Tips on using scrap material to make new clothes

Do you have a pile of scrap material in your sewing stash? I have, and am endeavouring to reduce the size of the pile to make more room in my cupboards! Included in my scrap material stash was some lovely "vintage" material given to me by my best friend. I sorted through my patterns until I found something I wanted to make, then sorted through the scrap material she sent me until I found a piece big enough to make the pattern.

Here are my tips for using scrap material when sewing:

1. When I laid the material out, I found that the selvedge on one side was missing. To make up for the missing selvedge, I folded the material in half lengthways and using my measuring tape, carefully measured the width of the material. The width of the material needed to be equal all the way along. Mark a line along where the existing selvedge lays along the material and cut off the excess. This new cut edge becomes the missing selvedge.

2. The grain line. If the pattern piece you are wanting to trace onto your material has a grain line, and you are missing one selvedge, measure the grain line (on both ends of the line) from the one selvedge that you do have.

3. Don't have enough to make the pattern? Considering using a contrast material. Fortunately for this pattern I had enough material.

4. What else is in your stash that you can use? I looked in my sewing supplies and found some iron-on embroidery that matched perfectly, as well as cotton and buttons the right colour and elastic for the shorts. The only things I didn't have (a good excuse to go to Spotlight - not that I ever need an excuse!) was some matching trim and overlocker thread in the right colour.

Now I have a gorgeous outfit for my daughter and can't wait for her to try it on. The only mistake I made was sewing the trim on in the green cotton that was already loaded onto the sewing machine, I should have used white. I hope it is a little on the large side when she tries it on so that she can get two summers out of it. It's a shame to make lovely clothing for children to outgrow them in a few months. Oh, and if anyone has scrap Peppa Pig material, send it my way!

And when did I find the time to sew with two small children around! Well, the house hasn't been cleaned for the few days while I made this and the children have entertained themselves to some degree. Fortunately the eldest had kindy today and the youngest is having a daytime sleep!