Clothing Fabric Remnants | Family Economics

Monday, October 25, 2010

Clothing Fabric Remnants | Family Economics

If you like to sew, love to craft, or even just dabble a bit in different projects, I’m sure you could really use some more fabric. One of the best places to find small project size pieces of fabric is in your own closet. Take a good look through your apparel and evaluate the things you actually wear and the items that can be eliminated.

Once you’ve pulled those out, go back again and find those pieces that are too lovely to part with but you don't wear. Those are the items that sometimes make the best project pieces, because they are fabrics and patterns you really like, but the piece no longer fits or is out of style. So keeping it for sewing projects means you never have to let go completely.

Make a pile of apparel you are willing to part with and decide which pieces have usable, attractive fabric of any size and which pieces are better donated. Some of your apparel, such as T-shirts, may easily be altered by sewing parts of one to another or modifying with graphics of your own. Encourage your family to take inventory of their closets for things they've outgrown or no longer wear as well.

Apparel racks at thrift stores are also a wonderful and inexpensive resource for fabric.

To make clothing fabric remnants:
1. Cut the apparel apart at the seams with a very sharp pair of scissors to determine what sections can be repurposed.
2. Toss sections that are too small to use, or keep them together with trimmings from other items in one bag should you be inspired to use them later.
3. The larger sections of fabric, such as panels cut from skirts, backs, fronts, yokes and sleeves of shirts, can be rolled together and secured with strips of paper and tape.
4. You can download free fabric remnant roll labels from my blog here.

Clothing fabric remnants are perfect for many small sewing projects such as:

• Tote bags
• Cosmetic bags
• Seat cushions
• Eyeglass cases
• Plush toys and dolls from sweaters
• Fabric gift bags
• Quilts
• Lampshades
• Book covers
• Decorative pillows
• Aprons
• Pin cushions
• Shoe bags
• Baby clothes
• Sewing machine cover
• Little girl skirts

What fabulous unused apparel do you have in your closet waiting to be repurposed?

6 Comments so far

On Monday, November 14, 2011, Anne McDermott-Maher wrote

I amke "Little Dresses for Africa" so will be putting your ideas to good use.

On Wednesday, April 06, 2011, Jude from Cape Cod wrote

Cathe, you have the best ideas I've ever seen from one person -- love you, love your blog, love this blog!

On Sunday, February 13, 2011, brenda from Brazil, indiana, that is wrote

I just made 3 little a-line dresses from 6 men's shirts this afternoon. They button down the front! Wonder why?! Soo much fun! Such a good feeling. Now to bed so I can make more stuff in the morning!!

On Tuesday, November 09, 2010, Connie from TN wrote

I have been making purses from repurposed items for sometime now. Mostly skirts. I always add something used or vintage to them and sell them. I use mostly wool and they are fabulous. I just opened a studio on Artfire.com called PoshPokes if you would like to see.

On Tuesday, October 26, 2010, Claire wrote

This is a great idea. Our local discount store is no longer carrying fabric. The thrift store may be my new fabric store. We do have several nice (expensive) fabric stores, but I need to save every penny.

On Tuesday, October 26, 2010, RandomCreativity wrote

I pick up clothes at the thrift store for the sole purpose of using the fabric to sew with - it is much cheaper than ordering fabric online since we don't have a local fabric store :-)

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