Huhuhu!!! We're reaching new heights in terms of article titles right now... You know it's a bit like "Modjo" with the guys... It comes and goes, it's uncontrollable, as you can see I'm in a slump right now (for titles... huh). Anyway, this article has been ready for a few days, but the technology wasn't up to scratch. It was impossible to load an article, like a kind of Internet technical unemployment... Fortunately, I have a crack team, super reactive, but it was a bit of a slog all the same! (Thanks Romain!)

Back to our subject... I made this snood on the go, literally like a sudden craving for cheese on a small piece of cereal bread with a lick of black cherry jam... You know that uncontrolled skid in front of the fridge door? Well, I skid the same way in front of my sewing machine...

At the start of this week, I had cholera and the plague, and the prospect of going out was almost insurmountable without a scarf... (scarves are something I sow like Tom Thumb...) So, without a moment's hesitation, I concocted a DIY snood, scarf or hood of perfect proportions (yes, in all humility, "perfect").

I say "perfect" because I think snoods are really cool. They're a great invention, but people haven't taken this bright idea to its logical conclusion. A tube of wool, jersey or whatever you want, fine, but a straight tube, well when you put it on, it never sticks to your neck, so you get the flu and buy yourself a new scarf.... SNOOD 0 - GRIPPE 1 / GOUTTE AU NEZ 1 - SEXINESS 0... tough fight.

For this DIY:

  • -Cost around 20 euros (depending on the quality of beads you find...)
  • -Time about 2 hours, quiet...
  • -Difficulty "If you can sew straight with a machine, it's better"...

For this DIY, you'll need..:

  • - 4 jersey trapezes, mine is a little quilted, I found it at Sacrés Coupons (the trapeze pattern is available from HERE)
  • - around sixty 20mm diameter pearls (found at the Chinese store on rue du temple 75003)
  • - pins, a large needle and black cord,
  • - and, of course, a sewing machine and a lighted iron.

Start by pinning two trapezoids of fabric right sides together, on the sides, the bases (the smaller ones will be where you'll pass your head).

Once you've pinned the right sides together, machine-stitch them 1 cm from the edge, and don't forget to open the seams with the iron. Repeat the operation on the remaining two jersey trapezoids. You now have two identical tubes. The first will serve as your right side, and the other as your wrong side. They're identical in proportions, so don't worry. I made them in the same fabric, but feel free to make them two-tone and reversible...

Keep your two tubes on the reverse side (visible seams) and slide one into the other. You'll then be able to assemble them, right sides together.

Start with the longer side, and use the seams already made to align the two tubes. Pin across the entire width of your tubes, your snood begins to appear... And machine-stitch it, don't forget to open the seams...

Turn your snood right side out. And form a small hem on either side of the right and wrong sides of the still-closed snood base. Finish by pinning these little returns.

Using a needle and thread matching the color of the snood, hand-tie the snood for greater precision. And you've got a beautiful jersey-lined tube. Now it's time for the "ethnic bling" details, the silver metal beads.

 Still using the large needle and cord thread, hand-embroider the beads on the largest opening of the snood. I advise you to tie a small knot between each bead, so that if there's an unfortunate "CHAT / GRIFFES / SNOOD" accident or any other sharp situation, you won't end up with a cascade of beads on your ballerinas. You'll see it goes very quickly, and when it's over, don't forget to say TA-DA!

happy sunday cats...

February 16, 2014