Using leftover fabric from your suit: what to ask for

Details that use very little fabric

These are the classic uses for offcuts, because they need narrow strips rather than large pieces.

• Piping: a narrow strip along the neckline, the sleeve hems or the side slits. Piping in the trouser fabric on a printed kameez links the two pieces. Our piping and trims guide has examples.
• Plackets and button stands: a contrast placket at the neck is a small piece with a big effect. See kurta plackets and buttons.
• Cuffs and sleeve bands: a band of printed fabric at the cuff of a plain sleeve, or the reverse.
• Neckline facings: sometimes cut from spare fabric rather than from a separate lining.

Details that need a little more

Larger offcuts open up a few more ideas.

• Trouser hem bands: a printed band at the hem of plain trousers, or a plain one on printed trousers.
• A tie belt or waist sash: a soft way to shape a straight kameez or a loose kaftan-style cut.
• A yoke or contrast panel: see our guide to yokes and panels.
• Pockets: side-seam pockets cut from spare fabric are almost invisible; read adding pockets to kurtas for the types.

What leftover fabric cannot always do

Offcuts come in odd shapes. A long thin strip from beside the kameez front may be perfect for piping but useless for a pocket. Prints with a direction, or a border that runs along one edge, limit things further. And on a pack that is already tight for your measurements, there may be nothing spare at all.

That is why the conversation starts with the whole outfit. Tell us which details you would like, in order of priority, and we tell you which ones the fabric allows once the main pieces are planned. If something does not fit, a different detail or a small amount of contrast fabric often achieves a similar effect.

Asking for the offcuts back

Some people like to keep larger offcuts for small repairs, or to make something of their own at home. If that matters to you, mention it in your quote request and ask whether the larger pieces can travel back with your outfit; the answer is confirmed in writing along with everything else. Narrow strips and trimmings are rarely worth keeping.

Putting it in your quote

On the Stitching Only quote form, list the details you want and where, or choose “advise me” and let us suggest uses for any spare fabric. The design, including every detail, is agreed in writing before cutting, and production takes 5 to 7 working days once your fabric reaches us in Pakistan and the quote is paid. The unstitched suit stitching page explains the route, and country pages such as Stitching Only in Norway or in Oman explain ordering from there.