The Lazy Girl's Way to Upcycling Old Jeans into Shorts

   I basically live in jeans, but I also have a pile that I never seem to wear. I decided to go through them and find ones that had a great fit at the waist and butt, but that I avoided wearing due to the leg cut or length. I found two pairs that seemed perfect for my go at upcycling my own jean shorts.

 Step One: Decide on the length you want, measure, cut and then serge along the hem (this is the lazy part- if you don't have a serger you'll have to do the good old double-fold and iron for your conventional machine).

    I decided that I wanted these shorts to be about mid-thigh, coming about 6 inches above the knee. The lighter colored pair I cut and serged at an 8" inseam, and the dark wash jeans I cut and serged at a 7" inseam. Adjust to make yours shorter if desired.

  Step Two: Turn jeans inside out, and iron a 1" hem.

Step Three: Stich decorative hem. I decided to do a double stitch using my double needle for the thinner, light colored jeans, and a single stitch for the heavy, dark wash pair, both sewn with my conventional machine. I used Jeans Topstitching thread to compliment the threads used in the original manufacturing.

Use the lines on your needle plate as a guide for a straight hem (I did 1" on both pairs). 

What the stitching looks like on the inside.

Voila! The perfect casual jean shorts that aren't showing off my butt cheeks and don't have the folded over edge like every pair made in stores nowadays! Next: Upcycling khakis and making some super cute short shorts :)

Simple Pincushion Tutorial

  Create this simple pincushion in only a few short hours. I used stuffing to fill mine, but you can also use sawdust if you prefer the thinker, crunchy texture that it provides. This is a great project for a beginner or if you want more practice sewing curves and smaller points. Please note that this is my first tutorial here, so excuse the half-ass pictures and simpleness of the project. When sewing becomes my full-time job I will happily create many more tutorials for you!

Materials Needed:

- Fabric scraps in up to eight colors (about 2.5" x 5.5" each)

- Embroidery floss and large needle

- Stuffing

- Needle for topstitching seam

- Button to decorate the top (optional)

1. Make a Pattern:  I like to use paper bags, or like here a piece of paperboard to make my patterns. This pattern is small enough that I chose a  scrap piece of paperboard because I do not need to stick pins in it to hold the pattern down while cutting,  something that is possible when using paper bags. The bottom of the pattern which is to be placed on the folded edge of fabric is 2.5" wide. The height from the fold is 2.5", with a half inch being straight up, and then going inward for 2". The top point should be about 1/4" wide. Cut 8 of these in your desired fabrics. 

2. Begin to Sew by Pairs:  Line up two pieces, right sides together, and sew along the edge starting from the very top and ending at the very bottom with about 1/4" inseam (use this seam allowance throughout the project unless otherwise noted). If you feel the need you may choose to iron the seams towards the darker color, but due to the size and type of the project I did not feel it was necessary and decided to save some time by removing this extra step.

3. Sew Two Pairs:  Now that you have four pairs, place one of the pairs right sides together against another. Pin along the edge to help hold the fabrics in place. Start and end at the points where your sewing began and finished from your first seam. Do the same with the other two pairs. When finished you should have two half spheres. 

4. Pin Both Halves: As always place right sides together from each half sphere. Place pins around the edges to hold in place. 

5. Sew to Create the Sphere:  Starting at one of the points, sew around the edges to create the sphere. **Important: remember to leave an opening in one side to turn the fabric out and then put the stuffing in. I left about an inch opening in the middle of one piece by stopping, backstitching, lifting the presser foot and going about an inch forward, and then starting and backstitching again. 

Turn the fabric out and this is what you should now have: a sphere with one small opening for stuffing. I like to pull along each seam to make sure that each piece is together well and doesn't need to be re-sewn before I stuff it. 

6. Fill the Sphere with Stuffing and Topstitch Hole:  Make sure that you make it nice and firm since you will be pushing lots of pins into it. This is why some people prefer the sawdust because it adds more bulk and is less likely for the pins to push through the other side. Use a color thread to compliment your fabrics and then topstitch the hole shut by turning the seams in. 

7. Decorate with Embroidery Floss and a Button:  Squeeze the pincushion in at the center and starting from the bottom use the large needle to pull the embroidery floss through. Pull the floss down at each seam, and then back up through the center of the bottom. If preferred you can just tie off the embroidery floss here, or you can add a small button like I did that compliments the colors of your pincushion. 

Viola! Your pincushion is now complete and ready to use :)

**Please note that all of my tutorials are for personal use only. They are not to be sold or distributed unless permission is granted.**