Things to make with sewing cabbage

Cabbage in the sewing world, are the leftover bits of cloth from making projects.  

I seem to be collecting a lot of cabbage these days so I thought it would be fun to start a thread all about things we can make with sewing cabbage.



build a housewife (hussif)

The most common thing I've used scraps for was making rag rugs.

It's important to notice in the video, that all the scraps had similar colour values. It can be a challenge to get lots of scraps that all have something in their tone that makes them complement each other.

Jay Angler wrote:It's important to notice in the video, that all the scraps had similar colour values. It can be a challenge to get lots of scraps that all have something in their tone that makes them complement each other.

YES!!!

I noticed that.  They were different colours but they all matched beautifully.  I wish I had the eye to be able to choose that.  

Made my hussif out of 'cabbage' too.
It's even 'fabric harvested from old clothes' (I got a BB for that). A skirt and blouse of thin cotton with prints and a part of a dress (the other part will become a skirt) of linen.

See it in the 'hussif thread':
https://permies.com/t/145109/sewing/fiber-arts/Building-hussif-housewife#1161873

We used to use those little scraps for potholders and placemats. Also great for refreshing worn out potholders.

Seems like they might be good for making doll clothes.

Or maybe some of those cloth books for babies. Those baby books have lots of different textures and colors for baby to explore. Or what they call a tag blanket that's got tags of fabric around the edge for baby to chew on.

I look at those and think 'fancy extra stylish pocketses on All The Things!'

my cabbage is outgrowing its container.   Need more project ideas.

Maybe https://rhondadort.com/2019/01/09/the-humble-tomato-pin-cushion/

or
https://process.fs.grailed.com/AJdAgnqCST4iPtnUxiGtTz/cache=expiry:max/rotate=deg:exif/resize=width:1200,fit:crop/output=quality:70/compress/i7Fp96pTQgCHwcii3ii3


If you used your "made to fit R ranson" button long-sleeve shirt pattern, but cut your cabbage to fit creatively with in it's borders, you could do this concept as a very wearable shirt. If I was doing this, I think I'd either sew the "crazy quilt" patches to a light cotton backing that would be an inner layer, or I'd cut 2 pieces of each bit and sew things more as strips so I could easily sew matching inner and outer layers attached together. (Hard to explain in words - you don't want a ton of little seams uncovered on the inside of your shirt or it might feel weird and fray too easily, so you somehow have to choose a way that the seams are all hidden and flat  - does that make sense people?)

Scrap binding.

K Kaba wrote:Scrap binding.

Please tell us more.

Some pockets projects

Scrap binding, like here:  
https://thesewingloftblog.com/create-scrap-binding/

It's good for exposed edges. You can buy the stuff in (monocolor) rolls, but when you've got pretty scraps lying around it can add a lot of pretty to something you're working on.

I used some scraps to make small stuffed toys for my animals for Christmas.  The dogs got balls and the cats got mice.  I've also been thinking about making small stuffed toys shaped like food for my cousin's twins (they turn three next month), but I haven't started on that yet.

Kanzashi flowers can be as simple or ornate as you want to make them.  I made some simple ones years ago and it was fun.



(the person in the video uses glue, but I learned to do them by hand-sewing; I would probably make a royal mess trying to glue them)

Ooh I think I will move a wood mallet to my sewing gear, that looks like a useful option between hand flattening and firing up an iron.

K Kaba wrote:Ooh I think I will move a wood mallet to my sewing gear, that looks like a useful option between hand flattening and firing up an iron.

That was so cool!  What a great idea.  
And they also have an iron, but they liked their mallet better.  Neat.

My thoughts on the video here: https://permies.com/t/148706/sewing/fiber-arts/sewing-cabbage#1258851

1. Yes - great use of a mallet, but I suspect it would dent many surfaces if you weren't careful. Been there, done that, no time to refinish it. If you already have one of the "self-healing" cutting mats, I'd put that on top of the table and try it. Or simply a wooden cutting board on top of your table as a "sacrificial surface".

2. I really liked how she seamlessly (bad pun, couldn't resist) switched from machine sewing to hand sewing where appropriate. Too many people get focused on one or the other and there are good reasons to practice and become comfortable with both. But just watching, people may not realize that the edge stitching above the "label" was to keep the lining from separating from the outer bag, not just to look pretty.

3. I equally liked how she did edge stitching on everything - I've had so many bags and things which were a pain to fix when a seam split. They are way easier to reinforce during the building stage.

4. I don't know why so many toiletry bags have those silly little holes near the zipper in an otherwise hole-free bag. Great way to loose small slippery things like an eye-liner pencil. Mind you, my toiletry bags tended to go places a bit odd... like canoe trips to the Nahanni River and I sure didn't take eye-liner!

This is a fun yet practical project to teach quite a few sewing skills. The fact that it can be done with scraps is a bonus.

https://elbetextiles.com.au/blogs/news/patchwork-clothing

Another dress.

I like the way the second dress is made, but would it work for someone who is well endowed if I put darts in the bodice?  

r ranson wrote:I like the way the second dress is made, but would it work for someone who is well endowed if I put darts in the bodice?  

If you are a good patchwork-maker, you probably can hide the darts in the seams between the patches.

r ranson wrote:I like the way the second dress is made, but would it work for someone who is well endowed if I put darts in the bodice?  

What if you replaced the bodice part with the front panels of your button shirt you sewed, that you've already altered to fit you?
I haven't had time to watch the video, but does it have a zipper up the back or is it loose enough for the person to put over her head?

I think using darts would be fine, without trying to hide them. I've often seen dresses sold in the stores made from printed fabric pretending to be patchwork also using darts. Though I would probably use your shirt pattern as Jay suggested.

I use my scrap fabric to:

(A) patch clothes that get holes. I usually have a color that matches pretty well, and I put the patch behind the hole and sew it on.

(B) make doll clothes for my daughter. Usually the shirt has large enough non-stained/non-holey spots to make doll clothes, or to make the lining for said clothes.

(C) Rags. When I need to use a rag to apply a specific oil or stain, I just cut up a shirt and use that.

(D) cloth tissues. I cut the cloth into 6x6ish inch squares and use that to blow my nose. I put the soiled ones in the laundry. I usually sneeze and have a runny nose every morning when I wake up. I'd go through 5+ disposable tissues every morning. Now I just use my cloth tissues. I keep a few in my pocket for when I have a runny nose (one pocket has the clean rags, the other has the soiled ones)

(E) cloth wipes. Get them damp and they work just as well--if not better--than disposable wipes. I made a bunch when my kids were babies, and it really helped save water!

(F) Make menstrual pads! Cotton and wool are great materials for these.

(G) Small pillows. When I made my pillow for PEP, I used two different old shirts to make the double-layer case. (I stuffed it with feathers and didn't want the feathers poking out. It worked!)

(H) maps of the property &/or scavenger hunt maps. I've now made four of these for different treasure hunts. The cloth feels far more authentic than paper, and it holds up far better. My son left one out all winter, and it was still perfectly fine come spring when I found it.

(I) beeswax wraps!

I like to browse Project Gutenberg for out of copyright books;  there are some interesting craft-related ones.  This one, The Book of Needlework Economies, edited by Flora Klickmann, has a section called the economy quilt (to find it on the text, search for it using CTRL-f).  She describes the method for making it:  she would save up all small fabric and yarn scraps;  the larger scraps are folded into small square/rectangular pouches--three or four inches when folded--and filled a third full of the smallest scraps, none bigger than one inch square, then sew them closed.  She saved up these pouches until she had enough to sew them together into a full quilt.  

I certainly have a lot of scraps myself, and could no doubt make a full economy quilt if I set about it!  The little pouches could be sewn by hand a few at a time, and the full quilt could be hand or machine sewn.  

I quite enjoyed reading the whole book, and there are others like it at www.gutenberg.org

G Freden wrote:I like to browse Project Gutenberg for out of copyright books;  there are some interesting craft-related ones.  This one, The Book of Needlework Economies, edited by Flora Klickmann, has a section called the economy quilt (to find it on the text, search for it using CTRL-f).  She describes the method for making it:  she would save up all small fabric and yarn scraps;  the larger scraps are folded into small square/rectangular pouches--three or four inches when folded--and filled a third full of the smallest scraps, none bigger than one inch square, then sew them closed.  She saved up these pouches until she had enough to sew them together into a full quilt.  

I certainly have a lot of scraps myself, and could no doubt make a full economy quilt if I set about it!  The little pouches could be sewn by hand a few at a time, and the full quilt could be hand or machine sewn.  

I quite enjoyed reading the whole book, and there are others like it at www.gutenberg.org

This reminds me of the quilt Ruth Goodman made during episode 3 of Wartime Farm. The segment starts at around 10:20. She fills hers with feathers, but I can imagine filling them with itty bitty scraps of fabric instead.

You guys are inspiring me. I bought a wool blanket a number of years back at the thrift shop, only to decide that the colour just didn't go with where I planned to put it. If I were to make a pieced quilt, could I use the wool blanket as the filling layer? Is quilt batting that different from a woven blanket?

Jay Angler wrote:You guys are inspiring me. I bought a wool blanket a number of years back at the thrift shop, only to decide that the colour just didn't go with where I planned to put it. If I were to make a pieced quilt, could I use the wool blanket as the filling layer? Is quilt batting that different from a woven blanket?

You can use anything you want, as batting, really. Old blankets were historically used often. The thing I'd strongly suggest is to ensure that it won't shrink. Another option, if you're considering it 'Cabbage', but it's nice(as I'm assuming it would be, if you'd initially intended it as part of your decor), is there something you'd prefer to make of it, to wear - a jacket, hats, scarves, mittens, etc? What would give you the most use and pleasure, in it? If it's dry clean only, and you wash it in hot water and dry it in the dryer, it will shrink up, felt, and be super warm, cozy, and thick. Might that change your thoughts on how you'd like to use it?
I'm not expecting an answer - just, suggesting questions you may want to consider.

Carla Burke wrote:

is there something you'd prefer to make of it, to wear - a jacket, hats, scarves, mittens, etc? What would give you the most use and pleasure, in it?

In fact, at one point I was thinking of making a coat out of it, but alas, I keep being given coats (one from a friend's mom who passed on, and one from a friend who was down-sizing for a big move). It's hard to justify the time for something I don't need. However, I don't have that many spare warm blankets for guests or for emergencies. Yes, technically in an emergency, ugly is fine, but reality is different. When the world is ugly, having something pretty to snuggle up in would make me feel cheerier and I can think of many people who would feel the same - they would tolerate ugly, but they'd welcome a little "pretty".

I'm in love with these colours https://www.craftpassion.com/quick-machine-sew-hexagon-flower-quilt-block/

Made of fabric scraps and leftovers of sock yarns:

phone book quilt



Looks like it uses a thinner paper like we get in a phone book (or used to, I haven't seen a phone book in about 5 years) and use it as a foundation.  

I was watching a class on craftsy and she shows a quilt made like this from the 1920s.  It sounds like they sometimes took the paper out and sometimes left it in as an additional insulating layer.  This makes sense as I think it was the TV show Wartime Farm where Ruth Goodman made a quilt entirely out of paper and stuffing.  

Love to learn more about this.  

Bits that are too small for use get thrown into an old stoneware pitcher while I’m sewing. Once it’s full, I pour it out on my self-healing mat into a thinnish layer and run a rotary cutter over the whole mess multiple times. The cabbage, now coleslaw, gets mixed with all my saved-up thread and yarn bits and used to stuff whatever needs stuffing.

Circa 2011 I made this one as an homage to Seattle's Green Lake, a place ideal for spotting dogs being walked and neighborhood cats hanging out. Those in the know might find the bunny corner, two 'tennis courts', turtles and ducks represented in their good spots. It could be better balanced, but I'm still proud of it since I see the asymmetrical lake in it, a path in warm colors, etc. Scrappy is fun.