Making Scrunches for our School Girl

Even though it's bed time, and she is in her pyjamas, Little Miss 5 had to try on her new school uniform regulation blue scrunchy. She is just loving being at school now. She goes off everyday so excited to be there. The other day she declared that: "Wearing my uniform makes me feel special" 
I'm pleased I started early with the uniform labelling, as it seems to be never ending. While it was quite satisfying to label dresses, hat, tie and shirts, once I got down to socks and sport socks the novelty had well and truly worn thin. We are adjusting to having hair tied up each day. Having had short hair for most of my life, I am on a steep learning curve of buns and plaits. 

Here are the instructions for making your own uniform scrunchy. Most of you will remember these from the 80s!

I sewed a name tag into the short edge seam. Having gone to trouble of making them, we don't want them going missing.

Here is the pattern I used: It is 24cm by 14cm including 1 cm seams. 
The short edge is cut out on the fold, so the piece of fabric end up measuring 48cm x 14cm.  

Expect to get 4 scrunches from a 25cm length of 125cm wide fabric.

I found this 100% cotton 'broadloom' at Fabric Vision. It comes in lots of colours so finding your regulation uniform colour shouldn't be too difficult.

 

Fold the fabric strip over lengthwise and using a 1cm seam, sew the strip together leaving a 5 to 6cm gap at each end. 

This gap is important as it allows the ends of the band to be joined.

Turn the strip in the other way so the seams are enclosed on the inside.










Taking care not to twist the length of scrunchy, pin the ends together. 

Make sure the right sides of the fabric are together, and sew using a 1cm seam. It is slightly awkward, but just move the seam into position as you sew. 

I sewed LM5s cloth name tag into this seam.

Push the seam into the scrunchy as pictured.

Straighten out the scrunchy. This is what it should look like.

Cut a 19cm length of 8mm wide elastic and attach a safety pin as shown.

Pin the other end of the elastic onto the scrunchy so it doesn't disappear into the hole. Use the safety pin to thread the elastic through the scrunchy.

Now join the elastic by pinning it together and sewing using a few stitches on the machine. The elastic should overlap by 1 cm each end. It doesn't matter if the elastic is twisted inside the scrunchy. It will still work ok.

Fold the 1 cm seam allowance into the hole in the scrunchy seam and press into place. Top stitch the seam closed as shown. 

If you don't want the seam visible, it could be hand stitched. 

My time budget doesn't allow for this, and the seam is not noticeable when it is worn.

All done and ready to wear to school the next day. She loved it so much she wore it swimming! It survived.

Happy sewing xx