Do you hang onto Jeans for-ever?

If you do, perhaps making a denim quilt is for you! So, I save all my worn out jeans and when I've got a good stack, my mom or I decide to make a new denim quilt.

It will surprise you how much denim it actually takes, so we generally supplement w/ buying jeans from local thrift stores--the jeans that they don't want to sell. They're getting a second life in a quilt instead!

The first step (after washing) is to cut away all thost thick jean seams to give yourself the most workable pieces of jean left....namely the legs. Cut these pieces into the size square you want (I generally stick around 5 1/2" to 6 1/2"). I've never done anything more complicated that choosing one size of block & making them all the same.

Once you have your stack o' squares: lay them out in a pattern that appeals to you. This is where I have fun playing w/ color tones! Then sew your blocks together in that pattern.

Now that you've sewn your top together....feel how heavy that is! Wow. Since, denim is such a heavy material I opt to not put any batting inside. Instead I purchase a flannel that I like and prep it (wash & dry) for my backing. Lay your flannel on the floor and center your denim top over it. I then tie the top and bottom together using scrap pieces of yarn (the only bit here not recycled is the flannel & thread!).

To finish the edges, I then cut the flannel to an equal distance around the edge of the denim top (probably a good four to five inches out), fold it over to the top and sew it down on the machine.

Old jeans make the best blankets for cold winter days ever!