Almost all of my pictures today are of crafty stuff--I spent a lot of time over the last week with my sewing machine (and a needle and thread). Last weekend, we didn't have anything going on; and after all the crap that is 2023, I took most of the weekend to enjoy one of my favorite hobbies: sewing.
Lately, I've really been into altering my jeans. I love repurposing old clothes and when I recently lost weight, I kept the clothes that were too big--just for that purpose. I've added an extra waistband to several pairs after discovering just how comfy it is--the jeans stay over my hipbones, so I don't have to keep tugging on them. They just feel very well-fitted.
I've also added gussets to the sides of the calves to several pairs. I had a few pairs of jeans that I really liked, but they were straight-leg cut. The gussets flare them out a bit, giving me more room in the calf (I have huge calves, and sometimes jeans don't fit me *because of the calf*--not the waist, not the thighs, but the calf!).
Rather than using matching denim, I picked a few contrasting fabrics:
This one is with lace from a bedsheet. I've been wanting to use it for a while (with denim) but I just hadn't figured out what to do with it. I really like how these turned out!
I'm not sure how I feel about these ones (below). I think they'll look better once I finish them (I have to sew along the edges of the seams so that they lie flat). My mom had given me a shirt that she was going to donate; I wasn't crazy about the shirt, but I decided to incorporate it into something else. I knew I wanted to use the grommets for something, and I decided to try using them on the hem of a pair of jeans.
And these (below) are my favorite pair. These were my "goal jeans" for YEARS. They're a pair of Silver brand skinny jeans, and I was so excited to be able to wear them when I reached my goal weight in 2015. Now that skinny jeans aren't "in" anymore (I can't even describe how happy I am about that!), I was very resistant to getting rid of them. Besides the sentiment, I just really love how comfy these are. I was so worried I was going to ruin them, but I knew I wouldn't wear them if I just left them as skinny jeans. (Thrift stores are LOADED with skinny jeans right now.
I used denim that was the same color, but I turned the gussets over and used the wrong side of the fabric on the outside. I love the contrast of denim!
I was kind of dreading sewing along the seams (to flatten them) because it's really hard to get my sewing machine that deep inside the leg of a pair of jeans. Then I remembered--hey, I have hands and people used to sew *everything* by hand. So, I got out a needle and thread and then sewed each side with contrasting thread, which you can see better below (on the left is before sewing along those seams.
Those jeans projects are super cool. And the fact that Estelle liked the backpack and the apple tree so warms my heart. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteLove the jeans, the embroidery is adorable, and that puzzle looks fun! Glad Estelle likes the backpack too. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the puzzle, my very first thought was...the cats, lol! I love to do puzzles, but my eyesight has gotten pretty bad since the fall and I don't enjoy them so much when I can't see. I need to go to the eye doctor, but then I would have to admit that I'm getting old, ha!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the pants! They look fabulous!!!!
ReplyDeleteYour skill/craft game is amazing. Wow!!
ReplyDeleteThe jeans are fabulous!!
ReplyDeleteI love love love the jeans and the way you have made them YOU. I sew, but I have no time to do it right now. You have inspired me to pull out my machine and get to making changes on the jeans/clothes that annoy me. I also hate skinny jeans, but mostly because I'm not skinny. LOL! And you are right, that's basically all you can find right now. I buy every pair of wide leg jeans I find, but I'd much rather alter ones I already have.
ReplyDeleteGreat job with the jeans.
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