handmade in cahoots - Unique Creations from Repurposed Textiles

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Discover the charm of handmade gifts, accessories, and home decor crafted with care from discarded textiles. Each piece tells a story of sustainability and creativity.We use unwanted fabrics to create unique handmade accessories not only helping to reduce waste but also adding a unique touch to each piece.

Unique Creations from Repurposed Textiles

Offering sustainable and beautiful gift wrapping solutions using upcycled fabrics.

3d glossy gray frame tiles on precious wood background with silver spheres. High quality seamless realistic pattern.

Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping

Crafting accessories like bags, scarves and hats from reclaimed textiles. We also offer a bespoke service for a personal touch .

Accessories

Designing one-of-a-kind cushions, throws, and wall hangings that add character and sustainability to your home.

Home Decor Creations

Creating stunning textile art that celebrates the beauty of repurposed materials and creative craftsmanship.

Textile Art Pieces

Hosting hands-on workshops to teach upcycling and repair techniques to inspire creativity with textiles.

Workshops and Repair Classes

Do you have a garment you never wear but can’t let go of? Or perhaps a piece of fabric with meaning that deserves a second life? Working together we can re-craft personal items into something new.

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Handmade in Cahoots - Unique Textile Creations

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High quality ethnic patterned carpets in the Grand Bazaar

Desi bed with rope photography on blue background.

From discarded to distinctive: Crafting beauty with purpose.

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17th July2025Cabbaging, from a tailor's point of view, is a fascinating and somewhat cheeky part of the tailoring trade’s long and colourful history The term refers to the unauthorised retention of leftover fabric scraps by tailors for personal use and traditionally seen as a sort of perquisite, fringe benefit or perk of the job.The word cabbaging likely comes from the French word caboche, a colloquial slang word meaning "head," or from the vegetable itself, used metaphorically for scraps or odds and ends. The idea was that tailors would keep these "scraps" of cloth, unnoticed and unwanted by the client, and repurpose them for their own use.In historical English tailoring shops, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries, cloth was extremely valuable. Customers would provide the fabric, and tailors were expected to use it efficiently to make garments. However, a few unscrupulous tailors were known to deliberately overestimate the amount of fabric needed, giving them a surplus they could quietly retain - some tailoring manuals even warned apprentices about the temptation of cabbaging, hinting at the moral grey area.It was an open secret in the trade, and as long as you didn’t get greedy or obvious about it, most people looked the other way. The practice was well-known enough to appear in literature. For instance, in Charles Dickens' works, tailors and their cabbaging ways are often portrayed with a mix of humour and critique, reflecting broader views on trade ethics and class.While cabbaging was and is, usually seen as a minor infraction, "cabbaging" is a word that still circulates in quiet jokes and whispered justifications, In the modern context, it raises nuanced questions: What counts as waste? Who owns the leftovers? And where does resourcefulness end and appropriation begin? For many modern tailors and dressmakers, cabbaging is no longer just about sneaking scraps - it's about sustainability, artistic freedom, and navigating an often-blurry ethical line.As the fashion industry becomes increasingly focused on zero-waste design and responsible production, the old stigma surrounding cabbaging is being re-examined, it isn’t just about pinching fabric - it’s about knowing what to do with what’s left behind.. What was once seen as petty theft may now be viewed as sustainable practice - or even a necessary adaptation in a financially precarious trade. In the modern workshop, the story of cabbaging is no longer just about scraps - it’s about who owns them, how they're used, and what they represent in a world of shifting values. It can reflect not just thrift or rebellion, but craftsmanship, conscience, and creativity stitched together in a new narrative.With social media, the stakes are higher. Tailors who post side projects made from "studio leftovers" are increasingly aware of optics. Some feel the need to include disclaimers - “Made with client permission” - while others recognise their sustainable and creative use of what is, essentially “waste” fabric that would otherwise be destined for the bin.Ultimately, the ethics of cabbaging depend on honesty, consent, and context. Once seen as a shadowy practice whispered about in workshops, cabbaging has taken on new relevance in the modern tailoring world. In an era defined by sustainability, shrinking margins, and the value of creative reuse, the old rules no longer apply in quite the same way.Cabbaging isn’t just about taking fabric—it’s about how makers navigate the blurry line between ownership and access, especially in an industry that still undervalues creative labour.Today, cabbaging is as much about navigating relationships and ethics as it is about working with fabric. It invites deeper reflection on labour, ownership, and the silent contributions of those who stitch beauty from every corner of cloth. Whether regarded as an act of ingenuity or a breach of trust, one thing is certain: the story of cabbaging is stitched into the very seams of modern making. It may never be fully black or white - but for those who value trust as much as thread count, navigating that grey zone with integrity is part of the craft. Notes &amp; Citations<ul><li>The term “cabbaging” dates back to at least the 18th century. In tailoring slang, it referred to the unauthorized taking of leftover fabric, often by apprentices or cutters. See: Cunnington, C. Willett. The History of Underclothes. Dover Publications, 1992</li><li>.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.zerowastedesign.org/">https://www.zerowastedesign.org/</a></li><li><a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/dec/06/darn-it-five-writers-try-to-banish-their-fast-fashion-guilt">The Guardian on Waste in Fashion</a></li></ul>