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by mops Moderator ( edited 18 Jul 2016 ) 18 Jul 2016

Read an article on making your own fabric from (tiny) scraps. So I had to have a go at it.

Used a bit larger pieces - "big steps, home early" my grandma would have said. I used a felt background, no adhesive, put some bridal netting on top and hoped the scraps would not move, got out some embroidery thread and had fun with some of the decorative stitches my Ruby offers.

It did look interesting and the technique is worth another go. Did not know what to do with the piece, so I eventually made it into a cover for one of those almost outdated photo books - everyone now seems to keep photos on their phones.
The pictures show the cover closed and open.

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by lidiad 20 Jul 2016

Love them, Martine! They seem works of art.
Hugs, Lidia

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by castor 20 Jul 2016

great idea - love it

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by Barbaric 20 Jul 2016

My sister cut all her scraps in various sizes and stored them in the rafters under the roof. Her house caught on fire and the firemen told her that her scraps helped save her house.

3 comments
mops by mops 20 Jul 2016

Scraps as a fire protection - who would have thought of that!

nutshell by nutshell 21 Jul 2016

Is that why your sister stored the scraps there? Or was that a happy coincidence?

Barbaric by Barbaric 22 Jul 2016

Happy coincidence, the scraps stopped the air flow in the roof, which stopped the fire from taking hold, and the firemen were able to contain it quickly.

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by pennyhal2 19 Jul 2016

I found this to be an intriguing project. Your choice of scraps and color placement looks so artistic to me. I'd probably put a birghtly colored vase on top of it. Good work!

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by lique 19 Jul 2016

This is great! Could have been a picture on the wall! I love it.

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Thank you!

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by carolpountney 19 Jul 2016

Very nice I have done something like this but instead of using bridal net I used organza love the colours you used

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

I did not have organza, only remnants of bridal net ( when rounding the corners of veils for hats). It gives a more textured feel to the finished piece.

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by spendlove Moderator 19 Jul 2016

Strange coincidence, but last night a friend of mine told me about something she had seen a bit like this, but the scrap layers were below a piece of fabric then stitched in parallel lines and cut, chenille style. Might try that later, if it isn't too hot here!

1 comment
mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

I have seen that as well, top and bottom layers are a solid piece, in between lots of scraps, then stitched and cut. Makes a very colourful chenille.

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by noah 18 Jul 2016

wowwwwww if i ever slow down i may just try this lol
Love it your Grandma would be so proud of you :):)Hugs

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

She believed that a woman's hand should never be idle and knitted till her death.
I think she'd admire you!!

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by kingmar 18 Jul 2016

Thanks for sharing. Fun idea and I will have to try. It looks a bit like crazy patch sewing. mk

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Thank you.
Yes, it does, but the pieces overlap and are only held in place by the stitching.

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by crafter2243 Moderator edited 19 Jul 2016

Love, love, love the idea. Something else I would love to try. Another reason why to hang on to scraps. Right now I am saving them to make dog beds for the animal shelter. One problem. I am not fast enough to catch up with scraps

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Thanks. I do understand you can't catch up. I cut remnants in strips, squares, 1" hexagons for English patchwork (folded round papers and sewn by hand) and still the scraps seem to multiply :)

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by Smokey12 18 Jul 2016

Love it, reminds me of paint splatters when we were young.

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Thank you.

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by shirley124 18 Jul 2016

Looks great. Now we do not need to throw out all those scraps. hugs

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Thank you.

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by sandralane 18 Jul 2016

How unusual, but what great fun you have had. And now what a super looking fabric and a wonderful photo book cover. AMAZING job, terrific work. Thanks for sharing your original idea, and the out come.. Sandra.

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Thank you. It was not my idea, I just borrowed it and had a go.

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by pennifold 18 Jul 2016

That is gorgeous Martine, good way of utilising our bits and pieces. Love Chris

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Thank you, there always seem to be plenty - I just can't throw them in the waste basket.

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by peafarm 18 Jul 2016

Is this why we were all saving our scraps? Just love this idea for sure. I knew there had to be a reason to save everything. I threw away threads and then started saving again and almost threw out again. For the life of me I never seem to know what to do with this stuff. Your piece is inspiring.

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Thank you. We just can throw away nice scraps, can we.

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by asterixsew Moderator 18 Jul 2016

This is great fun to do and beautiful one off pieces can be created this way. Keep having fun and using up the scraps

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Thank you. I saw beautiful evening bags/clutches done that way with tiny pieces - shone like jewels through the top layer (organza in most cases). I could have fun all day long, although I have problems with picking random pieces from a bag - I'd be choosing, rejecting, rearranging most of the time.

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by dragonflyer 18 Jul 2016

Interesting technique...great use of scraps!

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Thank you, it sure is.

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by teun 18 Jul 2016

Ziet er heel mooi uit

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mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Dank je.

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by jrob Moderator 18 Jul 2016

Love it! I like that you used all types of scrap bits without always straightening the edges. That made my eyes travel. I like that your colors show light, medium and dark values, too. A+

1 comment
mops by mops 19 Jul 2016

Thanks, Jerrilyn. it goes against the grain for me NOT to straighten edges, but I must admit curves make it more organic - in autumn colours it would make a forest floor.

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by spendlove Moderator 18 Jul 2016

Interesting idea - great play value!

1 comment
terryze by terryze 18 Jul 2016

great way of using scrap fabric.

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