Scrap Fabric

No, not fabrics scraps, but fabric from scraps. Confused?

Well, I started with my trimmings bin

a piece of calico

Not a very exciting pic, I grant you.

and a little bit of this magic stuff (available on ebay if you can't source it elsewhere).

So, on to the calico I piled the trimmings (fabric bits and threads), then put the magic stuff (soluble embroidery fabric) on top of all the scraps

and sew, sew, sew, sew, sew

to stitch it all down.

Then the magic happens - you wash it in some cold water until the soluble fabric vanishes. There was a small crowd around my sink to see if this would actually work, so we can now ALL verify that it does!

The scrap fabric piece.

When it's gone, you dry and press the fabric and you have your very own creation to do with as you will.

I did learn a wee lesson in the process of doing this.  It takes a lot more sewing (and thread) than you might imagine to get all the scrap sewn into your new fabric piece enough to keep them stable if you then plan to cut little bits from them (which I do). And, I could probably have put more scraps on to begin with.  My plan is to use some of this for little applique shapes or for cutting little shapes from for card making, but I'm sure there are probably oodles of other possibilities.

I have to give credit for this to the wonderful Judith who described this process to my skeptical self (I really couldn't envisage this actually working at first) and her explanation was spot on.  Hope she doesn't mind that I'm now sharing it with all of you.  Thanks Judith!