From Mysuru to Bengaluru, local tailors are redefining sustainability by repurposing fabric scraps into functional products.
Published Feb 09, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 09, 2025 | 8:00 AM
Artistans efforts not only reduce the burden on landfills but also promote sustainable fashion practices.
Synopsis: A Mysuru-based entrepreneur has devised ways to ensure that the fabric waste from her boutique turns into something useful. She devised a way to repurpose the waste into mattresses for the homeless. Following her efforts, Bengaluru tailors also stepped up to find innovative ways to reduce fabric waste.
In the bustling lanes of Mysuru, Renu Yamdagni has made it her mission to ensure that not a single thread from her boutique goes to waste.
What began as a realisation of the excessive fabric waste piling up in her workspace soon turned into a solution for the underprivileged.
“I make mattresses out of my scraps,” Renu, Managing Partner of WoW Mysore, explained.
“Some larger pieces can be reused for applique work, panelled frocks, or patchwork, but the tiny shreds usually go to waste. I realised many tailors were simply burning them,” she said.
Gift bags made out of repurposed fabrics. (Supplied)
Determined to find an alternative, Renu devised a way to repurpose the waste into mattresses for the homeless.
She designed a simple, durable, and washable sleeping solution for those on the streets using discarded rice bags as waterproof backing and a cotton upper layer.
“These mattresses are easy to clean. The covers can be removed and washed, making them more sustainable,” she says.
Beyond mattresses, Renu has started experimenting with even smaller fabric remnants, including thread waste. “I’m trying to make fabric out of them, quilting them between netting to create reusable shopping bags,” she shared.
“Even stuffed toys are an option, with microfibre added for structure. Every scrap has potential.”
She has also involved local women from nearby slums, providing them with work that allows them to contribute without leaving their homes.
“Some of them can’t go out for full-time jobs, so they help with stuffing and sewing from home. It’s a win-win situation,” she added.
Cloth Shopping bag made from fabric scraps. (Supplied)
While Renu’s efforts have gained traction in Mysuru, Bengaluru tailors are also stepping up. In the city’s bustling tailoring hubs, small-time tailors have quietly been finding innovative ways to reduce fabric waste.
Manjunath, a tailor in Jayanagar, shared his approach: “Every time I stitch a garment, there are leftover pieces. I collect these over weeks and give them to a local group that turns them into quilts and cloth bags.”
Tailors like Jothi have approached steps to recycle cloth waste by creating pillows from the scraps generated in their shops. This practice not only minimises waste but also offers customers unique, handcrafted products.
Jothi shared, “We collect the over-fabric pieces and sew them together to make decorative pillows. It’s our way of ensuring nothing goes to waste.”
Customised patchwork. (Supplied)
Similarly, 54-year-old Shobha, who runs a tiny tailoring unit in Rajajinagar, has started making patchwork cushion covers and table runners.
“Customers often ask for alterations, and instead of discarding the cut pieces, I use them creatively. Some customers even request customised patchwork designs,” she explained.
Another tailor, Ravi from Malleswaram, focuses on using denim scraps.
“Denim is sturdy and lasts long. Instead of throwing away small cuttings, I stitch them into coasters, pouches, and keychains. People love handmade products,” he said.
Dolls made from fabric scraps. (Supplied)
While these efforts may seem small, together they contribute significantly to reducing textile waste.
“If every tailor took responsibility for their waste, we could prevent tonnes of fabric from ending up in landfills,” Renu emphasised.
“Sustainability is not just for big brands — it starts with the small tailors in our neighbourhoods.”
In a world dominated by fast fashion and mass production, the quiet revolution led by these small-time tailors in Mysuru and Bengaluru is a reminder that sustainability begins with resourcefulness.
By giving discarded fabrics a second life, they are not only reducing waste but also weaving a new narrative of conscious consumption.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
