skirt have been too heavy for the cheap Target/Isaac cashmere sweater I most want to use, and it occurred to me that I should try using some good vintage scarves. I have not done so yet, because my collection is not so large that I am willing to sacrifice any for an experiment.I love the general shape of this dress … dropped waists have always worked well for me, and I love the combination of textures. If I manage to make one that is wearable, using scarves, I will post again.
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there are some great ideas here. Patiejean has some great ideas. (And that FWM dress that Alice posted is gorgeous.)I have a vintage needlework pamphlet/magazine that has instructions on how to make panties (I’d call them “tap pants”) out of a large silk scarf. I made a dress for my daughter using vintage hankies for the skirt. And I have plans to make some summer dresses for her using the two triangle halves of a hankie as the bodice. (this is only practical for people who don’t need a bra.)
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How about ideas for wearing scarves more? I have a small collection of non-vintage scarves that I rarely wear because I usually feel self-conscious about them. Though it happens that I am wearing one today, by coincidence. I wish I could pull it off more often, and I’d love it if I could see more people wearing beautiful scarves.
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Threads magazine recently had a similar letter from one of it’s readers. Their suggestion was to make skirts. I haven’t got the mag with me at the moment but one suggestion was to join 2 large scarves together and gather across the top the use then as an overlay over a straight skirt. In the picture they left the front seam of the scarf open so as to see the skirt fabric underneath. Another suggestion could be to make an Island style lava lava, there are lots of patterns for those .
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Erma, I’m your sister in scarf-wearing. I go through hot and cold spells, but right now I’m in full scarf mode. My uniform is often jeans and sweaters in the colder weather (fancy me hanging out in a dress blog — can’t sew, either), but I dress them up with a silk scarf. Usually just draped over my neck, once in a while wound around once. The slip-knot thing makes me feel like I might choke.I’ve seen books with all sorts of ways to wear scarves, but I tend to stick to the simple.
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Why not use them as the bands in a duro dress? But only with ones that are stained or frayed in places – I couldn’t bear to cut up a perfect vintage scarf. I feel a little silly when I wear them at first, but those days are the ones where I get loads of comments on my outfit. Scarves certainly lend flair to an otherwise simple black frock!
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I have made that gypsy skirt that Lydia describes. Used 10 scarves, sewed them together such that I had one end basically closed (sort of making a huge umbrella-shape, with the scarves as the fabric between umbrella-ribs/seams), then cut a hip-sized hole out of the closed end and sewed on a waistband and elastic. Not a practical daily garment, but utterly lovely for dancing in!
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Erin wasn’t imagining it. Butterick 4420, copyright 1989, is a craft pattern using 22″ square bandanas to make, among other things, gathered skirts. The more eye-catching of the two skirts is made by turning the squares on point (so they’re diamonds), overlapping them so centers touch corners, carefully edgestitching them together & trimming away the resulting little square. Then you take the little squares & fill in the top edge of your skirt, cut the points off, & make a fold-over casing for your elastic. They fill in the bottom with a 14″ wide eyelet edging. The envelope photo makes it look like a flared skirt, and I felt cheated when I found out the skirt was just a gathered strip of fabric. I wouldn’t have bought the pattern had I known.
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I’ve seen scarves turned into successful short sleeved blouses (the kind the button/fasten at the back), most are very simple in design like the blouses that are currently being made by the “Built by Wendy” line from Simplicity. I’ve also cut damaged vintage scarves and used them for bands around the neck or at the hem of dresses and skirts (I can almost imagine a summer Duro dress done in a plain silk with similar patterend scarves for the bands).
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There was a type of top in the original hippie era that used whole scarves. One is the front, turned on point, with the top point at the neckline. The back is the same with another scarf. Then the shoulders and sleeves are another 2 scarves, also on point to the neckline, so they work like raglan sleeves. The side points of those scarves come to under the arms, meeting the side points of the front and back scarves.Then the sides below that are filled in with another scarf either one cut in half to give a straight hem, or 2 making handkerchief hems below the lowest point of the front and back scarves.This link has kind of the idea, though the construction is not the same. The sleeves would be loose and fluttery and pointed.http://www.silhouettes.com/product.asp?product=5030981XBOzz&dept%5Fid=1300&An=102&A=&Au=RollupKeyOne could certainly fill in some areas with similar fabric. Since I didn’t have one of these, I certainly don’t remember it accurately. There must be a pattern out there somewhere, since all this stuff is in again. (And I was such a prim and stuffy girl that I didn’t have any of it. I figure that gives me a free pass now.)I haven’t checked all the links above yet, but that FWM dress is gorgeous! That’s a style that should be reproduced.
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The other thing would be an Oriental style / weaver’s style* vest or jacket, lined-reversible with a patchwork of scarves or scarf pieces. I am intending to do that with hand dye-painted pieces, and hand-dyed flannel lining.*These styles because they use straight pieces. Like this onehttp://www.heartwayinternational.com/category.php?category_id=47These folks provide silk noil blanks for embellishing.
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I came across this dress at poshgirlvintage:http://www.poshgirlvintage.com/dresses/silkGreenScarfDress/scarfDress.htmlI'm not sure if it’s really made of large silk scarves, but something similar could be made from scarves. And it doesn’t look too shabby, either.
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i recently saw a picture somewhere on the internet where a girl had taken a vintage scarf and made it into a shirt of sorts, she had used the scarf as the front and then a plain matching material as the back and sleeves. It had cute little puffy sleeves with tiny buttons on the cuffs, and a high neck with a small keyhole back and a button on collar.
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I was just googling this very idea! Loooove scarves as well, but many of them I never wear. Here are a few cute ways of using them which I foundskirts: http://www.mademarion.net/images/scarf_skirt_collection.jpg or http://www.mademarion.net/images/panel_scarf_skirt_collection.jpgdresses: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpgsize=ltid=1543409or http://bp2.blogger.com/_YqHygU8gDHs/R5054JqzMlI/AAAAAAAABK8/bej9QT9rp3Q/s320/asos+scarf+print+dress+back.jpg or http://static.dailycandy.com/content/articles/32237/scarfdress.jpg (love that one)Hope these are inspiring and helpful! 🙂
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I know you posted this a while ago, but I found this by doing a Google search. I’m not so much a scarf collector, although I adore them and have plenty. I just wanted to find a super easy way of sewing a top and I remembered seeing the two-scarf-method. I Googled “scarf top” and found this: http://www.fasshonaburu.com/2006/10/scarf-top.htmlIf that link doesn’t work (I haven’t tested it) then just Google Image “scarf top” and it should be on the first page. Fourth on top row. It’s a top from Guess and so cute! I definitely must sew one!Ciao!P.S. Love your site! Especially the stories! 🙂
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i made a copy of a scarf dress which was very easy! all you to is take two large scarfs around 150metres square. place good sides together and sew up 2 sides leaving about 20 cms at each end ( for splits at bottom and arm holes ) then choose what end you want the top to be at, then leave a 20 cms gap from the corner ( for arm holes ) then sew about a 10 cm line from each end ( leaving the amount you want for the head hole ) you can leave it with a high neck or cut and bind the shape you like. you can sew elastic under the bust or simply wear a belt. this dress is great because any size person can wear it and hides arms 🙂
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This video shows how to make skirt with squares of fabric hanging down in points. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0xBvyW8w20
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