To recycle fabric in Dressmaker, drag a cut pattern piece to the recycle bin at the bottom right of the cutting table, and players report the fabric goes back onto its roll. It only works before you trim that stretch of fabric away with the scrap scissors, so recycle mistakes as soon as you make them.
Selling fabric back to the shop is not possible, according to players. Below we cover how recycling works, when it fails, and what to do with fabric you will not use. Dressmaker‘s developers have not documented recycling in their own posts, so the steps here come from players on the game’s official Steam forum.
How to Recycle a Cut Piece
Players describe the same steps:
- In the cutting room, pick up the piece you cut by mistake, or the one cut at poor grain.
- Drag it to the recycle bin at the bottom right of the cutting table.
- The fabric returns to the roll, and you can lay the piece out again.
This is the main way to fix a bad cut without buying more fabric, which matters because every metre costs gold.
When Recycling Will Not Work
The catch players report is the scrap scissors. Once you have trimmed a stretch of fabric off the roll as scrap, a piece cut from that stretch can no longer go back. If you think you might need to redo a cut, recycle it before you trim any scraps.
Recycling after sewing is less clear. One player reports unpicking a piece with the seam ripper and then recycling it, and another reports it did not work. Whether restarting a whole dress refunds its cuts is also unconfirmed. Until the developers say otherwise, do not count on getting fabric back once it is sewn.
Whether You Can Sell Fabric Back
You cannot, according to players. A forum request for a way to sell fabric back drew the answer “Not directly,” and other players report the same. There is also no scrap bin or storage for leftovers, a feature several players have asked the developers to add.
The workaround players use is simple: sew the unwanted fabric into a dress and sell that. The developers say you can sell pre-made dresses off the rack from your shop window, and the Sell dress button on the final screen shows the price first. Our guide to making money fast covers what raises a dress’s price.
Avoiding Leftovers in the First Place
- Buy close to the estimate. The sketchbook shows roughly how much fabric a pattern needs. Players also report the shop’s quantity selector does not reset between purchases, so check the number before you click Buy; some buy about 3 metres at a time to stay in control.
- Whole metres only. Players report fabric is sold in whole metres, so some leftover is normal.
- Choose lower-waste patterns. For using up leftovers, players suggest pieces such as the Kimono or Twilight Hour bodice, a gathered tiered or circle skirt, and the Viper collar. Our guide to how patterns work explains which parts fit together.
- Practice in cheap fabric. The developers’ own tip for low funds is “Burlap and off the rack are your friends here.”
Our guide to how fabrics and tags work covers buying the right fabric in the first place, and every guide is on our Dressmaker hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you recycle fabric in Dressmaker? Drag a cut piece to the recycle bin at the bottom right of the cutting table, and players report the fabric goes back on the roll.
Why can’t I recycle a piece? Players report it fails once you have trimmed that stretch of fabric off as scrap with the scrap scissors.
Can you sell fabric in Dressmaker? Not directly, according to players. Sew the fabric into a dress and sell the dress instead.
Can you recycle a piece after sewing it? Unconfirmed. Players disagree on whether unpicking a sewn piece lets you recycle it.
Is there a scrap bin for leftover fabric? No. Players have asked the developers to add a way to store or reuse scraps.