And now for something completely different: #SEWCIALBEE

My sister Gillian and her friends the #sewcialists are having an online sewing bee, which is basically a community garment-sewing challenge inspired by The Great British Sewing Bee (go watch it on youtube!) and Project Runway and the like. They’ve asked me (as someone connected to them, but not actually participating in the challenges) to issue the first sewing challenge.

It’s the #sewcialbee! (Logo courtesy of Gillian)

First, the ground rules:

1. This post goes live at 3 PM on Sunday, July 14, 2013, at 3 PM EST/8 PM GMT. Participants get 24 hours from that time to design/draft/sew their garments — but really, the idea is that they should at least attempt to limit themselves to about 4 hours of sewing time.
   The 24-hour window is so that people in any time zone can participate. Having it over a Sunday night/Monday morning means that both weekend and weekday sewers can take part.
2. TNT patterns (tried ‘n’ tested) are totally welcome, and, in fact, encouraged. Riffing on a staple design is important if they’re going to manage much in that 4-hour sewing time!
3. There’s no judging, and (at this point) no prizes, other than the glorious satisfaction of a challenge well mastered.
4. At the end of the 24 hours, participants are to submit photos of themselves wearing their completed garments (or incomplete, for that matter) to the group Flickr pool. (Questions and chatter will take place in the group forums, at the same link.)
5. It’s an open event: anyone is welcome to join in!

Now, the challenge!

I’m a knitter, first and foremost, and the one type of project I’ve knit most over the years is the triangular shawl (also known to knitters as the shawlette). (Heck, I’ve even designed and published one!)

My design: the Hue and Value shawl (Ravelry link)

If you’re NOT a knitter, or related to a knitter, chances are that you still wear triangular scarves of some description. Maybe your tastes run more to pure silk designer scarves, gauzy woven scarves from India, panels of Liberty lawn with hand-rolled hems, or bright, sturdy bandanas — most of these are actually square, but worn folded corner-to-corner as a triangle anyway. Maybe you wear them in your hair, or tied in a jaunty bow at your neck, or draped like a loose and flowing cowl. Maybe you wear them like an old-fashioned shawl (think Laura Ingalls or Marilla Cuthbert) or maybe you pin it or knot it  to wear as a shrug. Maybe you tie them around your hips for belly dancing and shimmying!

A few of my knitted shawls… (Mostly triangular. Some knit for me. Some knit by me for others. Many knit by me for me!)

However you wear your scarf/shawl, the question remains: what do you wear it with?

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to sew yourself a top that will complement your favourite triangular shawl/scarf. (If you don’t actually wear scarves that shape, there are oodles online, and I’ll accept a top made to complement a picture of a scarf in that case.) The top can be a basic tee, a wrap top, a sweater-knit cardigan, or whatever catches your fancy.

Note: I’m not suggesting you should make a top OUT OF your favourite scarf. Though you could, if you wanted. I guess. If you’re into that sort of thing.

Happy sewing! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Scarfspiration? (All images pulled from Pinterest, after searching the terms “scarf”, “shawl”, and “bandana”)