Don't know what to do with a small square piece of leftover cloth? Wear it! Here's how.... By P S Bhavana

You spent a fortune on a few metres of cloth and got a make-others-see-green kind of attire. But one poor little portion was left behind and now when you see it, all you can think of is dusting! Going to a tailor doesn't make sense to you and of course there is the time factor. What do you do?

Step 1
Check the size and shape of the 'poor' piece. Is it a rectangle, square or quite out-of-shape? Crop the ends (do try and save as much as you can) and obtain a near-square piece.

Step 2
Sigh! Wish you could wear it as is, but the edges have to be finished, mind you. Fold twice, about 2.5 cm inside and iron it to secure (check sketch 1). Then take a thick woollen or jute-blend yarn (you could even use yarns of different colours) and cover the edges with huge buttonhole or blanket stitches (see sketch 2). And if you hate the sight of a needle, then just seal it with a double-sided fuse (buy this from a store that stocks embroidery material). All you need to do is to place the strip of gossamer fuse and iron it... as simple as that!

Step 3
If you want some glitter, stick some heat-transfer coloured crystals or stones.

Step 4
Voila! Now here's a neatly finished piece that you can use as a bandana with a pair of jeans and a bright T-shirt!

Step 5
Or you could even wrap this piece on your neck (as shown in sketch 5) and highlight with an embellished brooch (available in jewellery and accessory stores) when you wear a plain dress or bustier-top.

Step 6
Another option is to use massive saddle stitches on the edge (about 1.25 cm away) and pull (sketch 3). Use this little thingy as a batwa (sketch 4) to add some pizzazz to any of your garments. But don't forget to attach little beads or bells on the ends and knot it right!

Step 7
If nothing else works, then just tuck it near the neck under your collared shirt for a formal look. But try to team a light coloured style and a pair of dark trousers with it. If you want a greater impact, match one of the colours from the scarf.