Victoria Everman
A mainstay in wardrobes all over the world, denim has been around since the late eighteenth century. Strong and versatile, you can find all kinds of clothing and accessories made from this basic material, including tops, dresses, shoes, and jewelry. Home accents such as sofas and pillows are being covered in denim, helping to extend this fabric’s reach.
Sustainable denim made from organic cotton and using vegetable dyes have gained an immense following in just a short time on the market. Of course, if you take the other eco-shopping route and visit vintage and second-hand stores, you will find rows and rows of jeans that have been tossed aside (most likely because they don’t fit anymore).
Even after a stint in the pen, Martha Stewart is still as popular as ever. Thankfully, she has been promoting reduce, reuse, and recycle to millions of Americans. For the crafty and DIY among us, Martha’s website features a nice offering of denim transformation ideas, all of which are affordable and easy to complete. In the July/August 2007 issue of Blueprint magazine a spread on denim fashion is featured along with a couple of fantastic fashion options.
First up is their Denim Coverall Dress (shown in the accompanying picture), which can be easily adjusted depending on how long you would like the dress. To complete this project, all you need is a pair of work coveralls (which you could buy brand new, but you can easily find them for cheap at a vintage store), scissors, a sewing needle, and thread. In just an hour, you can have a long-lasting dress for those breezy trips to the beach or the cooler days of Fall and Winter (it would look great with a sweater underneath, organic cotton stockings, and some chic boots).
Second, Blueprint offers up a simple Denim Pocket Patch, adding a splash of color and personality to a basic denim shirt. Needless to say, finding a chambray denim button-up shirt at a vintage store is as easy as pie; you’ll also need a scrap of fabric you adore and fusible web backing (which is used in place of stitching, holds longer, and is available in most craft stores). Vintage fabrics are widely available online and in stores, but if you are looking for something more modern, check out my list of green fabric sellers on my website.
In an issue from two years ago, the ever-classic Martha Stewart Living Magazine also offered up a weekend full of denim crafts, including ideas for your wardrobe and home. This is just a small, Martha Stewart-driven, collection of just what is possible with the ever-present denim fabric. A simple search on Google will turn up thousands and thousands of websites with ideas and patterns for you to work from – your imagination is the only limit!
[Image courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia/Blueprint Magazine]
