Sew EZ Fleece Hat & Scarf

I made this matching set for $2.99 in about 40 minutes. This is my first instructable and I'm using it to enter the Singer Sew Warm Contest, so I hope you find this so great you vote for me!  I used 1/2 yard of 58" wide fleece I found in the remnant basket at the cloth store.  Additional materials needed are scissors and a straight edge or a rotary cutter and mat board, pins, sewing machine with thread to match your fleece, scotch tape, a piece of paper and a compass. First, quarter the paper and use the compass to draw a 4" 1/4 circle.  After you cut it out and open the paper you will have an 8" diameter circular pattern for the crown of the hat.

Step 1: Cutting the Hat Pieces

1. Lay the fleece out with the fold towards you.  From the raw edge, fold up a 4" section and lay your crown patter in the corner where the folds overlap. You can pin it in place and cut out the quarter circle with scissors or use your rotary cutter.  You should be able to unfold your fleece and have an 8" diameter circle. Next, open the fleece so that you have a single thickness and the selvedge of the material is on your left. The selvedge is the margin of the material that doesn't ravel and is not like the rest of the fleece.  Cut a 7" wide piece from this end of the fabric.  This is band that goes around your head.

Step 2: Sewing the Hat

2. Fold the band in half with right sides together and sew the ends together using 1/2" seam.  Pin the crown to the band with right sides together and sew using 1/2" seam.  When you're done, turn the hat right side out and roll up the bottom edge. You are done with the hat!

Step 3: Cutting the Scarf

Fold the remaining fleece so that the raw edge you cut for the band and the selvedge on the other side are even.  You'll see that you have a circle missing from the edge where you cut the crown. Fold the fleece so that when you cut your straight edge, you leave out the part that has the circle cut into it.   Cut the fleece with scissors or your rotary cutter.  When you open the rectangle you will have a section of fleece that is about 15"-16" wide and about 58" long. This will give you a finished scarf that is about 7" wide and 58" long.

Step 4: Finishing Your Scarf

Fold the rectangle in half with right sides together and stitch a seam down the long edge using a 1/2" seam. When you're done, stick your arm inside the tube and turn the scarf right side out. Decide how long you want your fringe on the ends.  I made mine about 5".  Using scotch tape, make a straight line across the end of the fleece.  Using the tape as a guide, place strips of tape vertically to the end of the fleece and use them to cut the fringe from both thicknesses of the scarf.  On the side of the seam and the opposite side, you'll find the fringe is double wide.  Just open them up and cut them in half to match the rest of the fringe. Knot them together to close the tube and repeat on the other end of the scarf and VOILA, you have a really cute hat and scarf set for very little time and $$!

Step 5: Embellishing

You can personalize your set just about any way you can imagine.  Use a scalloped cutter to cut the fringe for a wavy look.  Use fabric glue to decorate your hat and scarf with your favorite team or bling it up with sparkles. This is a great "snow day" project for restless kids and you can recycle your old fleece blankets and give them a new life!