I love sewing knit fabrics, especially sweatshirts, t-shirts, children's jogging pants... And if like me, you love that, you must also find yourself with a pile of bins of scraps: large but also very small ones.

So, if we have a few ideas at the beginning to reuse them, especially stuffing... well at some point we get stuck and no longer know what to do with all these precious little pieces.

Today, I invite you to discover ways to make the most of your scraps of knit fabrics, we will talk about french terry, ribbing, jersey...

Let's go, off we go!

Large scraps

When I talk about large scraps, I mean scraps that allow cutting one or more pieces of clothing (minimum 50cm in height and minimum 70cm in width).

First idea that I use very regularly: making contrasting sleeves for sweatshirts, t-shirts, bodysuits... When I sew a sweatshirt entirely in one fabric, I often get a large scrap allowing me to cut raglan sleeves. You just have to choose another fabric to make the body in a contrasting fabric.

If it is not possible to cut the sleeve for me because the scrap is too small, I can cut sleeves for Martin my 3-year-old godson or make the body of his sweatshirt, or even a small jogging pants. 

For sleeves I also use cotton jerseys when I have scraps of "t-shirts" left. The lighter cotton jersey is perfect for creating the sleeves of a sweatshirt in french terry. 

In large scraps, it is also possible to make complete baby clothes especially bodysuits, baby t-shirts, small pants, pajamas, skirts, dresses... think about birth gifts to use your cherished fabric scraps; it's always better that they are used rather than gathering dust in your bins. 

If the scrap is all lengthwise, another option is to use the piece to make an adult or child scarf.  I made a tutorial on this subject that you can find here.

Medium-sized scraps

These allow you to complete a small project. 

Think especially about panties and boxers, which consume little fabric and allow you to use scraps of small height. You will find a list of easy-to-sew lingerie and underwear patterns here.

Second idea, hats (with pom-poms or not) we are right in the season. The hat allows you to use especially all the rib knit fabric scraps. The main point of attention is especially the elasticity of the fabric so that the hat is comfortable. Ribbed fabrics and ribbed edges are therefore perfectly suitable for this use. As a model, you will find the Yo hat by Yvanne Soufflet or the Artesane model but there are many others!

Third idea: slippers and socks! 

Small scraps

With very small scraps, it is still possible to make hair accessories including headbands super comfortable in cotton jersey. As with the hat, the point to watch is the fabric's elasticity, which must allow the headband to hold but also be comfortable. 

You can also make it with scraps of cotton jersey or viscose A belt With a buckle to match with her dress or a blouse. I do not recommend it with french terry or sweatshirt fabric because they are too thick and will probably bulk up the silhouette. I made a tutorial with poplin here.

Example of recovery with my cherry cotton jersey

Third idea for "patchwork" garments, it is possible to make cuts in your pattern to create pieces matching your scraps. If you like original clothes, this is really a great technique to recover scrap pieces.

Some patterns already offer this kind of cut, but nothing stops you from creating your own. 

Example of scrap recovery for creating a "patchwork" garment 

The "micro" scraps

All the tiny knit scraps can be useful for making your stuffing. We use them for cushions, plush toys, small items... 

That's what I did when I made my ironing pig, for which you can find the tutorial here. 

There you go, I hope this article will help you make the most of your scraps to create lots of charming little projects.

Get your needles ready!