PyjamaLife: March 2019

Do you have jeans that are too small, too big, too worn out, or jeans that you just don't like anymore lying somewhere in your closet?

Don't throw them away! Use this instructable to weave something new out of a useless pair of jeans (or three)!

Materials

You will need:

- 3 pairs of different-colored jeans

- Scissors

- Ruler

- Chalk or fabric marker

- Pins (a lot)

- Piece of cardboard or cork board big enough to hold you project

- Heat n Bond® or any other permanent fabric adhesive

- Piece of fabric big enough to cover your project (does not have to be something nice and new - I used an old pillow case)

- Iron

- Iron board

- Fabric weaving needle (or piece of sturdy plastic, utility knife, scissors, marker and ruler to make one yourself).

Fabric Weaving Needle

Some craft stores sell fabric weaving needles, but apparently not mine. So, I decided to make one myself.

You will need a piece of sturdy plastic (I used a container from a cleaning product), a utility knife, scissors, a marker and a ruler. My "yarn" (in this situation, it is actually not yarn, but I will refer to it as such to simplify things) is going to be 1 inch wide, so I made a 7 1/2 inch long needle with a 1 inch eyelet. Simply cut it from plastic and you are ready to go!

Making Denim "yarn"

Now let's make denim "yarn"!

Cut away hems of jeans, then cut along inner seams.

Mark a line every 1 inch along the hem .

Incise fabric on marks.

Now just tear stripes along the jeans leg!

When you run into an obstacle (such as a pocket or seam) as shown in picture six, stop tearing and cut the stripe.

Some parts of the leftover denim will be triangular. You can make some more "yarn" using the same process as above with pieces that are more than 1 inch wide.

"Yarn": Cleaned and Ironed

For my project I used 1 leg of each pair of jeans.

You will get stripes 1 inch wide in three different colors (don't mix them!).

This stripes will have a lot of loose threads. Clean them away with your hand.

Then iron them - this will make weaving process easier.

"Loom" Preparation-first Color

Lay a fabric adhesive of appropriate size onto a piece of cardboard. Note: place it paper side down and glue side facing you.

Now pin first color stripes to cardboard.

Weaving Second Color Fabric in to Base

Thread the weaving needle with a strip of the second color.

Begin by weaving it into the first color strips at a slight upward angle (approximately 30 degrees) beginning from the left side in the following pattern: over 1 strip, under 2 strips.

Then continue to weave. I found it easier to weave from the top right moving down to the left, but you may feel differently. Try out both ways and settle for the one that you find more convenient. The result must be exactly as shown on picture 6.

Weaving Third Color Fabric

Take your third color and weave into work, starting from the right side and angling upwards, following the pattern: over 2 triangles, under 4 triangles. Check Pic 5 for schematic: black - 4 triangles, green - 2 triangles.

Oops...

Check your work often! I completely missed one row... Can you spot it? :)

Ironing

When you finished weaving take your work to the iron board. Do not unpin it yet!

Iron it, then remove pins and cardboard.

Trimming and Ironing

Gently flip it over and trim excess fabric.

Remove paper layer of fabric adhesive and iron your piece of prepared fabric on top (it was the pillowcase for me).

Finished Weaving

You are done weaving with denim "Yarn"!

I've got a piece 17 by 17 inches.

Uses of Woven Denim

If you make a bigger piece, finish the edges and you get a nice floor rug.

You could weave different fabrics into your jeans or denim jacket.

You could trim it and put in in a frame as piece of art.

Or make a pillow from it! Cuddle up and enjoy!

Warm and Cozy Sweater

How to make a warm and cozy sweater the easy way

Materials and Tools

You will need:

- 150 cm length x 150 cm width (or minimum of 140 cm width) polar fleece or thick jersey or knitted fabric of your liking

- Scissors

- Measuring tape

- Meter Stick or long ruler

- Small ruler

- Chalk or fabric marker

- A sewing machine

- Thread

- Hand needle

- Sewing pins (to hold fabric in place temporarily)

- An iron and an iron board

- A Random Button :)

Pattern

This is as simple as it gets!

Cut selvage (pic 1).

Mark these measurements on the fabric, following pic 2. Check it to make sure you got it right!

All measurements included in pic. 2 take into account the seam allowance of 1 cm except the for the neck opening where you should add an extra 1 cm.

A seam allowance of 4 cm is included at the hems of the body and on the sleeves.

If you bought fabric that is less than 150 cm (e.g. 140 cm) in width you may reduce the sweater body width up to 10 cm.

This pattern is good for sizes S to XL. For people of S size, the sweater will be loose and drapey and for people of XL size the sweater will be more form fitting.

Tips for Cutting Fabric

Cut fabric following the marked lines .

For the sweater body cut a rectangle. Mark the center on this piece of fabric. Fold it in half lengthwise. Mark the neck opening according to measurements provided on the pattern picture. Cut it out leaving a 1 cm seam allowance

For the sleeves, cut two rectangles. Fold each in half lengthwise. Trim the sleeve in a slightly curved line to reduce the sleeve's width closer to the wrist . Repeat for the second sleeve.
Tip: place the cut sleeve on the uncut one and draw a line along the edge. Then cut the second sleeve with the same curve. By doing this you are ensuring that both curves are the same.

For the collar: if you have a strong pattern on the fabric as on mine try to match the center pattern of the collar (pic. 7) with the pattern on the front of the sweater body (the deeper part of the neck opening will be on the front of your sweater).

Results of Cutting

As a result of your cutting you should get:

- One rectangle for the body of the sweater with a hole for the neck opening.

- Two slightly tapered pieces of fabric for the sleeves.

- One rectangle for the collar.

Seams

For fleece it is better to use elastic seams. Some sewing machines have a function with which you can create specially designed seams for knitted fabric or jerseys which look like the seam on pic.

If your machine does not have it use a narrow zigzag seam.

While sewing, make sure to slightly stretch the fabric.

Sewing Sleeves

Match the center of the sleeve with the center of the body rectangle (place fabric right side together).

Sew.
Finish the seam with a zigzag or use a serger if you have one. Depending on the type of polar fleece you may omit the finishing.
Repeat for the second sleeve.

Don't sew on top of the pins! You may not only break your sewing machine needle but you may also damage the machine itself. Remove the pins just before your seams get close to them.

Side Seams

Turn the sleeve seam allowance toward the sleeve .

Pin the fabric along the edges of the sleeves and the sides. Try to match the seams of sleeves and the fabric patterns (if you have one) - this step will help to create a more professional look for finished product.

Sew. Once you get to the sleeve seam stretch the fabric a little bit to create a straighter seam and continue sewing.

Collar

Fold the collar fabric in half and sew it on the short side. Crease the seam allowances open. Double the collar over, leaving the seam inside.

Place the collar into the neck opening and pin it evenly, slightly stretching the collar fabric. Check to make sure you pin it evenly! Sew.

Hemming Body and Sleeves

To finish the bottom of the sweater mark a line on the wrong side 8 cm from the edge of the fabric.

Fold the fabric so the edge aligns with the marked line. Pin it.

Stitch with a zigzag or any other decorative stretchable seam.

Do the same for the sleeves.

Finished Sweater

Now you are almost finished your sweater!

Iron the seams on low settings. Check for and trim any loose threads.

You are done!

Put it on and enjoy the fruits of your labor!