No Squares Allowed - Jeans to a Skirt

I LOVE making cards using my square card blanks, but it's brilliant to get a push to make something a little different, isn't it? And the Dream Valley No Squares Allowed challenge is a perfect opportunity for this. (Now, technically, I HAVE used squares, but the overall shape is NOT a square.). Oh, and we are lucky enough to be sponsored by Crafty Ribbons for this challenge!

I have been lucky enough to have my mam's sewing machine for the last few years and, on and off, I've actually used it! I love the idea of being able to turn something that no longer fits, into something useful..........A favourite item was the cushion cover I made for Louise last year from scraps of denim.

Also, in the last few months, I've started looking at Pinterest and The Great British Sewing Bee has been a favourite programme with myself, Lou and Euan.............so, with all this in mind, I was inspired to make a pair of too short jeans into a denim skirt for Lou. I've wanted to get her a denim skirt for a few years, but they are always WAY to short if they fit at the waist!

I cut off the legs of the jeans, just below the fabulous embellished pockets (maybe a little TOO close, when I see that picture).

I had originally planned to make a ra-ra type skirt like the one i'd seen on Pinterest, but decided that it would be too bulky for Lou. So, I cut up the legs of the jeans into 12cm squares and sewed them into a strip of 7, alternating the "grain" of the fabric horizontally and vertically - I just like the effect it gives! The seams were ironed flat (although maybe I should have overlocked them?) and then pinned the strip to the bottom of the jeans "waist".

After trying it on her and deciding that, actually it was looking ok, I sewed the ends of the strip together before sewing the strip to the waist.

Then I sewed more squares into a long strip and did the same thing. After checking the length was ok, I finished the skirt with this gorgeous checked bias binding from The Ribbon Girl. I will definitely be buying more of this and some in the other designs too as it is easy to add and adds a lovely detail to the garment (hey, get me!!!!!). Our sponsor, Crafty Ribbons, also has a lovely selection of bias binding, including a black and white gingham one here.

I had an absolute ball making this for my daughter and enjoyed it all the more because she really loves it and wants me to make more clothes for her! I have already made a school skirt for her in the same design using school trousers that no longer fit and have a plan to make another school skirt in a similar, but different design. Lou has also suggested Upcycling her trousers into a school cardi, but I'm not sure I'm capable of that yet!

Apologies for the lengthy post (very unlike me!) but I wanted to have a go at explaining how I made it as I'm guessing i'm not the only one with a long legged daughter who keeps growing! Although it would have been much clearer with photos!! (I considered taking photos, but decided that, as it was a first attempt, and I was making it up as I go along, it probably wouldn't work, so took no photos along the way and regretted it!)

My smiley, happy girl in her perfectly fitting denim skirt:

Oh, and I made the tag using the fabulous Just for You stamps from Clearly Besotted - Lou loved this detail too!

I would also like to enter the Crafty Ribbons challenge, Anything Goes and CRAFT challenge - Use Stitching.

 

Posted with Blogsy