What is your favorite denim jeans project?
 

I was just given a large number denim jeans and I am wondering if you have a favorite recycle jean project. I have made purses, and have seen aprons, rugs, etc. Many of them have decorative pockets and legs. Do you have suggestions for recycling these jeans? Would love to see a photo.

My favorite jeans project is one that someone else made....I did one quilt and decided that was enough. I love the look and think the bags, purses and rag quilt are so cool....but I don't like to work with it. I passed my surplus on to another quilter that was thrilled to get it:)

I made the outside of this bag from a size 16 snake print vinyl skirt from a hoarder sale. (seriously, who wants to see a size 16 butt in a snake print vinyl mini???). I thought I had some black in my stash, but didn't and thought denim would be a good neutral. I love the way this purse came out! Not sure where the finished project photo is. I used jean buttons for the tab hooks, it really looks great! Oh, and I just used the jeans back pockets for inside pockets - does anyone ever really follow all the directions exactly? Kind of like a Miche bag. I'm definitely making more pieces! It was a Simplicity Pattern 2676, out of print now, but I'm sure you could find it on eBay or Etsy.

Didn't mean to offend anyone with a size 16 or bigger butt. Mine's close to that. But I fortunately have the good taste to not subject anyone to seeing it in a vinyl snake print mini skirt. Just sayin'....

back in the 80's, I cut open the entire leg inseams, got rid of the bulk, added a wedge of different fabric to fit in the "V", and made long bohemian style skirts...real popular at the colleges, etc up here...some i even embroidered on...

they are all very nice. I have done a few quilts unfortunately they don't live with me any more

I have taken girls jeans and made skirts out of them. Cut the legs off, undo the bulkyness and resew it add a couple of layers of ruffles and your done. I have a bunch of our old jeans stashed for a denim quilt one day.

This denim faux cathedral window is on my some day list.

http://quiltinspiration.blogspot.com...nim-jeans.html

LOL, certainly not me!! I always feel the need to tweak everything just a little, at the very least.

I like a quilt I saw at a winery. It had the legs cut off the jeans, the seam removed and flattened out. A second leg from a pair of jeans was oriented in the other direction and so on. It looked like stacked trapezoids. If you have enough pairs of jeans to recycle, the quilt can be the inseam length as the width and about 50-60" long, pieced like this on both sides. Or you can use some other heavy fabric on the reverse. Batting would be optional. The width could be doubled by using 2 legs, and the length made as long as you want.

I made a queen size sampler quilt from denim. I wouldn't recommend that. The denim is hard to work with. I used different colors of denim, so the fact that some of the denim was new didn't help. I used 9" blocks. I had a rail fence block, a pinwheel block, a sailboat block, a 9 patch. It was even harder to patch. It survived a hurricane that destroyed our home, with some damage to the quilt.

Many years ago I made a jeans jacket...still wear it sometimes...keep thinking maybe I will make another one. I also made a quilt for my son with some of his dad's jeans...appliqued photos(transfers) onto some of the blocks. Have quite a pile of jeans to still work with but haven't done anything with them lately.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]390780[/ATTACH]Last spring I made these skirts for 3 Great Granddaughter's then little bags with jean legs; little Kaylee was only 2 and she just loved her "purse".

I have seen some lovely jean jackets that I really liked.

I cut down about 22", straighten the crotch area by cutting and sew back for shopping bags. The handles come from a leg. Good for book bags, tool bags, overnight bags, gym bags, SHOPPING!

(sorry, can't post pics.)

Thanks--------------I see my 18 mo. old GD in one of these cute skirts.

Wow..love this one!!

I just made this quilt from old jeans. The pieces are sewn with 1" strips of black cotton material which means you don't have the heavy seams from the denim. This was backed with fleece for warmth (dd's request for a heavy, warm quilt). I am thinking of making a smaller one & trying to back it with a flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth. It would make a good picnic blanket, and the vinyl would keep it from getting damp on the ground.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]390797[/ATTACH]

Grannie Annie, Those are darling skirts and purses you made. The granddaughters are lucky to have such a creative grandma!

Really like your quilt, and is that a real furbaby curled up asleep in the upper left?

I gave some of my used jeans to a friend who made them into a rug. He cut them somehow and put them on a loom. Only $24 and the most servicable rug ever!!

AntyLu, your little skirts with their purses are so adorable.

No it's not real. That was my mother's when she moved to a retirement home and, sadly, couldn't take her real cat with her. I keep this "cat" by the fireplace to remember mom.

Love this denim bag. You've done a great job.

Here is a link to an oldie but goodie:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...s-t102015.html

Denim Quilt
 

I have made two of these denim quilts. They are raggedy quilt style.

Scatter rugs made with strips of denim sewn onto an old towel or bathmat work well, look nice, and are very washable.

picture???

I have made a bunch of quilts, some purses, baby bibs, and my favorite was a batch of Christmas stockings that look like cowboy boots and use pieces from printed denim. The WORST was a jeans quilt for my DGS and he wanted the pockets, waistbands, zippers, and seams left in it. I broke a bunch of needles sewing that one and I told him to enjoy it because there wouldn't ever be another one!

I agree with your thought process. I saw a woman who was larger that was wearing a red short vinyl very tight skirt. not a pretty site,, but the way she strutted, she thought she was hot

Someone recently asked me to make two thows from denim overhauls that belonged to her father-in-law. I asked for flannel shirts also and she brought a couple. I have not decided on the pattern at this point but will follow the thread and see what others say. I have made a 5-6 inch block denim quilt before and tied it. They are very HEAVY.

I have made several rag throws for my grandkids. They love them. I use old flannel shirts & old jeans. Cut these into 6 or 8 inch suares or whatever you want. I sandwich these with flannel sheet squares, cut slightly smaller. Jeans on one side, flannel on the other. Sew an X through each one. Sew them together with one inch seams. Cut each side of squares about 1/4 inch apart, so that they will fray. Toss in the washer & dryer. Be sure to check the dryer screen several times during drying. The screen will fill up with lint. Also, you have to really clean lint from your washer. You can use quilting material instead of flannel shirts if you want. I bought 18 pairs of jeans for 3$ at our local thrift store.
Making them is more labor intensive than expensive, which is great for me since I have 7 grandkids and 6 great-grandkids. Being retired I have more time than money.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielr...ts/6438517615/ . I found these on Pintrest some time ago. I love them. There is no pattern available but some day I will sit down and figure it out.

If anyone figures out how to make those let me know. I really need to buy EQ and figure out how to use it.

Yes if you figure it out let me know to. Those are lovely.

Margaret53, that quilt is great! the stars give it the extra punch to make it really unique. I have enough blue denim just gotta collect some more black or find some wht.

I made a throw to cover the old couch in the basement out of old jeans and any upholstry fabric that I had - including the back of the old slipcovers. The only thing I bought was white and red striped denim to pull everything together.

Check out these
http://www.michelemademe.com/search/...p-Dead%20Denim
http://www.michelemademe.com/2011/09...enim-plan.html
There's also links to where the projects came from, lots have directions.

I emailed the person who made the denim blocks I love months ago to see if there was a pattern but there isn't. They said they were thinking of making one but hadn't :(