Your Bag Of Remnants of Fabric

Repurposing fabric from other sources can not only make your project look better, but you are helping the environment by reducing waste. This is something we advocate strongly, which is why we are now offering fabric scraps.

At Contrado, our goal is to reduce waste in every aspect of production. That’s why we recycle as many materials as we can, including our fabric cut-offs. We know that in landfills, the fabric takes a long time to decompose and emits harmful gases into the atmosphere. So instead of throwing them away, we send them to you, our fellow eco-warriors, who give them a brand-new life. This is part of our commitment to circular fashion, ensuring that nothing goes to waste.

Our low-waste production model is completely unique, and it doesn’t stop at fabric. We print with eco-friendly, water-based inks that don’t produce any VOC, ink, or water waste. We source our raw materials from the UK and EU when possible. We’re committed to an ethical supply chain and sustainable production on every level.

All the bags can be delivered to your door for a small postage charge. We always strive for sustainability and hope that by offering our creative customers the chance to buy fabric scraps online, that we are continuing our mission to decrease fabric waste. 

What Do The Bags Of Fabric Scraps Contain?

We now offer four different options for your fabric scraps.

• 4.4 lbs (2 kg) mixed bag 
• 11 lbs (5 kg) mixed bag
• 2.2 lbs (1 kg) cotton/naturals bag 
• 2.2 lbs (1 kg) neoprene (black only)

Every bag is filled with fabric offcuts, which will vary in size from small to large, and are packed at random. These offcuts come from the rolls of fabric in our warehouse. With so many different types of textiles, you can never be sure of what your bag will contain - which just adds to the excitement. The mixture of scraps could include silk, fleece, twill, muslin, lace, jersey, scuba, denim, neoprene, lace, Panama, leather and so much more. Our fabrics also range from organic and natural to waterproof, stretch, knitted, and woven. Whatever fabrics are being used at the time will end up in your bag. Most of the offcuts will have a white or cream base tone, but you could also receive a bundle with some colorful prints thrown in, some text, or even a bar code. Our colored fabrics consist mainly of blue, cream, pink and black fleece, however, this is not exclusively the case. Natural remnants of fabric tend to be long and thin. 

Please note: Each bag of remnants is packed randomly using whatever fabrics are available at the time - you cannot customize your fabric scraps. The bags consist of a lucky dip of mixed content. Bags may be + or - 10% weights.
 

How To Get Your Fabric Scraps

Step 2: Select 1x bag

Step 3: Go to secure checkout to pay the delivery charge

Step 4: Fill in your details

Step 5: Done

Please note each order is subject to a maximum of 1x bag per order (this is due to delivery costs) if you would like extra bags, please place a separate order for an extra bag. If you order more than 1x bag in a single order, you will be contacted by one of our customer service agents regarding an extra delivery charge. We do not make any profit from the delivery charges, we charge you what our carrier charges us. 
  

What Can I Do With My Remnants Of Fabric?

There are so many possibilities, all it takes is your creativity. Our customers have used their fabric scraps for a whole range of end uses. Fun and practical DIY projects using these scraps are the perfect way to repurpose textiles as well as creating something that you can use in your everyday life. As the offcuts are mainly white, you can use dyes, paints, and ink to add your preference of color. Just experiment with what looks best for your end-users and have fun getting creative with color.

Scraps are the best material to use to make patchwork projects. Design your very own patchwork blanket, cushion, scarf, or anything else you want. The mix of textures, weights, constructions, and base tones will lead to a beautiful finished result.

The fleece remnants are perfect for making warm winter garments and accessories for the cold months. 

You can also use fabric scraps to learn how to make your own DIY prints at home. Check out our transfer paper, upload your design, and use your remnants of fabric to get practicing. 
 

Thank you for helping us

We have reduced our landfill textile waste by up to 660 lbs a week - and figures are only growing! - since installing the remnant recycling program three years ago. And all thanks to thousands of amazing customers who have taken us up on this offer.

Lucky dip!

Your remnant bags will occasionally contain a freebie, such as a cone of thread, a reel of binding tape, zips, or other accessories we are unable to use right now - as a lucky dip for you to get your creative hands on.

Share Your Creation

If you do something amazing with a bag of remnants, we'd love to know about it. Feel free to share your ideas and projects on our social media accounts - Show us an amazing idea or make something truly special and there may be a reward for you. 

Sizing For Hemming And Shrinkage

We have a full Cut & Sew service here at Contrado, and are able to hem your fabric prints for a small additional charge. We create a small one- or two-fold hem that typically uses 0.2" to 0.75" (5-20mm) of material, depending on the thickness of the fabric. So, for example, if you want a finished piece of fabric that measures 39.37" x 39.37", you will need to order a size of 39.96" x 39.96" to allow for the hem (on top of that please also allow for shrinkage of min 2%). The thicker the fabric, the bigger the hem will be. You can choose to have your prints hemmed with either Black or White thread. On our silk and other light woven fabrics, one hemmed edge will be straight (vertically down the roll) and the other will be slightly rippled. The hemming material allowances are as follows and you need to make your print bigger to accommodate the hem:

• Light Fabrics (0.59oz-2.95oz): For silks and other light fabrics, we use 0.24" - 0.32" / 6mm-8mm in the hem (2 fold), so overall width/height will be minus 0.48"-0.56""/ 12-16mm
• Medium Fabrics (2.98oz-5.90oz): For medium-weight fabrics that fray, we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (2 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.4" - 1.6" / 35-40mm
• Stiff/Heavy/No-fray fabrics: we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (1 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.5" / 35-40mm

All of these measurements are approximate and can vary. Including with shrinkage, it can mean a fairly significant difference to ordered dimensions, so please plan your print accordingly. Depending on how open the weave is, our fabric can shrink anywhere from 2% to 8% with the average being 2.5%.

How Would you Like the Edge?

• As it comes. We cut around your image, leaving a simply scissor cut, perhaps uneven white fabric border. 
• Hem with thread. We can hem your fabric with a choice of black or white thread. Please allow 1-2 days additional production time. See below for information on how hemming affects the size of your print. We offer an overlock hem, as well as a folded hem (one or two fold depending on the fabric) however not all fabrics are suited to both hem types. If you can see both options, it means both are suitable, and you will be able to choose whichever you prefer. 
• Cut on the line. We will cut neatly on the edge of your design. This means that if you have a border around your design we will cut around that border, if your design takes the whole space of the fabric, then we will neatly cut around the edge of that image. Please be aware, when we cut along the line, we have to cut against the grain of the fabric. This is the standard procedure for fabric cutting. This means that with some fabrics, for example, Georgette and Mulmul, which have a slight wave in them, some fraying will occur. This is unavoidable, as the cut follows the grain of the textile. 

All of our fabrics are cut manually by hand, with the utmost care and attention. If your fabric has a slightly uneven look on the edges or a touch of fraying, this does not indicate a flaw in the textile. It is not always possible to achieve a perfectly straight cut with certain fabrics, so please do bare this in mind when it comes to your design. If you have any queries or would like to know about our cutting methods in more detail, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Please note: As we make everything by hand, all sizes may vary slightly.

For further information about our fabrics see our FAQs.

What can I expect to find in my bag of remnants?

These scraps come from the fabric rolls in our warehouse. Some are offcuts from other orders, some are end of the line rolls, and some just (pardon the pun) didn't make the cut. When you open your bag, you can expect to find a wide range of offcuts, including woven, knitted, organic, natural, man-made and so many more.

What will the fabric scraps look like?

Every bag of upholstery fabric remnants contains up to 11 lbs (5 kg) of textile scraps. These scraps are mainly white or cream, but there is usually a dash of color or print thrown into the mix too. This is somewhat of a mystery bag, as the fabric scraps you receive can be anything from cotton and silk to tulle and chiffon.

How is this sustainable?

When you buy fabric scraps online, you are saving perfectly good fabric from being sent to the landfill where it will take decades to decompose, releasing harmful gasses into the atmosphere at the same time. By giving these remnants of fabric a new life, you are contributing to a circular model of fashion where fabric is re==used again and again instead of being thrown away. Good on you!