Easy Patchwork Scarf Tutorial

Someone special will be getting this lovely patchwork scarf in the mail soon! I was lying in bed one night having a hard time coming up with something to make for my partner for the Brown Paper Package Exchange. I had thought of and said no to a million different ideas, when finally something hit me like a thunderbolt. A patchwork scarf. I wanted to keep it simple and chic, so I avoided really cutesy prints, insanely bright colors, and an overabundance of fabrics stitched together. A few strips of fabric here, some taupe flannel there, and boom! A lovely, cozy, handmade scarf. If you'd like to make one too, keep reading!

Easy Patchwork Scarf
This scarf is a great way to use up scraps!

Materials:

• background fabric, cut into the following pieces: two 4 x 6.5" pieces; four 2 x 6.5" pieces; three 12 x 6.5" pieces
  
• six strips of accent fabric in coordinating colors, each cut to 3 x 6.5"
• flannel for the back, measuring 63 x 6.5" total (I bought 1/2 yard of flannel and pieced together two 31.5 x 6.5" pieces.)
• thread
• sewing machine
  

Instructions:

• Lay out your fabric strips in the following order from left to right: 4" background, 3" accent, 2" background, 3" accent, 2" background, 3" accent, 12" background, 12" background, 12" background, 3" accent, 2" background, 3" accent, 2" background, 3" accent, 4" background. When you are done laying out the pieces, it will look like a long, skinny 70 x 6.5" rectangle.
• Sew the pieces together in the order in which you've laid them out. Use 1/4" seams.
• Once all of the pieces of the top are sewn together, flip it over and press your seams open.
• Piece together the flannel for the back of the scarf using the same method as you used for the top. Press the seams open.
• With the right sides together, pin the two sides of your scarf together so that all of the edges line up.
• Using a 1/4" seam, sew the two sides of your scarf together. Leave about 4 inches open so that you can turn your scarf right-side-out.
• Trim the corners and turn your scarf right-side-out. Use a knitting needle or other pointy object to make sure the corners are nice right angles.
• Press your scarf. Make sure both fabrics are folded in at the opening.
• Starting with the area you left open, top-stitch around the entire perimeter of the scarf fairly close to the edge. Mine is about 1/8".
• Done!