[with love Heidi]

I cut the lining of the large messenger bag from 70cm (28″) of 112cm (44″) wide quilting cotton! Including fussy cutting the pocket flaps and having all the print going the right way. I was holding my breath as it was all the Winnie the Pooh fabric left in that colour and style in Spotlight! And because there was less than a metre left it became a “remnant” and therefore was half price! Double scrooge!

[with love Heidi]

Art Museum Vest size 6-12m, two front pieces and four belt pieces from 9 1/4″ (23.5cm) of 44″ wide fabric! And I could get the pocket bags if I wanted 🙂 It will have contrasting welt pockets.

[needlewoman]

Sounds great, H. I cut out a Size 3 popover Sundress from a half yard of leaf patterned fabric, and ‘scrooged’ a frill from an approx 10” x 40” piece of fabric with bright coloured waterbirds/reeds given to me by a non-sewing/quilting friend. I found some other stash for the binding which goes with both other fabrics. Trying to cut the bird fabric without cutting the birds’ heads off took some serious thought. Also scrooged the skirt part of Bubble dress (6-12m) from the last of a lovely bright fabric, and found some stripes to make the bodice. Looking fwd to showing them off on Flickr eventually.

[Masha Richart]

I got a Playtime dress (size 2 with 4 length) out of one yard and one fat-quarter-sized piece of 43″ corduroy. I only cut one pocket, but I could have gotten two if I had used another fabric for the facings. Unfortunately for me, the fat-quarter remnant was slightly different and I didn’t realize it until after I’d already started cutting. So the sleeves will have slightly larger polka-dots than the rest of the dress.

[with love Heidi]

Size 6-12m Seashore sundress, Sunday Brunch Jacket and Tea Party Bloomers from 1.55m of 110cm pinwale courduroy. I did fold half the fabric both sides to the middle to get the extra folds needed because a number of pieces need to be cut on the fold. I also cut the seashore dress facing/lining pieces from contrasting fabric as well as any bias binding.

Not bad given the recommend requirements add up to 3 and 1/4 yards!

[meleliza]

If your fabric is not directional, you can get a size 7 Roller skate dress out of just under a yard of 45″ fabric. Just turn the pieces in opposite directions and they can nestle.

[Masha Richart]

I had 21 inches of 56″ wide twill, out of which I was determined to make a pair of Field Trip cargos for my son. I managed to cut all the 18-24 month pieces out of that fabric except for the cargo pockets themselves (and the waistband facing which I would have used a lighter fabric for anyway). He’s 1 – I figure he doesn’t need the cargo pockets anyway.

[Little_Anj]

Just saw this post… 2 pairs of size 14 boys school pants will make a size 3 Field trip cargo pants!!

Original pants were worn on the knees, (so excluding the middles of the front pant legs), this is what I had left over:

Two top backs, one top front, and the waist band of both pairs. If I used the original belt loops I would have had more left over fabric, same with the pocket linings.

The grey pants with cyan blue stitching looks quite good too!! A nice pair of wool blend pants coming in to winter again!!

[meleliza]

One size 4 Fairy tale dress from exactly one yard of 60″ wide fabric, sleeves, collar and all! The trick is to cut the skirt selvedge to selvedge in one piece. The size 4 skirt is exactly 60″ wide, so it worked perfectly. But if you’re short on fabric, I think it would work for size 5 and 6 too, it would just be a little less full. After that I suspect the bodice will need more room.

[Nicole]

I cut a PlayTime dress size 2T with the length of a size 4 from 1 metre of Kokka linen. AND it was a directional print.

*BUT I had to cut the pockets from another fabric.*

[needlewoman]

As a sewist dilligently trying to use up stashed fabric, I often use Fat Quarters for pockets, (one FQ is just the right size to cut 4 pocket pieces for the Playtime, and similar patterns), and in particular, for lining bodices, and yokes. The last 3 outfits posted on Flickr are definitely cases in point – especially the Playsuit. The pants were a half yard piece, the pants lining for the last useable piece of the fabric, the yokes were cut from a fat quarter, and the yokes’ linings were leftovers from a quilt backing. I do make an effort to coordinate what fabrics I use. Eg. the lining for the bodice of the Music Box. I really liked the gold ric rac for an embellishment, and I spent quite a time finding/choosing the yellow fabric – the only piece I have in that pattern but I think the circles work well with the circles on the Kokka linen. At the moment, I making 3 pairs of Sleepover pjs – all from fabric originally bought as quilting backings, and a collection of FQ’s for the contrast cuffs, pockets etc – this has made cutting the facings for the pj fronts a bit tricky but the rest of the pattern pieces were a doddle.

[Todd Gibson]

If you’re reading this thread and are interested in how yardage estimates are developed and whether you may be able to use less fabric than we recommend, you might be interested in this post left on a different thread.

Fabric Minimum