The Refashioners 2016: Erin

I used the legs of two pairs of jeans to create the fabric for the vest, which is essentially an open-front poncho.

The fabric panels for the vest portion of the jacket were simply the legs of the jeans. Bonus: you now have some jorts to wear in the summer, if that’s your thing.

Simply trim the pieces of fabric until they are identical in size, and you’re ready to start sewing.

I lined-up the bottom hems of the trousers to create the bottom hem of the vest. Face the fabric inwards and sew both the two pairs of panels together horizontally across the top edge. These are the two shoulder seams.

Now that the shoulder seams have been sewn, we’ll sew up the back of the jacket. Place the two long panels RS together and sew along the back, stopping short of the shoulder seams.

Now you have created an open-front poncho. You can stop here and ponder different variations. The remaining edges can be finished and worn as a vest.

You can leave an opening for the collar and continue sewing down the front for a top, or you can add  sleeves to create a jacket…

Which is what I did! I decided to get a bit adventurous and used two more trouser legs to create the arms for a jacket. I cut the fabric in such a way that I was utilizing the finished hems of the trousers as much as possible while constructing my jacket. (they ended up being my cuffs)

Simply line-up your trouser leg with the shoulder seam, pin it in place, and sew it on. Once those have been attached, you can sew the side seams and finish the front edges.

 As a very optional last step, I decided to use a natural indigo dye to create a single deep blue shade for the entire garment, but this isn’t really necessary if you start with a pair of dark wash jeans.

And there you have it!  A simple denim poncho jacket ready to wear!

The fun part is that you can do the same with a closed front if you prefer a shirt, or you can skip adding the arms for a shorter length vest or top. Hope you enjoy!

Gloriously simple right?!! The earliest clothes were made from simple rectangles of fabric and while clothes have gotten alot more complicated construction wise since ancient times; the appeal of simple styles and shapes has endured through it all. If anything it’s seen a significant resurgence in recent years. Refashions (sewing in general in fact) needn’t be complex. It’s all just shapes sewn together. So start with simple rectangles, (conveniently you have some sat right there in the legs of those unloved jeans!) sew them together in different configurations, try stuff….see what happens 😉

You can find Erin here or here. And if you’re inspired to get your refashion on and enter the Community Challenge and be in with a chance of winning some epic prizes…DO IT! Deadline for entries is 30th Sept. Midnight GMT.

….I think you’ve got the idea now right? Essentially we want you to refashion some jeans! (You can find the full details/small print of the brief here). BUT, if you want to be in with a chance of winning one of these amazing prize packages you need to SHARE that refashion with us in one of the following ways:

• On Instagram: Share a pic using the hashtags #therefashioners2016  and #jeanius
• On Pinterest: There is a community board here where you can pin your makes. (You will need to request an invite to join)
• On Facebook: There is a community board here where you can post your makes (You will need to request an invite to join)

Only entries shared via the above 3 methods will be entered into the competition. Closing date for entries is 30th September 2016 Midnight GMT. Good luck!!