Log in

View Full Version : Fabric scraps--How do you use them?



Amaranth
12-16-11, 10:17pm
How do you make use of fabric scraps?

redfox
12-16-11, 10:38pm
I have a huge collection of fabrics for spontaneous projects. Most recently, making a black velvet chain cover for the ugly 80's brass chandelier I spray painted peacok blue. I wanted to hide the chain, and the black velvet was perfect. I also will be making holiday gift bags soon. One of our spare bedrooms is my textile studio (sewing, spinning, weaving, knitting, & at present, a vintage lamp rehab space).

Mrs-M
12-17-11, 1:20am
Decorative fabric scraps (remnants) can be put to use making quilts, blanket toppers, napkins, scented sachets, pincushions, doilies, and anything else ones imagination can dream up. Even though I seldom make anything with fabric remnants, I love collecting them!

Float On
12-17-11, 1:53am
I made a bunch of really cute bookmarks this year. Kind of crazy quilt style with the opportunity to use all those fun stitches on the machine.

ctg492
12-17-11, 7:03am
I started yesterday making simple hats for donation. I hope to make 10.

Rosemary
12-17-11, 8:59am
DD loves to make things out of fabric scraps, and I remember doing the same thing when I visited my grandmother as a child (since my mom didn't sew and didn't have fabric around).

Larger pieces I use for making cloth gift bags, doll clothes with DD, quilted or crazy-quilted things, etc.

Float On, I'd love to see a photo of your bookmarks if you could share!

jania
12-17-11, 9:52am
T-shirt knit fabrics get put in with the cleaning rags while cottons, linens and wools go into the craft pile. I recently made two "primitive" snowmen as gifts and I'm planning to make sachets out of some linen I have, once my lavender is ready to harvest. I go through my scraps about once a year, purging what just doesn't seem to fit.

KayLR
12-17-11, 12:01pm
Napkins, gift bags.

JaneV2.0
12-17-11, 12:47pm
Foundation-pieced mini-quilts!

Some quilters even save the tiniest pieces--"crumbs"--and arranged them carefully--a bit of glue stick helps here--before stitching them into fabric collages. Good stuff.

Nella
12-17-11, 1:51pm
Quilting. But that's pretty obvious given my Avatar! ;)

JaneV2.0
12-17-11, 5:40pm
Doll clothes, small stuffed animals, holiday ornaments...Depending on the size of the scrap, you could make strips and crochet with them.

sweetana3
12-17-11, 6:47pm
pincushions for gifts or decoration. I even make little 3 inch Xmas ornaments just like tiny quilts. Dont need much to do them.

flowerseverywhere
12-18-11, 11:31pm
I saw some cute mug mats, like small placemats to put a small plate and mug on. Would be great on an end table or desk.

madgeylou
12-19-11, 9:45am
i've started a DIY series on wear the shift's blog, all geared toward using up fabric scraps.

my favorite use is earrings (http://www.weartheshift.com/blog/2011/11/04/fri-diy-day-earrings-love/)! i wore a pair i made yesterday and got tons of compliments. armwarmers (http://www.weartheshift.com/blog/2011/11/11/fri-diy-day-reversible-pulse-warmers/) are a great way to use up knit scraps, too.

JaneV2.0
12-19-11, 7:44pm
I've seen jewelry and ornaments made by cutting motifs out of fabric and gluing them to craft foam or otherwise stiffening them.

treehugger
12-19-11, 8:02pm
My mom has cut one small square out of every single piece of fabric she has bought or used for a project since before I was born (she used to make a lot of clothes; these days she makes all kinds of other things). Those squares are for her "someday quilt." She actually recently told me that The Quilt is her next project. Wow! I didn't think that would ever get made.

Kara