Out With the Old...
Take a look at your unworn clothes and reimagine them into something new!
The start of a new year always sparks an urge in me to organise and have a good clear out. It’s one of those things that I don’t enjoy doing, but I love the feeling once it is done having restored some semblance of order to my belongings. My wardrobe is probably the place I should always start with, but I usually feel daunted by the prospect and leave it until last when, invariably, I run out of time and enthusiasm! This time however, I made a coffee, put on a sing-along playlist and flung open the wardrobe doors - a woman on a mission. A couple of hours later I had a tidy and organised space and a mountain of clothing which I would never wear again, ready to be donated to the local charity shop. But as I was folding and packing up the clothing earmarked for donating, a germ of an idea for a sewing project began to form in my head. How easy it would be to repurpose some of the clothing I no longer wore into something new? This was something I had to try out.
Bags are my thing when it comes to sewing - sitting at my sewing machine with fabric, zips, hardware and my carefully created pattern really is my happy place! So it seemed fitting that this was what I would make for my first foray into clothing recycling.
From my neatly folded pile of clothing for donation I selected a pair of black skinny jeans. I chose them mainly for 2 reasons; they were plain, plus they had plenty of features which I hoped to be able to incorporate into my bag design.
I took the jeans apart, separating the front from the back and detaching the waistband. One of the back pockets was removed and set aside for repositioning later. A basic sketch for a small tote bag soon became a simple paper pattern which I used to determine which sections of the jeans I would need to cut.
Once the back and front panels had been cut out, I used some of the belt loops and previously removed pocket and restitched them to the panels to add interest. The original front jeans pocket was to remain functional, as was one of the rear pockets.
From my fabric stash I selected some brightly printed cotton fabric left over from a previous project. This was cut to size for the lining and 2 slip pockets were stitched in place.
The lining was topped off with a black zip before stitching together the sides and base.
I stitched the waistband back together along the long edge which had previously been attached to the top of the jeans. This was then cut in half to create 2 equal pieces which would become the bag handles. The stud button and buttonhole were left in place.
Once the handles had been attached, the front and back panels were stitched together. Stitching across the bottom corners of the bag from the inside creates a flat base to the bag, creating the recognisable tote bag shape.
I had intended to make this bag so that the exterior is ‘birthed’ through the lining. However, the method I used to attach the zip prevented me from doing this. Instead, I folded over the top edges of the bag and the lining and then place the lining inside the exterior, matching the top edges and clipping them together.
A quick steam and it’s complete! A super cute, useable bag from my old jeans.
I really enjoyed this project. Although the actual construction process of making the bag was identical to making a bag from purchased fabric, the placing of the pattern pieces to make the most of the features on the jeans took consideration and thought. It is something which I plan to do more of, perhaps making items of sentimental value into a useable and functional item rather than being kept hidden away behind the wardrobe door.
Now …. what to make next ………..?
We would love to see what you have made from recycled fabrics too!
Happy sewing!
Suzanne, Charlotte and Rebecca