Tutorial — Add Length to a Tunic With a Scarf

What You’ll Need

 - An oblong silky-type scarf. You can find these easily at your local thrift store, especially during bridal/prom season, if you don’t have one lurking in the closet.

- Needle, thread and pins. Optional: Hook and eyes (only use these if you want to make the scarf removable.)

Pin the Scarf to the Tunic

But first, before you do anything, iron your tunic and scarf.

Starting (and eventually ending) at a side seam, pin the scarf around the tunic. The pins should be inserted along the top of the inside hem. This way, your stitches will fall against the pre-existing hem stitching.

If you’re going the removable-scarf route, you’ll also need to pin the scarf around the tunic

Trim Away the Excess

Once you’ve pinned all around the edges, cut off the remainder of the scarf. I left about an inch or two as a seam allowance.

Removable option: You’ll also trim away the excess. Then, on the inside hem of the garment and along the pinned edge of the scarf, make a mark (with a washable fabric pen) every 2 inches. Remove the trimmed scarf, then sew a hook on the inside hem of the garment at each mark.

Stitch into Place

Thread your needle and, starting again at the side seam, sew the hem of the scarf to the top of the inside hem. It’s really that simple. Once you reach the side seam (where you started), change your thread color if necessary and sew the short edges of the scarf together. Trim away any excess.

Removable option: Sew a hook onto the edge of the scarf at the marks made in the previous step, then sew the short edges of the scarf together (creating a circle). Hook the scarf on to the dress whenever you need a little extra leg coverage.