Cotton Pleated Scarf

Mother's Day is fast approaching, are any of you stuck on what to get for your mom like I am?  I always wait till the last minute to think of something to make my mom because of birthdays and Easter being around the same time.  I said "make", yes I make most of my gifts these days, I think it's more personal and the receiver knows I put alot of thought and sweat into the gifts.  But I do buy gifts that I cannot make (OK I am pretty smart with electronics  but I am not smart enough to MAKE an iPad lol)

A couple of years ago, I made my mom a series of gifts geared toward gardening using 2 yards of Garden Print fabric.  If you want to check them out:

1. Garden Gloves
2. Garden Apron
3. Hand Bag

Last year, her Mother's day gifts were also house warming gifts because my parents came to visit me from Hong Kong in May, and they had bought a vacation home close to me, so I made her a series of kitchen accessories using 2 yards of Fruits Print Fabric.  You can check it out HERE.

Now, this year.... since they won't be coming to visiting me, I am wrecking my brain trying to think of something useful for her, and she is a tough one to please (don't they say our mothers are our toughest critics?)  

I know that she has been trying to stay healthy and eat organic, wears only natural fibers and grow organic veggies.  So I know the first thing she needs is a scarf, a cotton one, because all her other ones are non-cotton, and she will throw them out.

I have some cotton knit fabric, and some Dotted Swiss Fabric left over from other projects and I know it will be prefect for this scarf that I am making for mom.

Ok, let's see what it looks like finished.

Let's see how I made it.

*If you have fabric long enough, then you don't need to connect two pieces together.*

Cut two strips of a light weight cotton fabric (I used Dotted Swiss), measure the length according to your needs.  

Connect the two pieces together (once again, if you have a piece of fabric long enough, no need to do this)

Fold edges twice to create hem, press

Hem all sides

You can now either gather this part or pleat it.  

I am showing Gathering here (if not sure what gathering means, google it, it creates ruffles)

Set your upper thread tension all way to LOOSE, then sew a line right in the middle of the fabric (Do Not back stitch) 

Then pull on one thread to gather, and then smooth out ruffles to your liking.

Now, I am showing you Pleating

Fold 1/4 to  1/2 inch pleats and pin

Top stitch in the middle of the fabric

You can add one strip of knit fabric to the back of the pleated strip of fabric or leave it the way it is, I chose a cotton knit in white.

Here is how the pleats turned out

There you are, a pleated scarf