Now I am experiencing various new things. One of them is sewing. I am learning it from my parents now, and I have found an effective cycle to utilize leftovers. Let’s talk about it.
How to create more value
Sometimes, we want to create more value. If we can do it effectively, we can become prosperous. It includes making money. Many people seek valuable things.
One strategy for creating high value is making use of leftovers. Leftovers mean relatively worthless resources, even though they are not entirely valueless. In other words, they are resources that are easy to apply our creativity to. They are easier to add value to than those that have no use.
For example, the leftover food from the dinner party means something of low value for the participants. Even if it is expensive enough to use at a party, they cannot consume it all. Even a turkey, the main dish at the party, can be left over.
Since it already has a use as food, we can change the taste and the method of preservation. Improving them is easier than thinking of a use for something completely useless.
That is why focusing on leftovers allows us to create more value efficiently.
However, we sometimes don’t have specific examples.
Today, I will introduce my experience. This might inspire you to make use of your circumstances.
My experience of learning sewing
To know how to use leftovers efficiently, let’s look at my experience.
When I started learning sewing from my parents, we decided to make a simple, small handbag. It was easy to make and suitable for a tutorial.
However, I was surprised by the material that my parents provided. They handed me an old pair of jeans and said, “Let’s untie this sewing thread and use the fabric.”
That broke my common sense and gave me another perspective. I never associated jeans with bags. Jeans are something to wear, and a bag is something held in hand. However, from the perspective of fabric, pants are the same as bags.
I vaguely believed that only new, unprocessed fabric would become clothes, and only leather would become bags. I thought that I had to gather the ‘right materials’ written in the general sewing textbook.
However, old jeans can turn into bags. I realized that not only jeans but also various old fabrics, such as shirts, curtains, and bedsheets, can be used as materials.
In other words, we don’t have to create things the same way as the textbook.
Rather, restrictions provide us with an application. The material of denim has characteristics. That allows us to consider how to use it effectively. It is more interesting than just creating freely, especially when we have no specific goal.
How to make use of leftovers
We can obtain such old clothes cheaply. It tells us that choosing affordable things can be an excellent part of work.
My parents receive a large amount of used clothing from their many acquaintances for free. Among them, there are both first-class items and unused ones.
The most expensive fabric they willingly receive is the one for kimonos, traditional Japanese clothing. Although they are excellent fabrics and beautifully dyed, many people cannot wear them today. Wearing first-class clothes properly requires several skills.
Many people receive kimonos from their parents and grandparents. However, they cannot use them effectively. That makes them want to dispose of their kimonos, but they know they are expensive, so it is hard to discard them.
My parents receive that kimono, and they create a small ornament with the fabric and present it to the owner. The owner is satisfied to have it as a keepsake. My parents can obtain the remaining fabric. They create other clothes, bags, and accessories with it.
Since it is first-class fabric, those who recognize its quality would buy it at a high price.
Now they have received so much excellent fabric that they cannot handle it. They want someone to use it efficiently. It implies I can use it if I decide to use it. In other words, I can use the leftover of the leftover.
Conclusion
That is an example of how leftovers can be utilized effectively.
We cannot learn such a style from textbooks. Even first-class materials can be left over.
This might inspire you to make use of your circumstances.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
