The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Fun with Fabric => Topic started by: snoozi soozi on April 27, 2019, 16:02:21 PM
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I make a LOT of bias binding, use it endlessly, and every time I slice off the li'l triangles on the edges of the joins I think to myself "there must be a way of using these rather than chuckin em in t'bin".
But how?? They're too small for patchworking, or at least too small for my patience. Any ideas? :sew:
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Look up 'confetti quilts'.
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I can give you tons of lil scraps snoozi x
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Save all your scraps and take them to nearest charity shop. They will sell them onto fabric scrap merchants for shredding into fine fibres and then re weaving.
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This is why I make economy quilts. Those pieces go into the bags for stuffing.
Now I don't quilt, have no real desire to but I am cheap and I have 1/4-1/2 yard left over from sewing. Those make great bags and the scraps stuff it.* Those snippets also work for any stuffing, be it dog bed or toy, stuffed animal or pillows.
When I got into fireless cooking last year, I couldn't find the cooker so I made my own hay box. Antique box, bottom with a padding, strips of the economy quilt to insulate it and a pillow made to size for the top. Cheaper then hay and I can wash it.
*if it is silk or satin, I usually make flowers out of them...but those scraps go into the stuffing, too.
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I would advise checking that the charity shop you choose has an outlet for them. When I worked in one we had a 'ragman' who came weekly but then was unable to collect from us for quite a while and we couldn't take scraps as we had nowhere else to dispose of them for recycling.
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I can give you tons of lil scraps snoozi x
Gee thanks @Iminei but I've got more than enough :o :loveit: :P
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I made a large pouffe and stuffed it with scraps, however it was really heavy so think that's be better with a smaller item.
Small decorative hearts might be an idea or fabric Christmas trees (always wanted to try that)
Can use them to stuff draught excluders. In this case it was good that they were heavy as they stayed in place.
In my area the recycling collection will take 'Textiles' for recycling as long as they are in a clear bag. I've done this once and plan to do it regularly.
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Thanks everybody but rather than recycling or stuffing stuff I was hoping for ideas on how to use them in a decorative manner >:)
No worries, I might have a brainwave one day. I have seen an idea for stitching circles of felt onto a cushion cover so that they stick out, they might be suitable for summat in that vein. I will certainly let you know if I come up with an invention 8)
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@snoozi soozi Do let me know if you find any good ideas as I have a small bag of Liberty scraps that are too lovely to throw away but too small to do anything I can think of.
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I’m just clearing my sewing room and I have masses of scraps, some large and some very small. I have no idea what to do with it at the moment. I used to use a lot of it when I was teaching and gave it out as samples for beginners.
I have contacted the Southampton Scrapstore to see if they want any of it. I think these types of places are all over. Hoping they will. Some I am keeping as they are big enough to use in bags etc. But I don’t quilt so that’s a no no.
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But I don’t quilt so that’s a no no.
The Universe is telling you you need to start!
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I have a small bag of Liberty scraps that are too lovely to throw away but too small to do anything I can think of.
@Celia AAAWWWWWWW!!!! :o :[
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The Universe is telling you you need to start!
Nooooooo! :o. I cannot imagine what I would do with anything like that. Nobody in my family would thank me for one. And I wouldn’t like them on my bed or anywhere else for that matter.
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Things I have done with small pieces of fabric (I'm not a quilter either).
pattern weights/bean bags
lavender sachets
decorative hearts
coasters/tablemats
small zipped coin purse/pencil case
sunglasses cover (soft case)
bunting and mini bunting
applique use heat and bond and satin stitch
The one that was best for really tiny scraps of cute fabric was stitching (or gluing) pieces onto plain cards to make greetings cards, my favourite were bunting, Christmas trees and little houses.
I like to lightly glue them on with a glue stick and then stitch round the edges with the sewing machine. Use a sharp needle and don't use that needle for fabric afterwards (the cardboard dulls it rather)
If you like these ideas I'll come back later and add some pictures of examples I have made. So you can see if they might work for you.
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@SewRuthieSews I have a sackful of big scraps which I too use for wee crafty things like you named in your list. What I'm talking about are the tiny triangular shapes which are cm's in size, leftover from making bias binding. i guess if you've not made it you won't know :|
Anyhoo, I'm intrigued by the greetings cards idea so, yes, if you get time, I'd love to see a photo of that kind of stuff :P
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Mini bunting? Don't tell @DementedFairy though.
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The tiny triangular shapes could work for the cards, but probably not the mini bunting unless you left the edges raw and just did one layer.
Here's some pictures:-
Cards with the bunting design, I think these could be great
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PotNpJFNY2M/UN3p3GneyFI/AAAAAAAAFH4/AolFroBpzyo/s400/rsbuntingcards3.JPG)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0q0QGtWxBxE/UN3qBFNdugI/AAAAAAAAFIA/q22z-Z45Xjo/s400/rsbuntingcards.JPG)
https://ruthieksews1.blogspot.com/2012/12/frugal-fabric-friday-bunting-thank-you.html
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Mini bunting
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nsGTHNNrdD4/XIF_GqmoQeI/AAAAAAAAMMI/CJOpgZtfE2Mo7UN9LCTvZFVveInDEN1YwCLcBGAs/s800/MiniBunting%2B%25286%2529.JPG)
https://ruthieksews1.blogspot.com/2019/03/rep-r-e-repurposing-alterations-repairs_9.html
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Other cards (trees and haerts)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q4GQZJ9KcAI/WBz5hLnK20I/AAAAAAAAJZM/5yv0su92SjUmMowDjz5xHE1fh_jcpkMTQCLcB/s400/ChristmasCards%2B%25281%2529.JPG)
And umbrellas (went with tickets to Singin' in the rain)
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dSlg9zqnUu4/VJM25_3wh3I/AAAAAAAAG_0/juuFGYX43Dk/s600/Raincards%2B(2).JPG)
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More trees in a different style
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tr1Nj_bh_gs/VGaNx-V7S2I/AAAAAAAAG9Q/QHGb8921neU/s400/Christmascards%2B(1).JPG)
And a little house
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-we9HL9-UMWk/VGZoabQwSTI/AAAAAAAAG80/EGKg5iRK4XA/s400/HouseCard%2B(2).JPG)
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@SewRuthieSews they look great, thanks for some good ideas :loveit:
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Ingenious @SewRuthieSews I’m not really a crafter but I do have more time now I’m retired.
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I buy the card blanks either from Dunelm Mill or Boyes and always have a good supply on hand.
I've not got any completed stitched cards at the moment, so maybe am due to make a new batch.
I did the one with the red card and green tree with stars as Christmas cards one year, but was fairly fed up after a 100 or whatever it was!
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@SewRuthieSews those cards are a wonderful idea.
I was trying to be more ruthless with my scrap saving but I’m definitely going to save more of the cotton ones now.