Recycled Jeans - A Drawstring Bag This Time!

Ever since I cut up that first pair of old jeans quite a while ago to make an apron, then moved on to clothes pin bags using jeans, I have been having fun thinking up more and different ways to use the fabulous denim that still has so much life left in it from these old throw-aways.

Take a look at what I did...

Here's my latest creation, a little drawstring bag. Inspiration for this was taken from Helen's first Stitcher's Angel project that was just unveiled last week. It's awfully cute and I loved how she did the lining, so that's what I did here too, only mine isn't quite as high.


The denim is leftover from the leg of jeans that I used for this clothes pin bag. The print fabric is leftover from the vest panel fabric I cut up and used for this apron.


First I cut off the bottom hem of this leftover leg piece and threw away the hem. The part that was left would be the body of the bag.


Although I could have just boxed the corners, I decided I wanted a sewn-in bottom for this little bag, so I cut a very usable piece of denim from the pocket area which would do just fine.



With the right sides together, I pinned the flat piece to the bottom edge of the pant leg, easing in the corners and then stitched it up.


Here's the right side of the newly stitched bottom.


I cut a few little patches from the vest panel and sewed them onto each side of the bag.


This one is my favorite. I think the pot of flowers is so cheerful, and I love these colors.



Then I cute two pieces of the vest panel as long as possible with the top edge being all the nice design, and the bottom edge having some of the white background still included. This would be hidden in the seams and down inside the bottom of the bag anyway! The width of the fabric was cut just a bit wider than the bag itself.

I did not take any measurements for this project. I just eyeballed everything and used the outer bag to measure up the fabric for the lining. Use what you have in whatever size works!


I stitched the lining pieces right sides together, leaving about a 2 inch opening in the bottom to turn the bag, and of course leaving the top edge open too. Then I boxed the corners so they would match the outer bag, again just eyeballing it. The lining will be tucked inside anyway!


After pinning the raw edges of the top of the lining and the denim right sides together, I stitched all around the top using about a 1/4 inch seam.


Then I pulled the denim bag through the opening that was left in the bottom of the lining...


...and stitched the opening closed on the machine.


After pushing the lining to the inside of the bag and getting it all straightened up and nicely fitted, this is how much of the lining stood up above the denim. Using free arm on my sewing machine, I stitched just under the edge of the lining through the denim and inside lining, then stitched again about 1/2 inch above that through the outside and inside layers of the top lining to make a casing for the drawstring.
Here you can see the two stitching lines which make the casing. You can click on any picture to make it bigger and see the details better.


After using my seam ripper to open up the seams on both sides between the casing lines, I threaded one length of drawstring through going in one direction, then another going in the other direction so that the two strings could be pulled away from each other to close the bag. You could use just one drawstring to close the bag if you wanted.


And there's my little recycled jeans tote bag, just big enough to toss in a book or small needlework project, cellphone, package of tissues, car keys and wallet for a trip to the doctor's office or the school parking lot or wherever you might have to do a little waiting.

This bag is not one of my Stitcher's Angel Swap gifts, but from what I hear from my secret partner, she would like these colors. I have been corresponding with her anonymously and gathering good information about what she might like. Such fun! Even if you're not in the swap, head over to Helen's website and check out each project as it is introduced at the beginning of each week. They are free and available to anyone who wants them from some very talented and creative designers.

Happy Stitching!

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Recycled Another Pair of Jeans into a Clothes Pin Bag

One just wasn't enough for Bonnie, so here's my second recycled jeans clothes pin bag. This one has butterflies on it!



For this bag, I reused the hanger that Bonnie's old clothes pin bag had been on since she likes the way it swivels, and I even used a pair of old jeans she gave me to recycle!

The bias binding was another scrap in my pile of Better-Keep-This-In-Case-I-Might-Need-It-Someday ribbons and trims and bindings and other little stuff. Doesn't everyone have one of those piles? Mine happens to be kept hidden away inside the seat of my sewing chair too! I love that feature!

The butterflies were hanging around in my cabinet, just waiting for their chance to fly away on something that would be used outdoors. What better place for them to fly than in Bonnie's backyard!

Happy Stitching!

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Recycle Jeans into a Clothes Pin Bag!

After making a few aprons using old jeans, I started thinking of other ways to recycle jeans into useful household tools. Recently a friend of mine asked if I could make a hanging bag for her clothes pins since she likes to hang her clothes out on the line in the nice weather. So I let some ideas stew in my brain for a few days and then I got to work.

Here's a little photo tutorial on how I made a clothes pin bag using an old pair of jeans, a small plastic hanger and some leftover bias binding.


This is the second leg of the jeans that I cut up to make the ladybug apron. I took a small plastic hanger from my children's closet and placed it at the point on the leg where the edges just met the edges of the pant leg. Then I used my white fabric marking pencil to trace the slanted lines above the hanger.


I cut about 5/8 inch above the lines I had traced, to allow for the seam.


I refolded the pant leg so that the front was folded in half and drew half of a teardrop-ish shape on the fold starting about 2 inches down from the top.


Then I cut straight down the fold from the top to the beginning of the teardrop-ish shape, and then cut around the shape to make the opening which will be on the front of the bag.


Of course you can't really see the cut-out in this picture because the denim is all the same color on the inside and the outside, but you can see a little bit of the white line left behind.


I then bound the opening edge with a piece of extra wide bias binding from my scrap collection. I thought the yellow was a nice contrast to the black denim. Homemade bias binding of any width would also work well, or any width of ready made...whatever you have one hand!


Just to add some detail, I picked out one of the hardly-ever-used fancy stitches on my sewing machine, and stitched around the binding.


Then I turned the whole thing inside out and pinned the top edge. I stitched it using about a 5/8 inch seam allowance, then I stitched it again about 1/8 inch inside the seam allowance for extra strength.


Then I decided how long I wanted the bag to be, and cut off the extra from the bottom. I stitched up the newly cut bottom edge, and stitched it again for strength.

After turning the bag right side out again, I stitched the seam allowance at the opening to the back of the bag for added strength where the hanger will be coming out of the bag.


This is that same stitching at the opening shown from the back side of the bag.



I put the hanger into the bag and there it is!


But wait! Look what I found in my closet! A cute little appliqué to iron onto something. And I think this is the perfect something, don't you?


So there's my recycled jeans/leftover bias binding/extra plastic hanger clothes pin bag, dressed up with a cute little bumble bee appliqué. It only took about 1 1/2 hours and didn't cost me a dime. Sure beats the ugly things you pay money for in the home center stores or bed and bath stores! And just think of the cute bags you could make with bias binding leftover from other projects you've done. The possibilities are endless. Just use your imagination, and save those plastic hangers!

Happy Stitching!

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Ladybug Apron from Recycled Jeans

Those old jeans are not going to last very long on the bottom shelf of my sewing room cabinet! Not since I discovered this great idea for using them to make aprons! If you like ladybugs, you'll love this one...


I had a pair of old black jeans on the shelf and this remnant of fabric I had recently purchased with ladybugs all over it. What a perfect match!

I put a little scalloped edge on the bottom, but my bias binding technique on the points certainly leaves something to be desired. Usually I love to show lots of close-up pictures, but that's one close-up you can live without. I was not about to rip out all that sewing though, so I just pressed it really well and it is what it is. Still very practical and cheerful at the same time!


I even discovered a little ladybug appliqué hiding in the cabinet so I pressed it onto the apron right near the top, since we know that ladybugs always crawl to the highest point. This one is on his way up!

Happy Stitching!

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Recycling an Old Vest Fabric Panel and An Old Pair of Jeans for a New Apron

I had such fun making my first apron from the leg of an old pair of jeans and some leftover fabric that I just had to try another one. I don't have a very large fabric stash to choose from, but I do have quite a few fabric panels that were meant to be made into vests. I purchased them for practically nothing years ago when they were just going out of style and have pondered what to do with them ever since.

Take a look and see how I re purposed a vest fabric panel and recycled an old pair of jeans...


You can't see it too well in this picture, but the bottom edge of the apron has a nice curve to it which you will see below. I just love the colors and design of this fabric and I think it makes such a cheerful apron.

I am trying out a new tutorial method here. Instead of having lots of photos with explanations in between, I put them all into a little slide show for a change. I'm not sure what I think about it, so I'd be interested in hearing your feedback on this form of show and tell. If it goes too fast for you to read the words and look at the pictures, just click the pause button for each frame and then click again to continue playing.



Please keep in mind that the point of showing how I used the vest panel to make an apron is not to say that you have to go out and find this exact panel. I just wanted to show how I used what I had on hand in a way that I found to be attractive. You can do the same sort of thing with whatever you have that could be used as trim, pockets or decoration. Perhaps you have an old bed sheet that you don't use anymore or an old skirt or shirt or tablecloth. Think about taking what you already have but don't use anymore and making it into something new and useful.

I found an old pair of black jeans in my collection and a fabric remnant that has ladybugs on it which I am in the process of turning into another apron. The possibilities are endless, and it makes me feel so good to be making useful things from something that is no longer usable for its original purpose. I'll be showing the ladybug apron to you when it's finished.

Happy Stitching!

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Recycled Jeans Make a Great Apron!

I have always been somewhat of a pack rat and saver, especially when it comes to things that are still useful in some way. However, I will be the first to admit that when a pair of jeans splits a seam or just plain old wears out from being so well used, it is no longer useful...as a pair of jeans, that is! But there are plenty of other things all that wonderfully soft denim could be used for. All it takes is a little imagination and creativity, or falling upon someone else's clever idea.

That's what happened to me yesterday when I came across Lucy's website called My Byrd House in my search for quick and easy apron patterns. I really was not thinking about recycling old jeans for this project, but then I thought Why Not? I have plenty that I've been saving for just about forever, and who knows if I'll ever get around to actually making them into that quilt I had originally started saving them for.

So down to my sewing room I went, and here is what I came up with...


One leg of an old pair of jeans, two small pieces of fabric from a giveaway I had won a while ago, and 3 or 4 snippets of time during the day in between everything else, and here it is. What do you think? I just love it!


This is my daughter, just home from all day at school then a 3 hour shift at work and then 2 hours of band practice. She was pooped, but took the time to model the apron for me. When she took it off, she said she thought I should just keep this one right here at home since it was so cute and she would use it herself. I guess she likes it too! I just don't know that she will ever have time to actually use it though! Maybe in another 4 years when she graduates from college!

So there really is no magic trick for making this apron. Just cut off a leg of an old pair of jeans and cut it up the inside seam. Shape it in a way that you find pleasing, with the hem of the pant leg at the top. Using scrap fabric, make pockets and trim as you like. In this case, I had a 21 inch square of two fabrics. I chose the paisley for the pocket and the trim at the top to cover the chunky hem of the pant leg. With the square of the polka dot fabric, I used this handy method for making bias binding, and made about a 200 inch strip of 2 inch bias binding. I used what was needed for the side edges below the armhole curves and the bottom in one continuous piece. Then I cut the remaining piece in half and used each piece on either side of the apron to finish the armhole and continue up and down as the ties for waist and neck.

It was so fun and simple, and I have lots of ideas floating around in my head right now for more aprons that I want to make. I may just empty that shelf of all those old jeans after all!

Happy Stitching!

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Working on my Kitchen Swap Gift -- an Apron

Yesterday in the mail I received all the pertinent information I would need for participation in the Kitchen Swap I mentioned here not long ago. I really do enjoy swaps and have had a good experience with each one I have entered so far. This is my first Kitchen Swap though, so I was looking for some ideas for what I could make for my partner, besides a few handmade cotton dishcloths, of course! I came across Lucy's website called My Byrd House, and her idea for making an apron from the leg of an old pair of jeans. I just so happen to have a whole shelf full of old jeans that I was going to use to make a quilt, but I think I can spare one leg for an experiment.

I'm planning to use fabric from my stash to make bias binding, just as I did in this tutorial, and coordinating fabric for a front pocket.

I'll let you know how it comes out!

Happy Stitching!

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