Sewing Business Blog » fabric remnants

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Sarah J. Doyle — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Today is Earth Day, and what better way to celebrate than to figure out ways we can reduce, reuse and recycle — not just in our businesses, but in our homes as well.

If we all determined to do a little more recycling of things we’d normally toss into the trash can, we could literally “save the earth”! Recycle those plastic drink bottles — or even better, refill (reuse) them by using your own water, especially if you have some sort of water purification system. Ask for paper bags at the grocery store instead of plastic. However if you don’t have the choice, make up your mind to keep a “bag of bags” and either take the bag of plastic bags to a recycle location or to a grocery store that has a place for you to dispose of the used plastic bags.

For those of us in the sewing / crafting / alteration businesses, there are so many ways we can reduce, reuse and recycle that it would make your head spin!!!

For starters, keep every button and zipper you take off worn out clothing garments. Sort them and put all like buttons together with a strand of thread so you can find them later.

Keep every scrap of fabric from your alterations or sewing / craft projects. These scraps can be used for additional craft items or for making small children’s clothing items.

In the past we’ve given specific things you can do with your scraps and worn out clothing items, such as making fabric flowers, making jeans purses and making a clown bean bag, among other things. There are so many things to do with scraps, the list would be endless.

Look back at our post about organizing your fabric stash and see what you can do to add to the list of things to keep your fabric and notions stash in order so everything you have can be used.

Give us your thoughts about reusing and recycling in your business. Are there ways you’ve been able to extend the life of your sewing equipment, or new ideas for crafts from leftover items lying around in your sewing room? We’d love to hear from you.

How To Organize Your Fabric Stash

Sarah J. Doyle — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:21:00 +0000

My fabric cabinet(s) are filled to the top of most shelves with fabric of all sizes and yardages. I just can’t seem to walk by those fabrics in the stores that are “calling out for me!” I love fabric sales and it never fails – I also find regular priced stuff I just can’t live without. We’ve had a number of people who’ve emailed us about this same “problem” — what to do with the cabinets, drawers and stacks of fabric.

OK, I’m going to try to offer a few suggestions and one thing that I do a couple times a year, and hopefully the suggestions will help you out.

** Take a day (or two) and go through ALL the fabric that you have. There may be some at the bottom of the stack that has been hidden for months or years that needs to come out.

** Refold all the fabric and put into stacks of “similar colors”, “similar yardages” or some other method whereby you will at least know what you have.

** Twice a year (spring and fall) the sewers in my subdivision have a “fabric swap”. We all bring fabrics that we really don’t think we’ll ever use, then trade fabric yardages with the others. For example, if I bring 5 pieces of fabric, I’ll get to pick 5 other pieces of fabric that the others have brought. We spend a couple hours having coffee and goodies, while exchanging the fabric. Of course, I haven’t gotten RID of any fabric – just replaced what I really didn’t want anymore. However, the good thing is that I now have fabric that I hopefully WILL use!

** The PatternReview website has a “fabric stash” contest a couple times a year where you have a certain amount of time to sew as many items as you can (clothing and craft items). You use patterns you already have and fabric you already have. The purpose is to get you into those closets and drawers and USE what you have and get back into the sewing room! From the number of items the last winner made, I’d say she probably LIVED in the sewing room for the previous month or so!!

** Some of my sewing friends have those big clear plastic stackable boxes for their fabric. They sort it by colors – each clear box has a certain color (blues or greens, etc), then they have them stored on shelves at the back end of their garage. Works out great if you have a lot of fabric – and it’s all easy to see.

** If there are a number of pieces that you just don’t think you’ll be using at all, think about donating them to Good Will, or to a group that holds sewing classes – perhaps those in the sewing classes could put your extra fabric to good use.

** The very best suggestion of all is USE IT! Go ahead and get those clothing garments made, or start working on some craft items that you’ve been wanting to make, but just haven’t gotten around to it. Once you get the sewing machine humming, you might be surprised at how quickly the fabric stacks disappear.

If you have any other suggestions for what to do with a stash of fabric, feel free to drop us a line – I’m sure our readers would love to hear other suggestions.

More Decorating With Scraps

Sarah J. Doyle — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:14:00 +0000

After doing the post yesterday about decorating with scraps, I decided to do a little more research on using scraps for Christmas decorations. I found some really cute decorations, AND tutorials on how to make them. WOW! This is your lucky day — so dig back into those scraps and start making some decorations. (Bet you could sell some of these things too!!)

Aren’t these little mittens just the cutest things!!! Disdressed.blogspot has come up with these cute little mittens, as well as instructions on how to make them, step by step style.

Another quick and easy scrap decoration is the little ball ornament written up by Melissss for Sew Mama Sew

I’ll bet the little ball would be really cute in glitter fabric or red/green Christmas fabric.

Another idea that I’d like to pass along to you is for embroidered felt ornaments. You can do just about anything with this idea, once you get started – your only limited by your own imagination. This decoration comes to us from Sunshine’s Creations – thank you so much for the tutorial!

I love sewing, but I also like to do the little hand sewing projects, PLUS, these are great projects that you can get the kids involved in.

Decorating With Scraps

Sarah J. Doyle — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:50:00 +0000

Trims by the yard and large-motif trims are great for use in making Christmas ornaments, greeting cards and gift items.

A burlap wall hanging or a greeting card made out of construction paper can have candles of woven-braid trim, each topped by a flickering flame (a single notch from gold rickrack makes a perfect flame). Or a fireplace stocking can display felt animal decorations with face features and other portions form by bits of trim. Stuffed animals, aprons, tree skirts, center pieces, and home decor items offer backgrounds for the creative use of trims.

Ornaments in the shapes of stars, balls, bells (as shown above) and trees can be made from pieces of folded double-knit fabrics or felt. Decorate them with beads, braid or rickrack and attach a hanger for putting them on the Christmas tree.

Spheres from ball fringe can become bunny tails, eyes or noses on faces, centers of flowers or entire flowers, spots on a giraffe, clappers on bells or the tassles on Santa hats.

Fringe in layers makes any character’s hair or fur. In many tapered rows, fringe can become a tree; in a circle, a lion’s mane or a holiday wreath, and in a single row it can become a horse’s mane.

Rickrack is the frosting trim on a gingerbread man, a cat’s whiskers, any creature’s mouth or raised eyebrows, a flower’s edge or a petal’s edge. When gathered in a circle, 8 notches become a violet while clusters of more notches become a marigold or rose. One rickrack notch is a nose; two notches make a feline’s claws.

In addition, consider a very tiny folding screen trimmed with holiday motifs, or a small autograph book or small scrapbook decorated with holiday trims as gifts for someone.

During the Christmas Season, imagination and originality never had it so good. And it seems that one trim leads to another. Once you get started with the trims, ideas for additional uses just seem to pop out of nowhere! Dig into your scraps and trims and get started early, so you’ll have time to get everything finished.

Scraps! Scraps! Come Out Wherever You Are!

Sarah J. Doyle — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:58:00 +0000

I am constantly amazed at what can be made of those fabric scraps – down to the smallest of pieces! I have so many scraps, as most seamstresses, crafters and alterationists do, that I could sew for years! However the thought of new fabric pieces and scraps intrigues me, so I look for them in the most uncommon places. As an example, a few weeks ago I noticed a yard sale ad in our local newspaper, and among the items listed was “fabric”. I made sure I was among the Early Birds at that sale and got several super 2-4 yard pieces of fabric for $1.50 each. I asked the lady if she had any scraps she wanted to get rid of — she said she was just going to throw away what she hadn’t used. I whipped out my picture of our 2 1/2 year old quadruplet grandbabies, and explained that I make a lot of toys for them as well as use scraps for appliques, etc for clothing. She brought out a small bag of “scraps” and just threw them in with my fabric at no extra charge. I want you to see what I got, just for asking a simple question about her scraps.

You’ll notice that the red in the upper left corner is what was left of the scrap fabric that I used to decorate one of our jean purses for our latest project of the month tutorial. Now didn’t THAT just make the jean purse less expensive to make, and I’ll have additional profit when I go to sell it!

The whole point of this story is to tell you to look at thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, etc for fabric pieces and even the remnants at fabric stores will be less expensive than the original “by the yard” price.

Ok, now lets talk about a few things you can do with those scraps —— and literally make a lot of cash from those scraps once they’re made up into craft items, clothing items, gift items, etc.

One of the cutest thngs I’ve seen is a Tape Measure Holder- also made from small pieces of fabric.

Or try your hand at using those scraps for few aprons for yourself or to sell

The apron is very easy to make, and you can match the decor of the receipients’ kitchen while using up some of your left over and scrap fabric.

Another crafty idea I’ve discovered is how to make a patchwork belt — this is very cute and looks like it would be easy to make.

And, don’t forget those flowers from remnant fabrics tutorial that we posted a few weeks ago.

If you have some interesting and useful items that you make from your scraps, or run across some tutorials for using those scraps for items to sell, use as gifts, etc, we and our readers would love for you to pass them along.

Seamstresses and Alterationists – Bring Out Your Scraps!!

Sarah J. Doyle — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:26:00 +0000

We’ve talked about fabric scraps previously and the need to save them and categorize them for easy access. Today, we’re going to talk about two craft items that can be made out of your scraps — to be used by yourself, given as gifts, taken to a craft fair or put on ebay. Anyway you look at it, scraps equal dollars!!!

Scrap Tote Bag –

The scrap tote bag is very quick and easy to make! Cut scraps of fabric into squares and strips, as shown in the picture, and sew them into two 12” x 16” pieces. The scrap pieces don’t have to be the same length or width – just use assorted pieces to sew together.

Cut two 12” x 16” pieces of lining fabric to use as backing for the tote bag.

Make handles out of another piece of scrap fabric, cutting the handle pieces 2” wide and 18” long. With right sides together, sew each handle. Turn the handles right side out with a loop turner and press.

Match the lining pieces to the “tote” pieces having the right sides together. Position the handles into this top section, placing the handles between the tote piece and the lining fabric. Sew the top edge of each of the sets, and turn so the right sides of the tote are on the outside and the handles are in place. Topstitch along the top to keep the handles from pulling, when you use the tote bag.

Put tote bag pieces together with right sides together and sew the side seams and bottom seam. Turn inside out to complete the scrap tote bag.

The tote bag can be used to take to the beach, as a shoe carrier or knitting bag – you name it – this is a very versatile tote bag that can be made for gifts or to sell at flea markets.

Strawberry Jam Jar Topper

For those of you who have fresh strawberries and might like to give some jars as gifts, this jam jar topper is a perfect finish to your home made jam.

My daughter and her husband have some honey bee hives. They are just now in the process of gathering and extracting the honey, and I think this topper would be perfect with a little honey bee decoration on it. They will be attending a local honey bee festival later this fall, so wouldn’t this topper look great on the jars — just ready for people to buy to use themselves or give as gifts.

This topper is made out of felt pieces, narrow ribbon and a little stuffing for inside the strawberry. You could use this same idea for blueberry jam, grape jelly or jam or whatever you might be making. You could substitute the strawberry for other fruit decorations as you choose.

Here’s the link to the strawberry jam jar topper tutorial, and for additional tutorials and craft ideas visit Patterns That Fit You.com.