My obsession with upcycling denim has only grown as I have found new and ridiculously abundant sources of jeans. From traditional patchwork and patchwork quilting, I moved into visible hand mending and embellishment (boro and sashiko).
Now I am savoring the many textures, weights and colors that come with preloved jeans. When trying to maximize the fabric that was salvaged from jeans, I found that opening the seams and waistbands revealed these different denim qualities. The elasticized waistbands are especially fun (but not always easy) to open. One finds surprises like a batik quality of colors even though it usually begins as one blue. Fading by sun, wearing, washing, abrasions and tension provides lots of new shades of blue.
Not just the colors and textures, but now these unusual pieces of salvaged denim are challenging me to find new and adventuresome ways to “think outside (my little sewing) box!” I started to sew without traditional seams to be able to appreciate the natural raveling. This just entails placing one piece on top of the other (so the raveled side is exposed) and topstitching them together. See the short video below. It is a first for me so I am excited!