Button hole pull-thru scarf

Last week we got 18 inches of snow and today most of it is gone.  Today was great weather for taking photos outside.  I coerced my 8 y.o. son to stand in his fort and snap a few pics for this post.  

While I'm not entirely comfortable being the model (who is really?), having a photographer sure beats standing in the living room window, holding the camera at arm's length and trying to take photos of myself:

skirt-to-scarf tutorial

 I'm also guilty of taking photos via the bathroom mirror:

pull-thru scarf tutorial

The initial pull-thru scarf I made was so easy and fun to wear that I quickly decided I needed to make another one for myself.  This time I chose to make one with green, my favorite color.  I went to JoAnn's and saw the 45" home decor canvas was 40% off--a sweet deal!  I bought 8" for under $2.  I grabbed some coordinating green cotton solid from my stash for the lining fabric.  Considering how hard it is to find a fashion scarf retailing anywhere for under $10, I felt this scarf is quite the bargain.

In the spirit of trying something new and expanding my sewing skills, I decided to try the automatic button-hole feature on my sewing machine.  Instead of sewing on a tab to pull the scarf through, I made two parallel button holes.  This way the scarf would function in reverse as well.

I think I have made button holes before on my old machine, but I can't remember the project--must be old age!  After consulting the manual and a bit of practice, I am reasonably pleased with how the button holes turned out on my scarf.  I don't know if I am ready to make a button-up blouse yet.  A row of buttons would require some planning, measuring, and precision--things I try to avoid when sewing.  However, a button tab closure on a tote bag doesn't seem so daunting anymore.

Here's the basic pattern for this pull-thru scarf:

the complete tutorial can be found HERE.

My November sewing challenge is to make a scarf and trying something new.  I have another scarf in mind, a much more complicated one, but just in case I don't get 'er done I wanted to at least meet my own challenge before the end of the month.  

As of writing this post, there are 15 participants in the "Ring Your Neck" Scarf-making Challenge.  There is still a bit more month left and always room for more participants, so don't be shy!  Sign up HERE.  If you're reading this after November 2012, just click the challenge tab on my menu bar and see what the current challenge is this month.  

Happy crafting and big hugs from Montana,