If you're anything like me, your sewing room has a dedicated "precious" box filled with liberty of london fabric scraps that are technically too small for a garment but far too beautiful to ever toss in the bin. There's just something about that Tana Lawn cotton. It's got that silky, high-thread-count feel and those iconic floral prints that make it impossible to part with even the tiniest offcut. Honestly, I've seen people save pieces no bigger than a postage stamp, and I totally get it.
The thing about Liberty fabric is that it's an investment. When you're paying a premium for a meter of Betsy or Strawberry Thief, you want to use every single square inch. But beyond the cost, it's the heritage and the colors that really get you. Those vibrant dyes and intricate patterns don't just disappear when you've finished a dress or a blouse; they live on in that scrap basket, waiting for a second life.
Why we can't stop hoarding these scraps
It's not just about being thrifty, though that's a big part of it. Most of us who sew with liberty of london fabric scraps do it because the fabric itself is so forgiving and versatile. Tana Lawn is incredibly stable for its weight, which makes it a dream for tiny, detailed work. It doesn't fray nearly as much as cheaper cottons, and it presses like a charm.
When you look at a pile of these scraps, you aren't just looking at trash. You're looking at a palette. Because Liberty prints are designed with such a specific aesthetic, they almost always "play nice" with each other. You can mix a print from the 1970s with one from last season's collection, and they'll still look like they belong together. That's the secret sauce of a scrappy Liberty project—it's very hard to make it look bad.
The classic go-to: English Paper Piecing
If you want to talk about the absolute best way to use liberty of london fabric scraps, we have to talk about English Paper Piecing, or EPP. This is the ultimate "slow sewing" project. You take those little hexagons (or diamonds or jewels) and wrap your scraps around paper templates.
Because Tana Lawn is so thin and fine, it makes the sharpest, flattest seams you've ever seen in quilting. If you try to do EPP with heavy quilting cotton, the corners can get a bit bulky. But with Liberty? It's butter. You can sit on the couch with a movie on, hand-sewing these tiny bits together, and before you know it, you've got a stunning "flower" or a whole pillow cover. It's meditative, it's portable, and it clears out that scrap bin like nothing else.
Making small accessories that pop
Sometimes you don't want to commit to a multi-month quilting project. I get that. Sometimes you just want that instant gratification. This is where your liberty of london fabric scraps really shine in the world of accessories.
Have you ever tried making fabric-covered buttons? It takes about thirty seconds and a scrap about two inches wide. You can pop those buttons onto a plain store-bought cardigan and suddenly it looks like a high-end boutique find. Or, if you have strips of fabric, you can make dainty bows for hair clips or even petite scrunchies.
One of my favorite things to make is bookmarks. I'll take a sturdy piece of cardstock or some heavy interfacing, quilt some scraps onto it in a "crazy quilt" style, and finish the edges. It's a five-minute project that makes the perfect gift for a friend who loves to read. Plus, it feels great to know that a piece of fabric that was headed for the trash is now tucked inside a favorite book.
Using scraps for home decor and gifts
You'd be surprised how much you can do with a handful of liberty of london fabric scraps when it comes to around-the-house items. Lavender sachets are the classic choice. You sew two squares together, fill them with dried lavender, and suddenly your underwear drawer smells like a summer garden.
If you have slightly larger scraps—maybe the long, thin strips left over from trimming a hem—you can make fabric twine. You basically twist and plait the strips together to create a colorful rope. You can use this to tie up gift packages or even coil it and sew it into a small basket. It's a bit of a workout for your fingers, but the result is so textural and unique.
Another fun one is appliqué. If you have a plain tea towel or a basic t-shirt, you can cut shapes out of your scraps—hearts, stars, or even little birds—and stitch them onto the larger item. Because Liberty prints are so detailed, even a simple silhouette looks sophisticated.
Organizing the chaos
I'll be honest: if you don't manage your liberty of london fabric scraps, they will take over your life. I used to keep mine in a giant bag, but I'd never use them because I couldn't see what I had.
Now, I like to sort them by size. I have one glass jar for "tiny bits" (anything under two inches), one for "strips," and one for "chunks." Keeping them in glass jars isn't just practical; it's actually really pretty. They look like jars of candy sitting on a shelf.
Some people prefer to sort by color, which is great if you're planning a specific rainbow-themed project. Whatever you do, don't just leave them in a tangled mess. If they're ironed and sorted, you're ten times more likely to actually reach for them when you have a spare twenty minutes to sew.
Where to get scraps if you aren't a big sewer
What if you love the look of Liberty but you don't have a closet full of leftover fabric? You're in luck. There's a whole secondary market for liberty of london fabric scraps. You can find sellers on Etsy or eBay who sell "scrap bags" by weight or by the handful.
It's actually a really affordable way to get a huge variety of prints without having to buy dozens of different bolts of fabric. Crafters often trade them, too. I've participated in scrap swaps where you send a bag of your leftovers to someone and they send you theirs. It's like Christmas morning when that envelope arrives and you see all the prints you've never owned before.
The joy of "low-stakes" sewing
I think the reason I love working with liberty of london fabric scraps so much is that it's low-stakes. When you're cutting into five yards of expensive silk, you're nervous. You're measuring three times and holding your breath.
But when you're working with scraps? The pressure is off. If you mess up a tiny hexagon or a fabric button, it doesn't matter. It was technically "waste" anyway! That freedom allows you to be more creative and experimental. You can try weird color combinations or new techniques that you'd be too scared to try on a big project.
In the end, every little piece of Liberty tells a story. That bit of Wiltshire was from your daughter's first birthday dress. That scrap of Queue for the Zoo was from a set of pajamas you made for your nephew. When you stitch them all together into something new, you're not just making a quilt or a bookmark—you're making a little mosaic of all the things you've created over the years. And that, more than anything, is why we save every last scrap.