Inspired by a Pair of Jeans

I'm sure you all have had that pair of jeans that was just sooooo comfortable that every chance you got, you wore them. I have a pair of jeans like that. I'm not sure they are even flattering but Oh! they are comfortable. Of course they are my oldest jeans and so the other day, when I was wearing them, my grand daughter said to me," Oma, you have a hole in your pants!"  I did.  In fact, I have holes in both knees and a few more forming on other parts. These pants were relegated to days when I didn't have to leave the house and so they became the ones I put on for Art Days.

I realized that I am not setting a very good example for my grandkids by wearing holey jeans and it was time to get rid of them. I have a hard time throwing out any fabric and this instance was no exception. I looked at those old jeans and noticed that it wasn't just the comfort I liked but some of the details I found on them. The back pockets had a design stitched on them and a white piece of leather as well. I liked the rivets adhered in various places on them as well as the way the pockets were sewn. So I started to take them apart to save the good bits.

The Favourite Jeans

The little rivet above has a buffalo stamped into it.

While I was taking apart the jeans, I was inspired to use the pieces to make a small art quilt with them.
I have been experimenting with using a thick felt as the layer in between my quilts instead of quilt batting. The felt works better because it is thicker, more rigid and stabler so it helps wall quilts hang straighter and the edges of the quilts finish nicer. This wouldn't work for a quilt you would use on your bed or one you would use to wrap around you, or even anything you would want to wash. But it still allows
me to machine quilt with ease.

I have also been experimenting with a fusible web. This is basically an adhesive that is spun into a thin, lightweight fabric. I fuse it to one side of my fabric (using a silicone cloth, so it doesn't stick to my iron) and then I fuse that fabric to the felt. This keeps the fabric from shifting when I am quilting and makes for a crisper finished product.

Felt layer

Fusible web

The web is fused to the fabric

Once my background was completed, I sewed my jean pieces into place on the top and machine quilted as they were added. Although the felt is easy to sew through, the denim was giving me a hard time and I broke to sewing machine needles in the process.  I really like the finished product. I added a hanging sleeve to the back with some of the left over denim. Then I tucked a photo of me wearing the jeans in the pocket. (Thanks, Grace H.) Now I don't have to totally give up my favourite jeans. They will be hanging comfortably on the wall in my studio.

Favourite Buffalo Jeans