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How to Make a Mini Tote out of Embroidered Jeans
comments (14) June 24th, 2008
I have been putting these jeans on and taking them right back off for a year now. I bought them at my favorite store, Anthropologie (there's definitely something in the air that makes that store "Jennifer Land"!). Anyway, at the time, I thought they would be my new favorite jeans, but after wearing them the first day, I was very dissapointed. I realized that the front pocket bags were too short and they kept poking out and the denim was way too stretchy, causing a funny thing to happen in the front crotch area after I had worn them for a few hours. Since then, I have wanted to wear them—I would put them on, check the mirror, and take them right back off (I think I secretly thought they would look fabulous each time I tried them on). Anyway, I have officially given up on the hope that they will look fabulous and decided to make a cute mini tote out of them. I did try them on one last time before I cut them up...just to be sure!
I love to recycle and remake clothes into something new—the best part about this project is that I can breathe new life into the beautiful embroidery that was seeing a lot of the inside of my closet.
Here's what you need.
- A pair of embroidered jeans (or any garment that has embroidery on it)
- Stiff fusible interfacing (A brand like Pellon Shirt Tailor does a wonderful job of making any fabric bag worthy!)
- 1/4-inch nylon braid or horsehair
- Sharp scissors
- All-purpose sewing thread
Start by cutting your jeans apart so you can take full advantage of where the embroidery is. I cut mine down the center-back crotch seam, down the inseam on one leg and down the side seam on the other leg so I could take advantage of all the embroidered areas.
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Cut the jeans apart so they lie flat. |
Then cut out all the pieces to your tote bag (you could just as easily make a purse). Plan which pieces will have embroidery and which pieces will be plain denim. Be sure that there is a big enough section of jean to accommodate the pattern pieces as you decide where you want to position them. (Keep in mind that you can make a bigger piece to work with by sewing sections together. For example, you can cut a leg apart and sew another piece of denim to it to make it wider or longer...or both!)
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Cut the jeans into individual pieces that will accommodate the pattern pieces of the tote. |
After you make this project, show off your work to other members!
Post your project in the gallery
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Comments (14)
Am I missing something? So many have asked...WHERE IS THE PATTERN?
Thanks!
Posted: 8:12 am on May 10th
Posted: 6:53 pm on April 17th
I love this bag and want to make it with my pair of jeans that have sitting in my closet for far too long. I would like to know where to find the pattern, if there is one. If there is not, please give me measurements so that I can get this right.
Thank you for your contribution to this site. Great job and much inspiration!
Posted: 6:03 pm on July 15th
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