Using up fabrics , sewing, and crafting supplies

[oneday]

I haven't knit/crocheted in over a year, but the cashier at my grocery store asked if I was a knitter/crocheter (how did she spot me?) and gave me a flyer for a hat/glove/scarf/blanket craft donation drive for a local homeless shelter. I came home and made a hat out of some old yarn. I'm completely done with it. I bound it off right away (I can't explain why I usually procrastinate; it's so easy).

Go Nancy!  Isn't that such a satisfying feeling...finishing right away?  I always feel so wonderful when I manage to do that.

I used up a few yards of thread sewing up a hole that developed in one of my shopping bags.

[Nancy]

Thanks, oneday! It was my first time finishing a project right away, and it felt amazing! I started on a matching scarf, which will use up the rest of that yarn. I'm way too excited. Nice work on patching your shopping bag and using up some thread!

[I'm a red panda]

Pulled out an art quilt I started 5-8 years ago and have been doing 15 minutes a day on it. I love it and cannot wait for it to be completed!

[sparkytheop]

Last year was a lot of building up my stash as a new quilter.  This year is less buying, more creating.  I love juvenile prints, and my mom works at a fabric store, so I still get little moments of fabric glee when she brings me some remnants (on sale + 50% off).  The other women in my quilt group now know that I love scrappy quilts and even want to make a crumb quilt, so they are setting aside scraps that are at least 1" wide.  I missed a few weeks (because I work), so when I went yesterday, they handed me a trash bag that was half full!

So, I'm using up, but still getting to collect some without being out a lot of money (or any money, my mom and I tend to just trade stuff and favors, so she never asks me to pay her back, and I don't ask them to pay back lots of little things.  I also help them save money by doing stuff like fixing their leaky drain, their furnace, etc.)

[Nancy]

@iowajes way to stick with it! That's inspiring.

I decided to knit a scarf to go with the donation hat. I'm happy to report it's completely finished and ready to go. It took a surprisingly long time to finish, and I sort of hated it halfway through, but I stuck it out. I used up almost all of the yarn and I'm donating the remainder to the craft bin at my library. Done and done.

[Poundwise]

Used up almost all of a giant box of Poly-Fil to make cushions for our sofa (and saved money too). My husband was glad because it freed up a cubic yard from the garage, where I had been storing it for over four years.

[CU Tiger]

I am making these with a lot of scraps. Great presents. The pattern is for sale on craftsy and etsy.

https://www.craftsy.com/sewing/project/easy-wonder-clip-bowl/378400

The pieces of fabric do not need to be very large, and you can also use up stabilizer. I have made 9 and have several more cut out. I gave 8 away to members of my craft group.

[frooglepoodle]

I am making these with a lot of scraps. Great presents. The pattern is for sale on craftsy and etsy.

https://www.craftsy.com/sewing/project/easy-wonder-clip-bowl/378400

The pieces of fabric do not need to be very large, and you can also use up stabilizer. I have made 9 and have several more cut out. I gave 8 away to members of my craft group.

Those are cute! They look like they'd also make a great gift for little kids to use as a coin purse, for collecting treasures, etc.

[CU Tiger]

That is what I thought too! I am in two craft groups, and all the members are getting one. My sister and her girls are getting some and I am making several to carry sewing supplies in.

They are easy if you have a sewing machine.

[Maya]

a lot of new fabric just came in due to a charity fabric sale. so I'm going to need to sew up a lot in the next little bit. good for trying out new patterns though. so that's a win. and all the fabric was only $1/m. kids will get lots of clothes out of that.

[oneday]

Maya, thanks for bringing this thread back up in my list!

Last week I used up the end of a ball of cotton yarn making a dish cloth.  Started a second cloth and broke into another spare ball.  I will keep making clothes until the matching yarn is used!  With crochet, they go really fast, it's very cool.  I'm used to knitting.  More to report soon!

[Maya]

ODS needed an extra set of summer pjs so I made him a T-shirt and a pair of matching underwear briefs. After I made them I realized I had enough fabric left for 2 more pairs and as an added bonus he could likely do with some more underwear as he's been growing lately. Now to convince him to wear the underwear durning the day and that it's not just pjs LOL. 

Some pics are on my blog: https://www.ourfinest.ca/2019/04/fabric-harvesting-summer-pjs.html

[oneday]

Maya, those pj's are totally cute!

And lol at me...I stopped after 4 dish cloths in 2018 and still have the left over yarn.  However, I just completed a charity scarf that used up all but a few yards of a different yarn.  I'll take my wins where I can. :)

[Budgie]

I need to join. I have downsized to a smaller home and have two underbed storage containers of yarn and random quilt fabric, as well as fabric purchased for a specific quilt I had in mind. I would like to get this down to one underbed storage container and have (at least) that quilt completed by Dec. 31.

[Maya]

I finally did an inventory of all my fabric and I had 118 m or something like that.  I used about 20 last couple months but still have much more to go. Also have a couple drawers full of yarn that have trouble closing so will have to get back to knitting at some point.

My motivation has been in the toilet lately and i need to tackle a more involved project next. Every part of it seems daunting so I've yet to start. I want to make a spring/fall coat. I've bought some fabric to do a muslin before I cut into my $50 fabric but I need to start with tracing. So far nothing.

[sparkytheop]

Well, since my last post, I've learned how to knit socks (have never knitted before).  So, fabric stash is depleting a little slower, and now I have a yarn stash...  At least my feet are always warm!

[Budgie]

Well, since my last post, I've learned how to knit socks (have never knitted before).  So, fabric stash is depleting a little slower, and now I have a yarn stash...  At least my feet are always warm!

Go you! I made a sock once. One sock. That was it for me, so I salute you!

[geekette]

Well, since my last post, I've learned how to knit socks (have never knitted before).  So, fabric stash is depleting a little slower, and now I have a yarn stash...  At least my feet are always warm!

Go you! I made a sock once. One sock. That was it for me, so I salute you!

I always knit two at a time - when you're done, you're done! 

[sparkytheop]

Well, since my last post, I've learned how to knit socks (have never knitted before).  So, fabric stash is depleting a little slower, and now I have a yarn stash...  At least my feet are always warm!

Go you! I made a sock once. One sock. That was it for me, so I salute you!

I had my mom walk me through every single step (while I took notes, since I couldn't read a pattern at all).  It helped a lot!

[sparkytheop]

Well, since my last post, I've learned how to knit socks (have never knitted before).  So, fabric stash is depleting a little slower, and now I have a yarn stash...  At least my feet are always warm!

Go you! I made a sock once. One sock. That was it for me, so I salute you!

I always knit two at a time - when you're done, you're done!

I have a friend who knits two on the same set of needles, but I have no clue how that works.

I only know the one pattern (and am completely happy with it), so I just have two going at the same time, but on different sets of needles.  Knit one through a step, then the other, back and forth.  On the longer portions, I just knit one for a while, then the other.  When I'm done, I am done, just not all on one set of needles.

[geekette]

It's a lot like knitting one at a time - just on one set of needles, so you knit the front of both, then the back of both...etc.  The only tricky parts are casting on, and turning the heel.  I do toe up and the fleegle heel (no heel flap), which I find fits best.

But whatever works for you is great!

[Mtngrl]

Sock knitting is my favorite. I recently knit a striped pair using up lots of bits and pieces of sock yarn in shades of purple. I have enough to do a blue striped pair, also.

I made a set of storage bins for our camper, using up a large box of upholstery fabric that a friend gave me when she was clearing out her parents' house. It felt great to get that box out of my closet, and to make the bins, only having to purchase interfacing.

[Budgie]

LOL, I did have someone walking me through it--my knitting teacher. A dear lady, but she could not overcome my lack of talent/courage. I'm a better crocheter than knitter because it doesn't get so scary when you have to rip back a mistake. I'm more willing to try new things when I'm not afraid of having to unravel it.

I have "knit a pair of socks" on my retirement bucket list, if yarn still exists then ;-)

[I'm a red panda]

I used to love knitting socks. I've probably made over 100 pairs of various techniques. But after I broke my neck again knitting got really painful, and then I just became a sock yarn collector.

Not quite using it up, but I just got rid of a HUGE bag of fabric for a neighbor looking to start sewing. Garment fabric of all kinds and quilting Cottons

Even though I will never use it, it's hard to get rid of something you paid for.

[Budgie]

...Not quite using it up, but I just got rid of a HUGE bag of fabric for a neighbor looking to start sewing. Garment fabric of all kinds and quilting Cottons

Even though I will never use it, it's hard to get rid of something you paid for.

For me, the hard part is giving up the idea that I am going to use it. I have no problem parting with the dollar value of supplies, it's the plan/dream I had to use it that can be painful. Or not. Sometimes I look at a piece of fabric and wonder what I was thinking!

[Anatidae V]

I am using up fabric to practice some new patterns I bought. I've matched 2 to make up just enough for a skirt, and am *gasp shock horror* throwing out the scraps instead of saving tiny cuttings for goodness knows what. If this skirt works I'll probably make several more.