Denim Skirt from Denim Jeans $0

Supplies needed:

Pair of quality denim jeans (well, nice from the knees up)

Seam ripper

"Jean Yellow" thread

Sewing machine

A minor dose of patience

My neighbor Mary taught me how to do this (and gave me the jeans...nice neighbor, right?) but I think there is probably an infinite number of internet tutorials available. Here's one.

The unpicking takes longer than the sewing. I enjoyed watching the "Jane Eyre" with my neighbor while I unpicked. The hardest thing is finding thread that is similar to jean thread...marigold yellow and super thick. I matched as well as I could, but it is clearly not identical. The black skirt was originally stiched with cream thread, so that one was easy to match.

I learned that if the original jeans are too small for you/skinny leg jeans you have to insert the cut-off leg pieces to form an a-line skirt. If the original jeans are too big for you, you can just cut off the legs and shrink everything down to a nice, sleek pencil skirt. Don't stress. Either way they are jeans you don't wear, so you aren't out anything if you screw up the first time. I want to remake this with wide-leg jeans so I can make a pencil skirt with a slit in the back.

Italian Sampler Pillow $0

Down pillow insert: from a beaded pillow that Lucy chewed the beads off of when she was teething

Ruffle for pillow: the lower half of an old linen-hemmed shower curtain

Main fabric for pillow: a holey Italian linen tablecloth that was a little too holey to use any longer

Gorgeous embroidered ABC sampler: a gift from my aunt that went to Italy

 

It appears this was sewn in 1911. Why else would the embroideress stitch "1911" on it? So now Greg has to flip the pillow around and put his head on the back side if he wants to use it since I don't want his hair product to damage the heirloom. Yes, I'm that fun to live with.

I think the embroideress started a lowercase "r" and then realized she already did the "r" but couldn't pick the red thread out because it stains the fabric so quickly. The mystery of this bonus letter haunts me every morning as I make the bed. What. Was. She. Thinking!?

Back of the pillow. I was proud of myself for aligning the red stripes. Love the little embroidered initial detail from the tablecloth. They just don't make things like they used to! I am absolutely bonkers for old linens. I also really want to sew a sampler now. Been looking on ebay for a neat one. Who doesn't love the alphabet?

 

Lucy curled up next to the new BEADLESS pillow. Tough break, Luce. Enjoy those adult teeth and your Blue Buffalo dog food. It's all you're going to get for the remainder of your lifetime. Shot this photo before I sewed up the openings in the ruffle, but trust me, it is finished.

Grain Sack Appliance Cozies $3

Grain sacks purchased at a consignment store in Santa Ynez, CA; $1 each.

Some were holey and flea-bitten, but I worked around it. Here we are just giving the ol' Blendtec a custom fitting.

Very thankful for the serger. I read that "serging prevents handmade from looking homemade." 

Around here we appreciate a decent letter "G" since I married a Greg.

This turned out so well that I made one for the toaster, too. I love grain sacks! Look at all the cool typography on them!

The Drifted Snow Flour man (that was holding the sheaves of wheat) was very handsome. I mean, look at his forearms. I saved his head in my scrap pile. He kind of looks like Ken-doll meets the Green Giant. I suspect he was going out with Martha Meade. I'm sure it was all sorts of scandal at the flour factory. 

Valentine Garland from Castoffs $0

Fabric for hearts: Huge basket of clothes for D.I. donated from a sister-in-law

(I rifled through it, picked my palette, and cut out as many hearts as I could.)

Fishing line: Thanks to the husband we have roughly 3,000 miles of it

Crimp beads: Bought a jar of 1,000 a year ago- they last forever

Crystals to innersperse on fishing line: Leftover from my sister-in-law's wedding decorations

Poly stuffing: Have an endless bag down in the crawl space

I placed two hearts right sides facing out, sewed them together stopping my machine with an inch to go, stuffed the 1" opening right then and there, finished sewing. Threaded strands of hearts and crystals with fishing line. Spaced everything evenly with crimp beads. Ended up making 8 garlands with the clothing shown.

Sweater Arm Leg Warmers $0

The arms of the D.I. sweater I used to make Valentine garlands with.

Cut the arms off of the sweater. Hem the unfinished edge, put the cuff on the ankle.