Recycling More Jeans -- Work Apron

I'm currently working on making a circle blue jeans quilt. I haven't made much progress to show off yet, other than hitting up all my friends and family for their old ripped jeans and cutting out about 190 circles (so far), but I'm getting there.

In the meantime, I'm building up quite a pile of jeans scraps, particularly the hips-and-pockets upper sections of the jeans. The back pockets are useful for any number of kids' crafts, but that's not exactly my thing. I want something really useful. Maybe I'm channeling Thomas the Tank Engine or something--he wants to be a "really useful engine"!

Construction

I started with a pair of Levi's 501 button fly jeans with a 33" inch waist, which fits me pretty well. I took the upper section and cut it off about 1 3/4" below the bottom points of the back pockets. Then I ripped the side seams up to the waistband. I just want the back side and the waistband for this project. I ripped out the lower seam of the front waistband only as far as needed to get the front pocket sections loose so I could discard them. Now I have an apron-shaped piece with its own built-in button closure. I hemmed the bottom edge (under the back pockets) and stitched down the sides. I also restitched the waistband where I had ripped its seams.

I now have a pretty good sturdy apron with two pockets. For a finishing touch and one more pocket, I cut out the "fifth pocket" from the front pocket scraps. Since I want the look of the rivets, I cut an extra flap above the pocket.



I sewed the pocket down first by its flap (right sides together, pocket upside down). I used a zipper foot to let me get my seam right up against the thick layers of the pocket.



Then I folded it down into place and sewed it down over the existing pocket topstitching. Here is the finished apron. Note that I'm using the original fly button and buttonhole as the closure at the back of the apron. That little blur at the top of the pocket near the ruler is where I reinforced a worn spot with a little machine darning. Just adds to that recycled authenticity!

Very useful indeed!

Gratuitous Dog Pictures of the Day

Lacey must be competing with Moxie for who gets into my blog most often, because today when I was photographing the work apron, there she was, complete with her tie-dyed, recycled jeans dog toy!




I guess Lacey wants me to make her a work apron in her size...