The hunt for scrap fabric in Manila

I briefly mentioned that I bought fabric which I never got to use. Thing is, there are times I only needed a small piece for something like a patch, but the smallest dimension you can get in my part of the world is half a yard. Which is pretty big when all you need is a 4" x 6".

I've read other bloggers (from halfway around the globe) advise that you can get scrap fabric from some fabric retailers. I really didn't know how that works because the only fabric retailers I know about are at the mall (I know about Divisoria... I just don't get to go often and I usually have other things to buy when I do so I never really had the chance to check out the fabric sellers there) and I have never seen anything like a "scrab bin" anywhere. Anyway, since I've been on a craft kick since last week, I've been frequenting the fabric and craft stores again. And last Wednesday, I was over at Carolina's at Megamall when I noticed a box piled high with different types of fabric near the entrance. It looks like a scrap bin to me so I asked one of the clerks about it. They were scrap fabric they were for sale! Any piece on the box for P50 (approx $1.10) only! It's not as cheap at the $0.25 I read about but it's cheap enough for me.

Their "scrap" are samples they are working on which had flaws... tears, discolored areas, wrong stitches. Fabric choices are limited to organza and tulle at the time I was there. I dug around the box for a while (forgetting that my husband was waiting for me to meet him at another mall!) and came up with 2 items:

Ok... you might not see the "pretty" in my choices but the truth is, I bought them for the flower appliques. There were a lot on those 2 pieces! The first one had about 3 dozen purple satin flowers, and strips of purple and gold ribbon I'm sure I can rip out and re-use running the entire length. And I'm sure I can find use for the purple organza and tulle base. For the green one... we need a closer look to start what I found:

I don't think those squiggly string-like thing running from the middle of the flower will be of any use to me, but those green flowers are actually appliques and the scrap I got had a LOT of them. Those I'm sure I can use, as well the green organza and tulle base.

Carolina's also carry more expensive "scrap" for P500 each piece. Those pieces are bigger and those do not have flaws on them. They were used as samples for the stuff they export. They look like big pieces of fabric lace with embellishments. Some are really pretty but a little expensive for me (who just wanted to make ONE little tulle flower for one of Andrea's dresses, that's why I was there). Maybe when I have a really nice project on my head, I'll spring for one.