The Sewing Place

What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric

Lachica

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #75 on: January 18, 2022, 18:19:45 PM »
Put the little scraps in the bin @Celia . They'll rot down in landfill. You'll feel so much better when they're gone. Unless, that is, you want to make new fabric as described by @Kad . In my experience, knickers need a lot of fabric, not suggesting your a**e is as big as mine of course.
Mary
2020 stash: not gonna count, not gonna feel guilty.

Celia

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #76 on: January 18, 2022, 18:30:05 PM »
@Lachica   I love that the bin wins :laughing:

Ellabella

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #77 on: January 18, 2022, 23:57:54 PM »
I’m doing a one day knicker making course next month, I ve made them before but am going for the chance to meet up with sewing friends.

The course outline asks us to bring leftover scraps of fine knit fabric with good recovery.  I for one will need quite large leftovers :scream: :scream:

Also I have just checked and in the week preceding we will be asked for our measurements so there will be the correct size pattern waiting for us.

Does anybody know how to drop 2 dress sizes before the 9th of Feb?

BrendaP

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #78 on: January 19, 2022, 09:49:17 AM »
Put the little scraps in the bin @Celia . They'll rot down in landfill. You'll feel so much better when they're gone. Unless, that is, you want to make new fabric as described by @Kad . In my experience, knickers need a lot of fabric, not suggesting your a**e is as big as mine of course.

Natural fabrics will rot down, but sadly nylon, polyester etc are plastic and will degrade into the tiny bits of micro plastic that get into the water systems, fishes innards and the food chain generally.   :(
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Lachica

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #79 on: January 19, 2022, 10:18:27 AM »
Yes @BrendaP I know that but I think @Celia has previously mentioned that she prefers natural fabrics. I agree that disposal of polyester etc is a big problem. Burning it would prevent it degenerating into microplastics in water courses but that's not environmentally sound either, unless in a sophisticated industrial furnace with carbon capture. I suspect Celia's neighbours wouldn't appreciate a bonfire. Until a few years ago my local charity shop accepted all types of scraps to be made into blankets for disaster zones but they now won't take them. It's a problem but personally I find having lots of small scraps hanging around waiting for a project drags me down. My compost heap is nowhere near a water course but it takes a couple of years before fabric is no longer recognisable.
Mary
2020 stash: not gonna count, not gonna feel guilty.

Celia

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #80 on: January 19, 2022, 11:32:03 AM »
Yes you are right @Lachica my scraps are natural fibre, we are also lucky here that our local council pick up clothes, shoes, towels etc for recycling so bigger things can be sent that way.

I did discover that my scraps needed to be quite large to make knickers  :rolleyes:

Greybird

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #81 on: January 19, 2022, 20:00:59 PM »
Apropos of the breakdown of plastics, I posted recently about my son and his horror of tap water. He has been trying for years to get me to have a water distilling machine like his (think steam and hot kitchen). He recently sent me a photo of the sludge that is left after distilling. He pointed out a whitish substance that has recently appeared in it. My son-in-law,who is involved in medical research, on being shown it said "Oh, that'll be the micro-plastics in the water supply. My head is still in the sand.

Ohsewsimple

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #82 on: January 19, 2022, 20:06:38 PM »
Scary @Greybird

Lachica

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #83 on: January 19, 2022, 22:57:37 PM »
Woah, that is scary @Greybird. I've always been of the opinion that calcium & other minerals in tap water are useful micronutrients but no thanks to plastic. Off to look at filtration.
Mary
2020 stash: not gonna count, not gonna feel guilty.

Greybird

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #84 on: January 19, 2022, 23:04:58 PM »
This is it. I did point out that most of it will be minerals which are necessary for health but he's having none of it!

  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  

Lachica

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #85 on: January 19, 2022, 23:28:09 PM »
Yuk. If your son lives in a naturally soft water area some of that will be organic peaty stuff though.  The sort of thing that gives whisky its flavour. Water here is hard (450-500 ppm) so we have a softener to keep pipes, showers, washing machine etc clear of limescale but don't drink it.
Mary
2020 stash: not gonna count, not gonna feel guilty.

Greybird

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #86 on: January 20, 2022, 09:45:04 AM »
@Lachica he's near Guildford, so hard water I would think?. It can't all be harmful though can it? This thread seems to have got a bit high-jacked - apologies @Celia !

Celia

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #87 on: January 20, 2022, 10:00:51 AM »
Don’t apologise @Greybird look where I live  :scream:

Lachica

Re: What to do with leftover small amounts of left over fabric
« Reply #88 on: January 20, 2022, 12:37:09 PM »
@Greybird yes, I think Guildford water is hard. 4 decades since I needed in depth knowledge of this though.
Mary
2020 stash: not gonna count, not gonna feel guilty.