Blue Jeans Baby!

                      Another Up Cycled Denim Design.

                      An artful Apron.
                     
                      Stuff a set of oven mitts in the pocket and gift it to work in the kitchen.
                      Put paper, paints and a brush in the pocket and paint a starry night!
                      Supply sandpaper and incentive and employ it in the workshop.

The artfully up-cycled Apron

 The basic Apron shape. 
I cut the pattern from an opened leg making use of the original hemming as the bottom hem of the Apron.
The pockets of course are salvaged from the jeans and stitched onto the apron.
I start stitching the binding at a bottom side and go up and all the way around.

Up Cycled Denim Apron

 Seam Binding
I like to make my own seam binding for the Apron edges and ties.
 I prefer working with cotton as it presses well and is available in a huge range of patterns and colors.

Start by cutting the selected cotton into strips
approx. 2 inches wide.
Be mindful of the pattern and which direction you want (in this case) the stripes to lay in the finished garment. Cut accordingly.

Sew all strips together at ends, with right side together. Press seams flat.





                The Artful Apron

Fold over (1/4 inch) on one edge of entire cotton binding strip
 and press.

Up Cycled denim

 Pics are now blue binding. 

Pin unpressed edge of cotton binding 
 with right side down
onto wrong side of Apron fabric .
Be sure to fold in end edge (at thumb area) first.
Stitch binding in place around entire outer edge of Apron.

 Turn Apron over now with right side up.
Bring binding to front, tuck in corner at bottom edge, allow pressed edge to fold under and pin into place.

Top stitch binding in place.











Up Cycled Denim Apron

 The ties for the neck and the back area are also made from the cotton strips.
 Fold over and press in a smaller edge on both sides of the cotton strip. Fold in half and top stitch over folds.
Press. Cut to desired length and stitch in place for neck loop and back tie
  

 Applique Heart

Up Cycled denim apron

 Alleen's Glue to the rescue.
Paint the back of your heart with a layer of Alleen's glue.
 Let sit for a minute of two before turning over and applying heart to apron front.
Although it takes 24 hours to really set it is not easy to move because of the glue residue that will be left from the first placement.
Be sure of where you want the heart the first time.

Craft Apron

Zig zag over the edges of the heart with your machine.

Blue Jean Apron

Squeeze on a thin line of Fabric Paint.

Up Cycled Denim Apron

 Set to dry overnight.
















I don't know why this will not sit up properly..lol
The artful Apron can be washed in machine and dried in the dryer.

A baby denim Sunsuit on a handsome little model.

I have had this pattern running round in my head for over 20 years. 
The last time I made denim summer suits my oldest Son was about 2 and happily modeled this version of the summer suit for me. 

Denim Summer suit @ Craft Blog here

I made his suit in 1992. Here it is!


I purchased the seam binding and the snaps.
I decorated the denim with both the fabric paint and acrylic paint spatter after it had been stitched.
The white paint was a puff paint and so required that I bake the garment for about 7 minutes at 250 degrees. 
It is machine wash and dryer safe.




These are the 2015 version of the summer suit.
 Fashioned from the leg of blue jeans these adorable sun suits are a super summer solution for little boys and little girls alike.
Velcro and or buttons and snap enclosures help to make putting on the denim summer suit as easy as ABC
Open the suit up at neck and sides and lay it flat out. Lay the baby in the back bum area.  Pull the bib up at front and secure shoulder and sides.
Add  suede baby boots and a cute t-shirt to the outfit and smile out loud at the outcome. 

Denim Summer suits @ craft blog

      Thanks to little Landon 
                     for being such a happy, 
                                     handsome and willing model.

Lillian the Domestic Engineer.Blogspot.ca

                      in spite of the fact he was a bit too small for his britches.

 

 I love summer and babies too!!

Sew, are you up to it?

Denim Vest - upcycle

Denim wear- second time around

                       All that glitters is good!
                         
                       Spring is the season of the joys of new life. 
                     A season of clean outlooks and fresh starts. 
                     
Spring cleaning?
 Get started in your closet by hanging all the garments in your closet on a backwards hanger. I typically hang my hangers with the C facing away from me and over the rod  So instead I hung everything on the hangers with the C coming towards me from the back of the rod. 

Throughout the course of a year, as the clothes are worn and returned to the closet they are hung back on the rod in the opposite direction.
 The year end review of what garments to keep and what to toss will be clearly evident by the direction the hanger faces. 
Anything that remains hanging in the closet with the C facing forward has not been worn in at least a year and should be considered for removal.

This is the stuff in your closet that should be weeded out. You have proven to yourself that in fact you have was not worn it for at least a year.

You probably won't have to look far to find a deserving recipient of your donations.

 I was recently the grateful and appreciative recipient of exactly that. A garbage bag full of new to me, gently used garments.

One of those pieces happened to be this treasured little denim vest.
It is a girls size
Denim is always in style. Dress it up with some glittery leggings and a cotton top or go casual in a denim shirt and vest with cowboy boots and a pair of jeans. Denim is always in.

This vest was easily altered in the course of an afternoon.

Denim Vest

A little dab will do ya!
Aleene's fabric glue ensures that the finished piece
 will please.
The fabric to be added is cut to the finished size and simply glued into place.
Any trim that is desired  is then glued to the fabric edges.
 After allowing to dry for 5 minutes the edges of the design can then be finished with a sewing machine zig zag stitch or with a serger.

Denim vest- second time around.

Denim Blue Jean Vest

Denim Vest remake

The trim I chose has the finished appearance of being a zipper half.
I was quite pleased with the result.
The word JOY was easily accomplished by also using the fabric (good to wash) Aleene's glue.

Using the glue, simply spell out on the fabric what you want it to say. 
Wait a couple of minutes until the glue becomes tacky and then apply the trim.
Finally, zig zag a stitch directly over top the trim. I used a black thread that is not easy to see as I wanted to keep the zipper effect. Contrasting thread would certainly add another dimension to the project.


Remember there are no rights and wrongs, if you are pleased with your project then you have been successful!