I finished a composite late last night of Leebraham's Iland Ollie cosplay! I made for him the cropped jacket he is wearing over the military jacket. It was so funny when he came over and I gave him a grater to weather it. It was a bit sad to ruin a perfect thing but #DoItForTheCosplay. I haven't done a composite since probably early college and I forgot how fun it was; I still have a hard time with lighting and lighting sources but I'm pretty happy with this! He's trying to get his costume into the Men Vs Cosplay 2015 calendar, so FINGERS CROSSED one of my edits makes it! 

About a week ago, I posted some questions to one of the costuming groups I follow in FB (specifically Game of Thrones Costuming on FB).  My questions were: Is fabric recycling a thing? What are some of the ways you all use to get rid of scraps without tossing them in the trashcan?

I'm no environmentalist, but I do feel a little sad and guilty throwing away tons of scraps, especially of gorgeous fabrics that may be on the pricier side. I  personally never have any use for them, and they are typically too small to make any other garment (except maybe doll clothes, but I'm not in that business) I don't have much leftover storage space since it's all barely containing the materials I do need, so I asked the hive costuming mind how they get rid of scraps without putting them in a landfill.

The response I got was amazing! A ton of people replied, and a ton of people had really interesting ideas, so here they are. What are some things YOU do? Please add in the comments!

• Donate them to local patchworkers/ quilters
• Use as filler for toys, throws, pillows and pet beds then donate to your local shelter! 
• Donate to a high school theater class or college
• Donate to a local theater with a small budget
• Donate to a child care center or Girl Scouts for art projects
• Save for practicing sewing techniques, stitching, and embroidery
• Make cat toys and small accessories like bows
• Your local recycler may have fabric recycling available
• Make a pin cushion
• Make a "bean bag chair" stuffed with scraps (it's like a GIANT pincusion!)
• Small and unusable natural scraps might be compostable (but check that the dyes are chemical-free)
• Make gift bags for Christmas gifts
• Donate to your local Goodwill or thrift shop in a bag labeled "fabric remnants" (I got rid of a lot of faux fur this way)
• Use as stuffing for bustle pads
• Actually make doll clothes
• Sell them online (a lot of people will have bags by the lb for free, and you only pay shipping)
• Make a rug
• Make a tutu
• Make a fabric banner and celebrate!

It’s my first attempt at vector art! I’m planning on using these to display my pattern that I created and used in making my costume. I am working on a printable PDF pattern to make available for download to sew/craft your own.

Vector art made with Vector Illustrator for iPad