Thread: Suitable fabric for simple hip sashes?

I'm teaching my first hen party class in a couple of weeks for a good friend, and I'd like to be able to bring some scarves for everyone to tie around their hips (there will be around 25 guests, and I only have about 6 coin scarves I could lend). My idea was to buy a length of reasonably cheap, colourful fabric, and just cut it into strips to make sashes. That way it doesn't matter if a few get lost/damaged, and I can re-use them for similar events in future...

I'm a bit stuck on what type of fabric to buy though. It needs to be bright and pretty, not too stiff, and not fray too badly at the edges if not hemmed. There is no local fabric shop here, so I'm going to have to order online without getting to look at the fabric properly. Has anyone else done something similar, & what type of fabric did you find works well? Or can anyone with more fabric knowledge than me recommend something? Thanks

I originally thought of using metallic lycra, but that costs a little more than I really want to pay. I'm wondering if some kind of organza-type stuff might do the trick...

Organza type stuff will fray like woah, so steer clear of it unless you're willing to do a lot of hemming.

In terms of no-sew or minimal-sew, you're basically looking at knit fabrics- lycra, jersey or t-shirting. You can get a wide range of thin foils, that would make good hip scarves.

Could you get to fabricland in Newbury? They have a good range of novelty foils (range of prints, £4.44 per metre, 2-way stretch), or cheap stage satin stuff (£2.85 per metre, plain colours, non-stretch)
Fabricland
Their website is difficult to hotlink to, but if you use the main site link and look for novelty foils and/or satins for all occasions in the menu bar on the left you should get an idea of what I mean.

Don't laugh, but I thought of glitter dot.

Originally Posted by beafarhana

Organza type stuff will fray like woah, so steer clear of it unless you're willing to do a lot of hemming.

In terms of no-sew or minimal-sew, you're basically looking at knit fabrics- lycra, jersey or t-shirting. You can get a wide range of thin foils, that would make good hip scarves.

Could you get to fabricland in Newbury? They have a good range of novelty foils (range of prints, £4.44 per metre, 2-way stretch), or cheap stage satin stuff (£2.85 per metre, plain colours, non-stretch)
Fabricland
Their website is difficult to hotlink to, but if you use the main site link and look for novelty foils and/or satins for all occasions in the menu bar on the left you should get an idea of what I mean.

Ahh, Fabricland would have been perfect, but I can't get there in time as I'm going to another wedding this weekend . I used to love Fabricland for craft projects when I lived in Bristol, didn't realise there was one in Newbury too!

Originally Posted by Nazarah

Don't laugh, but I thought of glitter dot.

Actually, that might just work...

Originally Posted by Roshanna

Ahh, Fabricland would have been perfect, but I can't get there in time as I'm going to another wedding this weekend . I used to love Fabricland for craft projects when I lived in Bristol, didn't realise there was one in Newbury too!

They do mail order, which isn't as much fun as going in & checking things out yourself, but would be feasible for you.

And yes, glitterdot would work too!

Lame may also work, I don't think it frays. And it would be shiny!

Do you think Lame would work, or does that fray? There seems to be a good selection of the stuff in bright shiny colours on ebay. Otherwise, it may have to be glitterdot

Originally Posted by SeeJaneDance

Lame may also work, I don't think it frays. And it would be shiny!

Yes it does fray, and it creases horribly, so it's quite high maintenance fabric for a hipscarf.

6 metres of glitterdot in silver & purple ordered from ebay (couldn't quite bring myself to get pink, even for a hen do...). Never thought I'd see this day

Sorry for the misinformation! I must have been thinking of another fabric. But yay for glitterdot! (Never thought I'd say that...)

Originally Posted by Roshanna

6 metres of glitterdot in silver & purple ordered from ebay (couldn't quite bring myself to get pink, even for a hen do...). Never thought I'd see this day

Oh, I have a guilty conscience