[Jane]

What do you do w/ your unwanted fabric?

I’m in the process of cleaning and consolidating my sewing room. It had kinda got out of hand (again). Over the years, I’ve been given plenty of fabrics, but most of it isn’t suitable for my needs. I also have plenty of larger scraps but the cuts aren’t nearly enough to make a garment. I don’t have any personal attachment to any of it, so I’d like to get rid of it but not just throw it in the trash. I’m looking for suggestions of what others do w/ unwanted fabrics.

I am keeping some of the larger scraps that are solids or would be good for a little bit of contrast here and there. I’m also looking for ideas of how to store those bits. I wrap my large pieces (1/2 yd+) over comic book boards and have them displayed on a shelf so everything is easily visible. So far I’ve been gathering the larger pieces in a bin under my sewing table. I just don’t think that’s the best option, out of sight, out of mind.

Jane

[LucyM]

You can donate the unwanted fabric to a quilting club that makes quilts for charity. The fabric that is unsuitable for quilting can be donated to a home economics department. There may be a local society associated with a homeless shelter that has sewing facilities. If all else fails, try giving it away on Freecycle. Good luck with the purge.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by LucyM.

[miss_sonja]

Most thrift stores accept fabric. Just bag it up. Also, some towns have craft collectives–we have one in our neighborhood where they accept all used/new unwanted craft supplies and re-sell them at very low prices.

Other ideas…classrooms for art projects, preschools, chuch groups, quilt guilds.

Or ask us here in the forums–one sewer’s trash is another’s treasure:-)

[mkhs]

I donate it, or use it for muslins or underlining.

[beachmom]

I used to shop unwanted fabric around…asking sewing friends if they were interested, offering it to schools, posting it on freecycle and/or craigslist. But it involved a lot of effort and when I’m ready to get rid of something, I want it gone. Now I drop it off at our local thrift shop.;)