max's grandma

Do any of you make jean quilts, if so how do you make them

GrammaNan

With sturdy needles! I have made a few small quilted items out of denim. Personally I like to make crazy quilts. I make purses out of children's jeans etc. They get very heavy but they last forever!

raptureready

Denim is heavy so anything you can do to offset the corners is good. Rectangles are good then offset the corners (like a brick wall) or squares done like that is good. Then tie them, they're too heavy to quilt. You also might want to use a sheet blanket or very lightweight batting inside.

yolanda

I make rag quilts with denim & flannel. I also saw a really cute denim crazy pieces quilt with some little pieces of velveteen (i think?) and it was tied rather then quilted, I assume because of the weight. If I can find a photo I will post as it was really cute. Search for 'circle denim quilt' and you'll find a nice pattern for a quilt from denim circles.

quiltinghere

I have a collection of 6 1/2" squares of old jeans going.

Sorry haven't put them together.

BKrenning

I cut up a bunch of old jeans into 6.5" circles, 5 or 6 of hubby's old workshirts into 4.125" squares and some scraps of cotton batting into a smidge less than 4" squares and made a faux cathedral windows throw size quilt for hubby. He wanted something heavy to put over his achy legs at night. Here's where I got the idea: http://www.equilters.com/library/jea...gallbaros.html

There are some more ideas here: http://www.straw.com/quilting/articles/bluejeans.html

They are heavy though so I wouldn't recommend making one larger than sofa size so it can be washed easily. They make good car quilts, stadium blankets, picnic blankets and sleeping pads for toddlers.

Lady Shivesa

BK, that is a gorgeous blanket! :) I think my mom made a simple blanket one time with just denim squares from old jeans - nothing too complex, but it was cool. :) I embroider my jeans, but that's about all I've done with them personally.

Butterflyblue

I have backed a quilt with denim, which I quilted by machine. Used a jeans needle and cotton batting. I really liked the way the quilting showed up on the denim, sort of sculptural.

So maybe try a couple of potholder-size quilt sandwiches and see how you like different combinations of batting and backing, etc.

I want to do another quilt with denim to keep in the trunk of my car, but I think it's pretty far down the list right now, and i need to save up more old jeans, anyway.

Butterflyblue

Aha, I found a picure of it. The center strip wasn't denim but a sort of canvas-type home dec fabric.

I made it using the quilt-as-you-go technique, and that may have helped keep it more manageable for machine quilting.

walen

I love your quilt! I looked at the site you gave us and am inspired to make one, too.

I have about 35 pairs of jeans in sizes that start at a woman's 16 and go down to a 4. I had been thinking that I would gain back the 60 pounds that I lost, so I've kept all of the sizes of jeans that I wore. My weight has been stable for almost two years now, so I think it is time to just cut them up and make a quilt!

Doctors found that I have some food sensitivities. When I eliminated corn and wheat from my diet, the pounds just vanished. Pretty amazing to have lived 62 years continuously fighting weight gain before finding this out. It sure would have been nice to know this in my 20s or 30s, better late than never, sigh.

Now, back to all those jeans...LOL!