‘Waste not, want not’ as the old proverb says can really get you thinking when you’re throwing silly amounts of offcuts in the bin. The most wasteful patterns are those where the pattern pieces don’t fit together neatly. That is, there are considerable amounts of unused space around each pattern piece. I find this scenario the most punishing when the fabric is expensive and the offcuts are big - as in a full circular velvet skirt for example. As such I’m always on the look out for some future uses where offcuts/scraps - whatever you want to call them - can be employed to great effect. I’m not really talking about patchwork or appliqué as wonderful as such projects are, I’m talking about sewing projects which have a relatively quick beginning, middle and end. It’s even better if the finished items from these projects can be gifted and/or even sold on. In fact, some might say that by selling on you’re potentially going to make money or at least break even - thus cancelling out the money you paid for the fabric in the first place. As such what you would have thrown away has now become an asset. Irrespective of the way you look at it, at least the fabric won’t end up in some landfill site - which can only be a good thing.
Trawling through the pages of Google and Pinterest there are many great patterns and projects for using up excess pieces of fabric - often called Scrap Busters. They range from pattern weights, bags, purses, hair scrunchies to soft toys. In Caroline Fairbanks-Critchfield’s blog 50 AMAZING THINGS TO SEW WITH SCRAPS! she suggests 50 things you can make - really that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, in Sarah Hearts’ Blog What To Make With Fabric Scraps there are some Scrap Buster Projects which don’t even need your sewing skills! Interestingly, the word ‘practical’ often pops up in this blog - we think practical is a great way to go when scrap busting, particularly when making a gift. I mean if someone doesn’t like the look of the gift you’ve made for them, it will still be of use in practical terms.
There is also the great advantage of being able to customise excessively when scrap busting. I mean you can take fabric, buttons and zips and really mix and match. Yes I know that you can do this anyway when sewing your own makes but I find that because the projects are so much smaller in size and take less time, such criteria really lends itself to experimenting.
There is also the question of sustainability: the less you buy, the less you throw away (of what you’ve bought), the better! Well that’s the mantra we use in the studio regarding sustainability. Scrap Busting is an activity of really putting your money where your mouth is, I mean you are really trying to get the most out of every metre of fabric which you’ve bought - which is not only cost effective, but helps us not to be so wasteful with our waste and do further damage to the environment.
So as a response to this very small discussion regarding Scrap Busting we’ve come up with a couple of patterns which could help you on your way.
Firstly, there is this one: The Teddy Penny Purse. It can be made into a purse, a pomander to freshen up your linen draw or quite simply as a small Teddy Bear. It’s a seriously great pattern for you to experiment with mixing and matching the most contrasting of fabrics. We’ve made it up in our signature orange coloured leather and black PVC - for those of you who like things in a slightly more gothic style.
You can get a full make up tutorial over on YouTube for the Teddy Penny Purse here: https://youtu.be/AjST3--naNY?si=DbN7yx_vamFSSTAQ
Secondly, there is The Cross Body Bear Bag. This can be made without the straps to give you a Teddy Bear, a small cushion, a pin cushion even! It is really designed to mix and match fabrics fabrics. I really like this pattern made up in ‘pleatha’: faux leather, with oxidised studs for the eyes and muzzle - not forgetting an oxidised zip to match.
To help you create the perfect darts for the Cross Body Bear Bag, over on YouTube, we've uploaded 3 simple quick videos. You can find them here:
So I think all that remains to be said is….HAPPY SCRAP BUSTING! :)
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