A Favorite Fall Fashion Sewing Accessory

One of the great things I love about fall is adding accessories to dress up my wardrobe, which is why I want to share a favorite fall fashion sewing accessory.  Jewelry and belts are on top of some folks list, but my favorite accessory is a beautiful silk scarf, and has become my favorite fall fashion accessory.  I have many scarves, but I rarely sew them because I can usually find inexpensive ones when shopping RTW.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, awhile back I attended a 2-Day Fear No Fabric class presented by Bernina Academy at our local dealership and fell in love with a silk charmeuse scarf that the instructor used to demonstrate how to hem silk with a Three-Thread Overlocker. When the scarf was passed around for inspection, it had a very luxurious feel and flattering colors that complemented my complexion.  I felt it was a must-have in my wardrobe.   Plus, I could visualize the many items it would go with in my wardrobe.  The picture below does not really show just how beautiful the fabric is, at least to me. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fabric had been purchased by a third-party for the class and the instructor was not sure where it came from, so I later searched for the beautiful fashion fabric online and found it, or something similar to it, at moodfabrics.com. 

It’s a high-quality, silk charmeuse; drapes well and wrinkle resistant named Monument and Creole Pink Ombre Silk Charmeuse, $44.99/yard.  I estimated that I would need 1-1/2 yards for a scarf and decided to splurge on this fabulously beautiful silk.

 

 

 

 

 

Additionally, another piece caught my eye as I was about to check-out.  It reminded me of the fashion fabric being held in my logo and decided to really splurge with 1-1/2 yards of the Dachshund and Deep Teal Ombre Silk Charmeuse, $44.99/yard.  Then, I needed four spools of matching silk thread.  Total at checkout $151.70 before taxes.  

I justified spending that amount of money for two scarves knowing it would cost me significantly more if two silk charmeuse scarves were purchased retail and considered all the long term benefits that I could think of…can be worn with multiple fall outfits for many years to come, a family heirloom for my grands, etc.  

 

Now, I love scarves because they add vertical lines to almost any body shape, especially the triangle, hourglass, rectangular or athletic and round, which gives you the appearance of a slimmer figure, drawing the eye upward toward your face. 

 

 

 

My favorite fall fashion sewing accessory is a quick sew and in just a few minutes I can have a stylish accessory to dress up my fall wardrobe.

All I would need to do was to straighten the edges of the fabric and hem it giving me an opportunity to practice my newly learned technique to work with a more luxurious, expensive silk fabric.  The sewing should take less than an hour to change the entire look of an existing outfit for fall. 

The silk charmeuse was purchased in June  2018.  I should have waited.  I don’t wear scarves in the summer; it’s just too humid in my area and I don’t like the idea of silk clinging to my perspiring body.  With all the things going on in my life that year, I didn’t even open the box until the first week in September 2019.  

When I did open the box, I fell in love with it all over again; I just love the smell and feel of silk which is why it is my favorite fall fashion accessory.

Scarves made of silk is the most luxurious and flattering accessory a person that loves fabric can own.  If I had known it would have taken me over a year before opening it, I probably could have purchased it during sale time or used one of those 50-60% coupons if it was available at my local fabric store, but who knew?

Now, that I’m ready to sew my new fall fashion accessory, all I need to do is straighten the edges and hem both scarves, right?  Shouldn’t take me more than an hour to get it done, right?  Wrong!

My original plan was to hem the scarves using a simple roll hem, turning 1/4 inch twice, machine stitch or that Three-Thread Overlocker technique I learned in the 2-day class.  But, I didn’t like the way either one looked on the silk charmeuse.  So, after a couple of days researching scarf finishes,

 

 

 

 

I decided to go with an Angela Kane YouTube tutorial on Sewing Silk Finishes, that I am extremely happy with. 

The scarves look very professional, just the way I envisioned, but didn’t know it.

In essence, the wait was worth it.  It gave me time to think about the investment I’d made and the multiple looks that could be achieved with only one piece of fabric.  Anything else would have been a low bar.  

 

What are some of the processes you go through to get what you really want in a finished product?  Do you rush to get it done, just to get it done?  Are you happy with the final look?  Is it an item you’re proud to pass on as a family heirloom?  

Let me know what’s your favorite fall fashion sewing accessory, and…

Happy sewing,