Saturday, April 21, 2012

Earth Day--Jean Jacket Makeover DIY


Happy Earth Day 2012 to all! 
I want to share my latest "makeover" project with you.  You may want to give it a try.  
Recently, one of my favorite hosts on QVC (I'm addicted--sorry!) was wearing the cutest jean jacket that had a "shabby chic" appearance.  I called The Q to find out the item number, only to be informed that it was her personal item and not offered by QVC--darn it! 
I made a "mental not to self": Grab a jean jacket at a thrift store soon and make it myself!


Here's what you'll need:
1.  denim jean jacket, I paid $3.50 for mine--whoopee!
2.  sewing machine and your choice of colored thread (optional)
3.  sharp scissors
4.  pillow case and thick rubber band
5.  washer and dryer


Step 1.
Decide where you want your "shabby chic" fringe accents.  I chose to only "enhance" the collar, cuffs and down both sides of the front.


Step 2 (optional).
Using thread (your choice of color) and sewing machine, sew an extra row of stitches about 1/8" from the button holes and buttons along both sides of the front.  This is to allow more fringe to form and still keep the layers intact.  I used a caramel colored "jean" thread by Coats and Clarks.  My "buttons" were actually riveted metal buttons, so I had to be extra careful when sewing near them.  Don't worry if your stitches are perfectly straight, as the "fringe" will hide it anyway.

 Step 3.
Cut away the garment's edge of all the areas that you want to "fringe".  If your jacket has top stitching close to any of those edges, just remove it with a seam ripper.  You can now start the fringing process.  Pull out and discard the threads of the fabric that run parallel with the edge.  This can be time consuming, so make yourself comfortable and plan to have a mess to clean up once you are finished.

Step 4.
Place your jacket in the pillowcase and close the open end of the pillowcase using the thick rubber band. This will save the LIFE of your washing machine--hmmm, I speak from experience, and not a pleasant one!
Add this to your washing machine and wash on a regular setting.  I used hot water, but I think the results would be the same for cold water, too.   Once the wash cycle is complete, add the pillowcase with the jacket still inside to your dryer.  I let mine dry for about 30 minutes, then paused the cycle and removed the jacket from the pillowcase.  At this point, my pillowcase had lots of lint, threads, etc. on the inside, so I turned it inside out and took it outside for a good shake, shake, shake.  Turn your jacket inside out and add it back to the dryer, removing or trimming any random long threads first.

Step 5.
Once your jacket is thoroughly dry, remove it from the dryer and turn it right side out.  Using your sharp scissors, trim away any stray or random threads along all the edges.  Put that puppy on, add some jewelry, and go "Rock Your World".


Have a Happy Day!

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Suzanne, you are the most creative person I know. This is amazing!!! Great idea and very clever. Thank you for sharing.

Unknown said...

Suzanne, that is an awesomely good idea! Your jacket looks great!
That would look cute fringing around the pocket openings, waist and hems of a pair of cut-off shorts for the summer... I'll have to steal an old pair of my daughter's jeans and surprise her. ;-)
Thanks for sharing!

Linda :-)
capecodjewel.com

danielle said...

Wow! At the great risk of dating myself...the bottom of my bell bottoms used to "grow" fringe like that from dragging on the boardwalk, ground..etc.
It's a fantastic idea...leave it to you to reinvent a style.
I have to ask...do you ever rest? You are by far the most creative person in my world!

Suzanne in TX said...

Thanks, Karen T,Linda S, and Danielle!
You are too sweet!

SewDanish-Scandinavian Textile Art, Unique Handmade Supplies said...

Wow. This jacket look amazing. Love it! Thank you for sharing :-)

Birgitte
SewDanish.com

Audrey said...

Adorable!! and so easy...
Thanks for sharing :D

Audrey
aka AudreyGardenLady

Marti said...

I love this jacket! Would you get the same look if you clipped the edges with scissors like doing chenille type quilts? After removing the edge of course.

Suzanne in TX said...

Marti--give it a try, but practice on something else first, just in case you aren't happy with the outcome. Good luck!