You need a clear baseline—measure the weight of fabric you start with, the weight of the final garment, and the leftover scraps each time. Track that as a waste‑to‑output ratio. Set a target, like cut waste by 10 % every month, and log each batch. Look for patterns—does a certain cut cut or a certain material waste more? Then tweak only that part. Keep the numbers on a sheet or an app, check them daily, and celebrate the little gains. Progress is just data moving toward the target, nothing else.

Track every step: cut, stitch, hem. Put the data in columns – fabric size, weight used, waste weight, time, operator. Then run a quick spreadsheet check: divide waste by weight used, compare across days. Look for spikes when you change a stitch length or switch the loom. If a particular batch shows double the waste, that’s your “sneaky” pattern. Keep it tight, tweak one variable at a time, and the numbers will reveal the culprit. Keep it simple, keep it aggressive, and you’ll win.