Jean Quilt with Homespuns

I am a blue jean girl. My fav outfit is a comfortable T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. But eventually, those jeans wear out, but a lot of the fabric is still usable and durable. I've been saving ideas for things to make from them when I'm done wearing them on Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/annsymes/forever-in-blue-jeans/

Jean quilt

This quilt starts with circles of blue jean fabric (this quilt features all used jeans) and squares of fabric for the centers.

Jean Quilt

 There's also a square of batting, so this quilt has a bit of weight to it and warmth.

Jean Quilt

 This would make a great picnic blanket.

Jean Quilt on the Deck

 Or a blanket for the cabin or for on the deck on a cool Canadian evening.

Black and Blue Jeans

 Some of the blue jeans were black and the rest blue which gives a different look than if they were all one color.

Jean Quilt

In hindsight, I should have spaced the black pieces a little more randomly, but this quilt is a quilt as you go and I didn't give any thought to that when I started. By the time I did think about it, it was too late to go back and change things.

If you want to make your own, the pattern is from Fons & Porter here. Or if you don't want to wait until you have enough blue jeans, this one is available for purchase here!

Next time! :)

--Ann

Early Creative Influences

Growing up I was surrounded by people who created. My mom sewed clothing and crocheted doilies, especially with fine thread. My sister and I both learned to sew, knit, crochet and embroider. My grandmother did tatting. My aunt had stacks of magazines that I loved looking through while visiting. None of my immediate family were quilters.

hand piecing hexagons

School trips were supervised by mothers who often brought along their own handwork while they waited for us to learn or do whatever it was that we were doing at the time. One mom in particular would bring her hand-stitched fabric hexagons that she turned into beautiful tea cozies for church bazaars or wedding shower gifts. Another mom made beautiful rag dolls. A neighbour I babysat for had a basket filled with quilting magazines that I would page through rather than watch TV.

Antique butterflies - personal collection

Stories about the wild west and life of the early settlers fired a desire in me for learning to quilt. My first quilt was made with my mom with clothing from my Oma. Just a plain charm square quilt filled with memories. I don't know what ever happened to that quilt - it likely ended up as a picnic blanket and used until it was thread bare.

Quilting took a backseat until I was married and expecting a baby. My first quilt made on my own was made from squares of embroidered animals alternating with solid red and blue squares. It was used for both my first and second sons and fell apart somewhere along the way from much use and washing.

Double wedding ring - personal collection

My next quilt was an ambitious double wedding ring quilt made from leftovers from my sewing basket and scraps I scavenged from my mom & sisters. This quilt was entirely sewn and quilted by hand. I learned that I needed to think about better sources of fabric if I wanted to keep quilting as the poly cotton pieces I used disintegrated rather quickly.

---Ann

Embroidered Tea Cozies

Embroidered Tea Cozy

These have been in the creative works for a while. How that works for me is first I'm inspired by something. For these tea cozies, it was a photo on Flickr from Patchwork Pottery of a red and white tea cozy with an embroidered saying around the bottom edge.

Inspiration from Patchwork Pottery

This tea cozy has been in my favorites for a few years and in the meantime, I've been collecting tea related quotes and sayings that might possibly work as part of a tea cozy.

Planning the embroidery

 Next was to bring on my best hand writing - not an easy task as I rarely write by hand and if I do, it's a mixture of printing and handwriting that changes from day to day and mood to mood.

Stitching

 After tracing the handwriting onto a piece of plain cotton (this is just off-white), I start to embroider a simple back stitch. I have tons of embroidery floss left from my cross stitching days, so I won't run out any time soon!

Putting fabrics together

 Then I pick out fabrics for the patchwork above the stitching.

Finished Tea Cozy

Last, I quilt both sides and sew it all together.

Tell me what you think? Should I make more? What colors do you like?

--Ann