Has anyone used the scraps(very small trimmings-paper piecing scraps,etc) for composting or mulching? I have quite a bit and cannot think why I couldnt use them for composting or mulching mixed in with other mulches in my vegetable garden?
Not sure that would be a good idea, Marilyn. We have no idea (and may be happy not knowing) what sort of chemicals are used for finishing our fabric which might include rat poison from a warehouse and assorted other ills. Might not be good to leach off into your vegetables. Why don't you use it to stuff decorator pillows for your living room sofa? Nobody's likely to eat those, except, of course, those of us with puppy Labradors. Polly
Very small bits and bobs are very good stuffing for toys for cats and dogs. You can get packages of "squeakers" to put inside the toys, and can add a bit of catnip for the kitties.
But it won't nessecarily decompose nicely. The days when commercial cotton fiber was only mercerized before sale are long gone. It may have been treated with enzymes, citric acid, ammonia, and heaven knows what else, and that is prior to spinning. Lord knows what all they may have decided to throw at it during the processes to turn it into a fabric with nifty designs on it, process it into bolts, and prep it for shipping and a stay in a warehouse.
I would bet that it takes more than one prewash to get all the added stuff out.
I still run into threads from selvedge edges I used to tie up tall ornamentals years ago. The strips of nylon hose I use to trellis vegetable vines break down faster than those wee bits of escaped cotton.
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