Thread: Sewing a shrug?

I have tried to make one on my own once, and while it turned okay, it is not the best fit.

This time I was going to try BD Pattern 2009, the "fast & easy" top, but I am mystified by it. It certainly does seem fast, but I do not understand the instructions. It says to pin it first and try it on for adjustments. My problem is that I can't figure out how to try it on! It doesn't look like a shrug to me. ..c:: The pattern shows sleeves but I can't figure out where they come from! I have no idea what I am doing.

Does anyone have any experience with this pattern or making a shrug in general? There is only one free pattern online (the 30-minute, $5 sleek shrug) that makes any sense to me, but that is the one I used with my first shrug and it was kinda eh. Of course, that has more to do with my sewing skills than the pattern.

Thanks in advance for any help!

I am not a great sewing person but i've made a few things and I could not get this BD pattern to work for me at all. In my experience you are better buying an ordinary dress making pattern for a shrug. I bought mine some years ago now so its probably not still available. I gave up with the BD pattern. The finished garment just did not look nice. I find a lot of the BD patterns you have to do quite a bit of improvising.
The shrug pattern I have is Butterick 6536

Simple, no pattern shrug instructions.

Spread your arms out and have someone measure you across the back from fingertip to fingertip.

Cut a length of fabric that is as long as the measurement above and about 20 inches wide.

Fold the piece lengthwise, right sides together and mark the exact middle. Start pinning from the ends in toward the middle. Leave about 10 inches unpinned to the left and to the right of the midpoint. Try it on by putting your arms into pinned parts, letting the open middle section drape on your neck and shoulders. Now determine if you need to pin closer to the center line or take some pins out based on how it fits.

Once you know where you want it to fit, sew the pinned portions and turn under the unpinned edges for neatness.

Finish the ends any way you want for elastic or loose fit.

I used Butterick B4731 "A" because of the cute front. It does have set in sleeves though, I changed them to be full and gathered at the wrist. It turned out VERY cute.
You can make a shrug out of just a tube.
I also just found this!
link to shrugs

Originally Posted by Souzan

Simple, no pattern shrug instructions.

Spread your arms out and have someone measure you across the back from fingertip to fingertip.

Cut a length of fabric that is as long as the measurement above and about 20 inches wide.

Fold the piece lengthwise, right sides together and mark the exact middle. Start pinning from the ends in toward the middle. Leave about 10 inches unpinned to the left and to the right of the midpoint. Try it on by putting your arms into pinned parts, letting the open middle section drape on your neck and shoulders. Now determine if you need to pin closer to the center line or take some pins out based on how it fits.

Once you know where you want it to fit, sew the pinned portions and turn under the unpinned edges for neatness.

Finish the ends any way you want for elastic or loose fit.

Ive used this exact same method before and it works for a simple no fuss shrug.

Originally Posted by ceydahazine

I have tried to make one on my own once, and while it turned okay, it is not the best fit.

This time I was going to try BD Pattern 2009, the "fast & easy" top, but I am mystified by it. It certainly does seem fast, but I do not understand the instructions.

A pattern? Isn't a shrug just a tube with the middle not sewn up? Take 0.5m of fabric (or thereabouts - 40"??) off a roll. Hem the length. Add a casing for elastic at each end. Now fold in half sew up from boths ends about 20cm (or you can pin and test first). Add elastic. Stick an arm in each end.

Originally Posted by kashmir

Stick an arm in each end.

I wish patterns had this last bit of instruction.
..l;,

Thanks all!