What to do with old jeans? Make a quilt!

What to do with old jeans and a ratty blanket? Make a picnic quilt!

One of my favourite memories of Fourth of Julys past include spending time in our family friends, the Willcuts', back yard eating homemade vanilla ice cream and lazing the day away on Grandma Willcuts' jean quilt, lovingly made at least 20 years prior. I remember hiding my not-quite-totally-used napkins in the pockets scattered throughout the quilt, while making sure I didn't sit on a jean rivet because they got amazingly HOT in the summer sunshine. This jean blanket went to the lake so we could lay on our backs while watching the fireworks light up the sky. More than once, I found myself wrapped up in it, papoose-style for the chilly post-fireworks walk home. I loved that blanket. It meant home and family and togetherness, mixed with a dash of ingenuity.

Fast-forward to last summer, when Matt and I pignicked on his yellow and white picnic blanket. I knew we could do better. Soon after, I started stockpiling jeans. A few from my dad, one special pair from his (deceased) dad, a pair of his (that ratty pocket in the picture above is his), a few pair of mine, and a couple of plus-sized pairs from a charity shop. They were quite the assortment: blacks and blues and greys. 

I kept the back pockets in tact and cut out 7" squares. From the "plain" squares, I cut triangles and started piecing the quilt together in random couplings. My serger was used for the entire project.

Sun-dappled and ready for pignicking! The top pocket was Matt's dad's.
The light blue pocket is Matt's and the dark blue with wooden button is mine.

The quilt in its entirety.

I really like how it turned out. Rushing only a little, it was ready for its unveiling THIS Fourth of July at my annual Croquet 'n Potluck celebration with friends. Both Matt and I love it, and look forward to using it in the years to come as we make our own happy celebratory memories.

Matt, on his new jean quilt.

Michele's Wedding Hat

In which I become a Mad Hatter

My cousin, Michele, is getting married in a few months. Since I'm the "crafty cousin", she asked me to make her wedding hat. I took on the challenge! After months of research and chatting with Lori, a very helpful local hatter, I purchased some buckram, stretch velvet and trim from the fantastic and amazing FabDepot and got to work! I really like the results, and more importantly, so does Michele!

 The wedding hat was copied from this hat. It's a vintage piece that was created some time in the 1940s or early 1950s. The trim is hand-beaded.

Original hat: back

Original hat: right

Original hat: left

The new hat was created from a single layer of buckram that was cut to size and molded onto a styrofoam head with steam from my sputtery iron. It was dry and shaped in less than 20 minutes. I followed John Koch's instructions from "Threads" magazine (it was the January 2011 issue, I think). Altogether, this was about 60 hours of work, all hand-sewn with a tiny needle and silk thread. 

 

New hat: left

New hat: right

New hat: back. She'll tuck her veil under the ornamental circles.

A sweet surprise inside: Michele's "something blue".