How to Make a Kama Scarf
What is “good enough”?
As long as your finished result is reasonably neat, reasonably straight and the seam ends are
securely tied off (backstitched), that’s good enough. We are making scout scarves, not haute
couture wedding dresses. It’s important to keep that in perspective! We thank you for helping!
We appreciate it.
Materials and Preparation
Homespun cotton fabric, ~110cm wide, colour “Gold”.
12mm double-fold bias binding in the colours “Emerald” and “Brown”.
Three colours of thread are required: gold, brown and green, to match the fabric and bias
binding.
We buy in bulk from Hobbysew Belconnen. (Fabric by the bolt, bias binding by 30m reel).
A scout scarf is a right-angled triangle. The world-wide standard size for a scout scarf is 33
inches x 33 inches on the two straight edges (approximately 84cm x 84cm). We also make
scarves in a larger size. These measure 110cm x 110cm.
Share the task
The production of Kama scarves is well-suited to sharing between 2, 3 or 4 sewers. A
thoughtful division of labour means that each person need only thread their sewing machine
with one top colour. All sewers will need gold coloured thread in the bobbin.
Person/Step 1:
Person/Step 2:
Person/Step 3:
Person/Step 4:
cut the fabric
add the brown bias binding (which also forms the hem on two edges)
add the green bias binding (this is a topstitched stripe)
hem the raw edge.
Layout:
This layout gives two scarves if laying out the fabric in a single thickness.
Fold the fabric double to cut four scarves at a time.
Layout for Standard Scarf
Layout for Large
Scarf
Key:
84 cm (standard scarf)
~108cm (large scarf), use the full width of the fabric, but cut off the selvage
Fabric width = 110cm
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Step 1
Cut fabric to required size.
For Standard Size (Child) Scarf: cut two lengths of bias binding 175cm each (one green and one brown).
For Adult Size Scarf: cut two lengths of bias binding 200cm each (one green and one brown).
Fill bobbin with gold thread.
Thread machine with brown thread.
Step 2
Lightly press open the narrow fold of brown bias binding.
Stitch right side of bias binding to wrong side of scarf along straight edges of scarf, raw edges together.
Take care to fold a neat mitre at the corner.
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Step 3
Trim the corner.
Fold bias binding over to the right side and press.
Topstitch the loose edge of the bias binding, taking care to make a mitre at the corner.
Step 4
Topstitch the green bias binding, 2-3mm from the brown bias binding, taking care to keep the green binding
parallel to the brown, and to mitre at the corner.
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Step 5
Hem the raw edge (the bias cut edge). There are two options and in both cases the tricky part is to get a
neat and narrow point at the ends, which are quite bulky).
Option 1: Overlock the raw edge, turn a single fold, and sew a straight seam with a a sewing machine.
Option 2: Make a narrow double-fold hem a sew a straight seam with a sewing machine.
Overlocker method:
1.
Overlock the raw edge
2. Fold a small corner to the inside and press, then fold over the long edge and press. Keep the folded
edge as narrow as possible close to the corner, but widen it out to a uniform ~1cm for the majority of the
edge, then narrow it back again as you get to the other corner.
3. Straight stitch from the right side, backstitching at the corners.
(There is a lot of bulk in the corners and it is hard to get the machine moving smoothly over the lumps. You
can see that my work is not pristine on the picture on Page 5. If anyone has a better method, please take
photos and write a few pointers and send them to me and I will update this guide).
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Sewing Machine Method:
1. Fold corner to the inside and press. Trim the corner a little if necessary.
2. Fold over a narrow hem along the full length of the scarf.
3. Fold over again. Straight stitch through all thickness, preferably from the right side, backstitching at the
corners.
The photos above and below are from two different scarves so there is a little variation in how much I folded
the corner and the hem itself. Taking a bigger initial fold seems to give a sharper point, but no matter what, I
found there is a lot of bulk in the corners and it is hard to get the machine moving smoothly over the lumps.
If anyone has a better method, please take photos and write a few pointers and send them to me and I will
update this guide.
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Other Angles
Suggestions to improve this guide are welcome. Please email photos and words to
[email protected]
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