Learning to Sew: Scruchies

You read that right, I'm bringing back the scrunchie! :) But first, check out the bookmarks my kids made....  see that tutorial, here.

 
Let me start by sharing the same back story I shared with my kids. Sometimes I debate whether or not I should 'waste' time telling the kids these stories, but several mentioned to me at the end of Sewing Club that they liked hearing all about Ms. Wooten's Granny Woot and wanted me to tell them more stories while we waited on their parents to pick them up. :) It's the small things that makes me happy sometimes... Anyway, back to my story.

I really started sewing regularly during middle school. At that time I got off the bus at my Granny Woot's house and spent the afternoon with her until my parents got off work. While Granny didn't have internet or a working DVD player, she did have several additional fun things I managed to get myself into. (Ivy tunneled gardens, rows of corn with hidden snails, record players with tons of records, a giant pantry, her 'office,' the list goes on...) One of the things I was drawn to was her 60's model Singer Touch & Sew. I had grown up around fabulous seamstresses and I loved watching my mom sew beautiful costumes, dresses, clothes, etc. With a lack of modern technology, the sewing machine called to me, begging me to sit down and create. I rummaged through one of Granny's many cabinets until I came across a beginner sewing video. I fired up the VCR and began my first wearable project, a scrunchie. I must have made several hundred scrunchies, I seriously think everyone I'd ever come in contact with owned at least one of my custom scrunchies, regardless of their gender or hair length.

Ever since then scrunchies have always held a special place in my heart. Initially a scrunchie was going to be my first kids project in sewing club, however when I realized how many boys I had I decided to save it. I wanted their first project to be something everyone could use.

After the bookmarks, all the kids were hooked and the boys were okay with 'girl' projects. They either used 'boy' fabric so they could wear them as bracelets, or they sewed scrunchies for loved ones in their lives.

They really are fairly simple to create. The fabric is 16"x4" and the quarter inch elastic is about 3 inches long. (That's a rough estimate I just kind of wrap it comfortably around my wrist and snip.) You're welcome to use my instruction sheet, if you can't print it from the website email me and I can send it as an attachment. Enjoy!

 ~ Farm Girl Teacher