Let’s Play Tetris…But With Fabric!

August 17, 2023

One of the reasons I like to sew my kids’ clothing is because I love that they have custom pieces that no one else in their school will have. BUT another reason why I sew for my kids, is that I want to avoid the trap of the Fast Fashion World of waste. Making my kids clothing also means that I can make smart choices in fabric type and use. One way I do this is by planning out “what” I want to sew in conjunction with the yardage of fabric I have.  This is what I call “Fabric Tetris”.

Now, I typically only use natural or plant-based fibers but this time around I tried out the Poly/Spandex Rib knit (link here). This fabric is SUPER soft, it feels buttery soft against the skin, has great stretch and recovery. It was a little tricky to cut with scissors so I switched over to a rotary blade and it was much easier. I would also suggest using a thinner needle (70/10 or 80/12) because it is so soft your sewing machine may enjoy eating it as a snack (LOL).

Anyways!! I had 2 yards of this fabric to work with and already knew that I wanted to make a summer pajama set; my oldest also asked for training bras so I printed all the pattern pieces I needed and got started laying out the pieces (see below):

Typically, If I am making a something that is larger (i.e. Adult clothing items) I will pair it with a project that is smaller or takes less fabric (usually undergarments or doll clothing). This allows me to maximize the gaps between the larger pieces by using it for the smaller pattern pieces. I hunt through the spaces I have in the larger pattern pieces and use what I can. I also strategically place the larger patterns to maximize the use of the smaller pieces as well.  Here is an example of how I maximize spaces:

*Note: Depending on the stretch of the fabric and how obvious the fabric grain is to the eye, you may even be able to cut pieces crossgrain (or vertically).*

After my game of tetris, I was able to sew up 4 bras (fully lined), a pair of sleep shorts, and a pair of pajamas for myself!

I was left with pretty small scraps; some could be used for appliques but for the most part the scraps were too small for me to do much more with.  I hope you enjoyed hanging with me for this week’s blog and I hope I was able to help someone!

Until next time 😉,

Jas

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