https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/denim-blanket-from-upcycled-jeans • Posted by J. Pario
This very heavy blanket is designed for the chilly basement during the winter and picnics during the summer. (Or I might put it under a nicer blanket to keep the nicer one clean while picnicking.) It’s quite roomy for two people. This is NOT the easy way to make a denim blanket. That would be to cut squares of identical sizes and sew them together. But I thought this looked cool.
This very heavy blanket is designed for the chilly basement during the winter and picnics during the summer. (Or I might put it under a nicer blanket to keep the nicer one clean while picnicking.) It’s quite roomy for two people. This is NOT the easy way to make a denim blanket. That would be to cut squares of identical sizes and sew them together. But I thought this looked cool.
Pick jeans of a similar size. If your plan is to use the blanket for picnicking, I wouldn’t worry if the jeans are stained a bit here and there. That way, it won’t matter if you spill :). I used 11 legs and therefore six pairs of jeans. If you cut them wider than I did you might be able to get by with less. (I figured how half way through that I could cut them wider than I had been.)
Cut the inside of the leg (aka the inseam) of the jeans.
Spread the legs flat. Now you need to cut wedges like the petals of a flower. You can do a bunch of geometry and make patterns, etc, but here’s my advice: 1. Pick a consistent width at the ankle (bottom), the part that will be in the center circle. 2. Make each wedge as wide as you can without changing that width at the ankle. (Mine was 8 inches.) 3. Cut so there is a seam from the original jeans running from the top to the bottom of each wedge. It looks cool that way, and adds consistency.
Layout your wedges. Keep cutting jeans until you have enough wedges for a circle. (If you can do geometry, you can figure all this out beforehand, although each pair of jeans will be slightly different.)
Iron your wedges. If you don’t, you’ll sew the wrinkles in place.
Before sewing the wedges together, decide what you want to do with the top part of each wedge. You could cut them off for a tidier, but smaller, blanket which would need a finished edge when you are done. You could make half-circles of fabric to sew in that empty space. Or you could do what I did and serge the edges to keep them from unraveling, leaving half-circle gaps along the outer edge of the blanket. Decide this before sewing your wedges together. It is MUCH easier to serge edges when they are not sewn together—trust me!
Sew your wedges together, right sides together. I used a serger. (I wouldn’t put my sewing machine through that kind of heavy-duty work.) Sew half of them, making a half-circle. Then set that half-circle aside and sew the other half separately. Then sew the two sides together. Trust me—this will make it easier to get everything aligned. Otherwise you may end up with a shape where your ends won’t come together without massive amounts of wrinkling.
Now for the random patchwork center. My advice: Don’t do what I did. Do neat strips or squares. Much easier and the center will lie more flat. In either case, you need to know how big to make your circle. Spread out your denim circle-with-a-hole-in-it on the floor, as far spread out as it will go over a piece of newspaper. Trace on the newspaper the outline of the area your center piece needs to cover.
Create a patchwork center using the method of your choice. Make sure it extends 3-4 inches beyond the empty circle that it will fill. That will great aid in sewing it into place.
Finish the edges on the patchwork center. I serged mine. Not sure why it come out rectangular.
Pin the center in place. I didn’t want my sewing machine to go over those thick hems at the ankles of most jeans so I just pinned the center so I was sewing it above the former ankles. Remember, when the blanket is facing up, you don’t want to see seams, so the “right” side of the center will be pinned to the “wrong” side of the jeans circle, so that both “right” sides will be visible at the same time.
Sew the center to the bulk of the blanket with your sewing machine.
Finish your ends, which you will find everywhere. I used a tapestry needle to thread the extra threads back into the seam. (Best tip ever—Thanks, Carla!) Do not use a regular needle, as it will not work. (A tapestry needle has a wide eye and a blunt end instead of a sharp, pointy one.) Enjoy! Please let me know if you have questions.