What to do with stuff you made, but did go wrong?

It depend what you did and their size, they can be fixed or even recycled. I found wigs can be fixed, clothes as well depending of the mistake. Furnitures can have the parts changed and revamped, with the wrong parts recycled for something else.The same for plushies and clay made objects. I guess I just like recycling.

If not, the great thing about mistakes they teach you how not to do something. You can keep it to check later or take photos and notes before you get ridden of it. That way you know what you can test next time.

 

Maybe see if any friends want it? One man's trash is another's treasure and all that. My close friend group does a lot of passing around of stuff, cause what isn't quite right for one of us is often perfect for another. Plus this way we get to pass around fun packages a lot and it makes long distance friendships easier.

 

I generally throw things out that aren't to my standard... I know it sounds wasteful but no matter what if there's a known issue I just can't get passed it. I can't get passed even the smallest of mistakes and it drives me crazy.

 

'Pile of Shame' made me laugh! I admit, I'd like to see a photo of it.
As others have said, I will try to find someone who wants it or donate it to charity shop if it is use-able. If it's not in good enough shape, I recycle if I can but if not, I throw it away. Life is too short to keep things that are not useful or pleasing to me. A good clearing out feels very good!

 

I just... left a bunch of stuff behind when I moved, as far as sub-standard sewing experiments go.

Now I've got a new one that... it's cute, but it's cute because I did a lot of decorative stuff to compensate for a silly mistake early in construction, plus there are just some 'first time I've done this' mistakes, and so I'm afraid it won't suit my boys when it is finished, though it's certainly not at the 'burn it in shame' level.

But, things like that work as 'no naked dolls' freebies or casual swaps with friends at similar sewing levels sometimes-- as long as it's got a good angle or two for photographing. And a lot of things that make us cringe as we grow in a craft look just fine to someone who's not a seamstress and has a naked doll...

 

Pile of Shame is usually my go-to plan. Knitted articles can have their yarn re-purposed a lot of the time. Sewn items, it's a bit trickier. But, even with small things there's often enough fabric to save for use as a pocket or an appliqué, or to turn into a bit of trim. So I generally save them for those reasons.

Basically, my Pile of Shame is my scrap bin, lol.

 

I totally have a bag of shame in my doll clothes bin full of old sewing projects that didn't turn out quite right but that I'm sentimentally attached to. Stuff from my early doll collecting days that I loved at the time, but would do better with now. Sometimes pieces get pulled out of it and handed off to friends just starting out in the hobby, but mostly I stumble across it occasionally and smile at the evidence of my early dolly exploits.

 

Another bag of shame over here. It's nice to keep your early work to see how far you've progressed when you try the same thing again later. I work with clay and styrene a lot and usually end up even saving scraps of that "just in case." I probably should throw it out, but you never know when a half square inch of microfiber or 1/8 inch plastic tube will come in handy.

 

I break down failed experiments into hopefully usable parts and I have a plastic bin for those scraps. I try to toss anything truly ruined, but I am a saver at heart. You never know when that one tiny bit of metal or leather scrap will turn out to be just the thing you need for another project.

 

I'm pretty strict and just throw out stuff.
Granted I mostly paint, so in my case it means wiping, but when I went through my doll clothes I found a lot of old stuff I bought yeaaaars ago, that aged badly or were just not up to my standards anymore, and I tossed it all into the bin.

I always try to look at it from a logical point:
if it has been in a box for so long and was not used, it is not very likely this will change anytime soon or that it's THAT important to me. It just takes away space.
Just because I made it once and have a pleasant memory attached to it does not mean it has to forever exist in physical form in my home.
So rip off the parts you can still need (like the mentioned materials) and the rest goes into the trash.
You can also take a few proper pictures before and store them in a safe place, that way you can still look back without wasting the space for newer projects

 

I usually end up tossing things I made and am not happy with, although in some cases I will offer them to friends who might have a use for them. I have a lot of odd sizes in my group, so things that fit well on the odd size but aren't to my taste might very well be of interest to someone! But the stuff that gets tossed, the value was in what I learned from making those things and that stays with me no matter what.

 

I try to reuse as much as I can, even just as scrap fabric or bits for other things. I don't do much actual sewing though, mostly more crafting stuff or hand leather work, and I feel like it's easier to reuse those kinds of things. Once something is sewn into something as small as doll clothes...it seems like it's kind of stuck like that. I'd say you might as well keep them, even if you don't intend to really use them; you never know when you might have a naked doll that just needs to be covered up will you make something better.

 

Stuff that isn't up to my standard or didn't go quite as planned either gets pulled apart and redone. If it's completely salvageable, into the trash bin it goes.

If it's just not my style or ended up a little wonky in fit, I see if any of my friends or family with dolls could possibly use it. I've been known to do "free to a good home" sorts of things in the past.

I'd rather see stuff get used than waste space in the doll-clothes box, if it is usable. (And really, it's about time to sort through it again. @_@)

 

I have quite a few failed sewing attempts, mostly because they ended up too small for the doll intended for. What is up with that? So, I keep them in a bag, cause maybe someday, I might have a use for them... If I really mess up, well, those go in the trash, even if I spent way too much time on it. Not out of shame, but just the need to move on, try again.

 

I've started learning kumihimo braiding; when I make a mistake I can't rectify, or the braid ends up too short for Alex's head (my only doll, a Ringdoll Grown), I keep as a sample or possibly as a braided band for my incoming MK Cris.

I don't make anything else, at the moment, but if it was an article of clothing that didn't fit, I'd probably try to rectify it somehow or restyle it. Rather than throw it out; some of that material might still be of use as leg-warmers, or fingerless gloves, or something.

 

Remaking it into something better would be my choice.

Although it depends why it wasn't up to your standards - if you prefer lined clothing and it's just something that's unlined, that's worth giving away since lots of people aren't bothered by it. If the fabric is just too low of quality or an ugly print, then maybe it's best to just recycle it.

 

This sounds familiar. I've been spring cleaning all week, definitely had a pile of shame.

For me, it really depends. Some of the stuff could not be salvaged and looked just absolutely awful, it went to the trash. Other things that I thought were decent at the time but have improved and no longer find good enough to keep go into a freebie pile. Then they either get listed as "just pay shipping" online, or I take them to my local meets and give them away. Sometimes people want clothing just so they don't have a naked doll and will take anything that's at least wearable. Other times, people see potential in your mistakes and can alter it to suit them. Sometimes they like them to take apart and use for patterning, no guilt about destroying expensive outfits and can make changes to make it work. You know, they say you're your own worst critic, so what you see as an absolute fail, someone else might actually really like. You never know, but there's almost always someone out there happy to take freebies!

 

Finished pieces that I'm not super happy with- either stays with me or goes into a bargain/freebie pile for local meets.
Unfinished pieces I've messed up - I'll salvage what I can and toss the parts I can't

Usually when I'm looking at older pieces, it jogs my memory as to what went wrong/right when making it and it kinda helps me keep that in mind when trying to make another clothing item

 

It depends just how bad it is.
Stuff that is fine but I'm personally not happy with on my dolls is either sold or given away at local meets.
Stuff that has an improper fit on my dolls either goes in a donate bag or is given away at local meets.
Sewing disasters are swiftly thrown away. I'm happy to say they happen less now than when I first started sewing for my dolls.