{ glamourai diy } the scarf-tan-ette

{ glamourai diy } the scarf-tan-ette

as promised in yesterday's post, i've got a fun DIY project for you today: how to make your own summery (caftan-esque) scarf dress!

like me, many of you probably have hoards of vintage scarves buried away in your closet, but you can't figure out ways to wear them. if not, they are super cheap and easy to find at your favorite vintage store/thrift shop/flea market. this is a great way to put them to new use!

you'll need:
- 2 silk scarves
- straight pins, sewing machine, thread
- 4 grommets
- approximately 20-22" chain (use old thrift store jewelry!)
- jewelry pliers to manipulate chain

the combination possibilities for this project are endless, but i decided to start with two scarves that were fairly similar in size (approximately 31" square), and in pattern (horse bit/bridle motifs). i also liked the neapolitan-ice-cream-esque palette they evoked together:

i chose to use the pink scarf on the top (front of dress) and the brown scarf on the bottom (back of dress). i began by pinning the two together...

... to create an hourglass shape:

please note two important things:
(1) you want to keep this shape a little over-sized (in relation to your body). this is a no-zip dress, so you must make sure it can slip on & off easily. laid flat, the measurements i used were: 17" at the top opening, 15" at the waist, and 22" at the bottom opening. consider this a size small, and add more or less room according to your own perfect proportions.
(2) the hourglass shape is not sewn in straight (vertical) alignment with the sides of the scarves ~ instead, it is placed at a slight (left-hand) bias. this is important to establishing the asymmetric effect of the finished product.

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sew the scarves together along the lines you marked with straight pins (again, reference the picture above). a sewing machine is preferred for this step (i use a kenmore elite), but if you don't have one, it could certainly be done by hand.

next, mark on both sides of the dress (either with thread or tailor's chalk) where your straps will go. plan on placing them approximately 10" apart:

you can either hand-stitch your chain straps directly to these points, or install grommets to loop them through. in most cities, you can have grommets done at your local upholstery store. however, if you happen live in new york, take your dress to steinlauf & stoller on 39th street, where nancy will hammer them in for you at $2 a pop!

using either your grommets or a needle & thread, attach 2 chain straps (it's up to you whether these match or not). the shorter strap (to be worn on the right) should measure about 8.5" long; the longer strap (to be worn on the left) should measure about 12-13" long.

laid flat, the finished piece should look like this:
i used a light colored thread, so that you'd be able to make out the lines of stitching (look closely!). also, pay attention to how off-center the straps are ~ this placement is paramount to achieving the correct drape.

here's what it looks like in 3D:



{ my DIY dress is worn with: vintage YSL sunnies, rachel rachel roy ear cuff & blazer, earrings from etsy, vintage belt & bracelets, LAMB shoes }

have fun and let me know if you have any questions!

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