My Many Talents

The quilt. Not quite done. I have 3 more rows to go. The finished product will measure 112" by 96". It lays nicely on my bed and covers the sides, with a nice hang at the bottom. I still have to come up with some shams, but I haven't given them much thought.

When I started this project, I was just looking for a way to get rid of all the jeans that were not being worn by he who has shrunk in his old age. He would still put these jeans on and cinch them with a belt at his waist. Looked like culottes on him. Not a good look, especially on a man. The jean shorts were even funnier, as he has bird legs. I have never had that problem, remember, he who loves me once told me I had sturdy legs, like ..... bridge pylons. He is so very romantic, but that is not the story I am telling right now.

Back to all these jeans. I purchased some that actually fit him and removed all the ones that were too big. It was an impressive pile and made up over one third of the quilt. I acquired the balance at the thrift store, paying a buck a pair. I started out cutting 8" squares and realized I was losing a lot of fabric and added the 4" squares.

My family will tell you I am loathe to throw anything away. Nothing brings me more pleasure than making something useful out of something useless in it's original form. So, even with my thrifty use of scissors and measuring, I still had leftovers of these jeans. No way was I going to dispose of the zippers, so I tossed the remains in a large bag and set it aside to ponder in the night with my old friend, Insomnia. Insomnia and I have been known to come up with some very inventive ideas.

Jeans are made with flat-felled seams. This is the bulky seam that is 4 layers thick. Then there is the inseam,the hems and the waist bands. Pockets, too. Don't forget the pockets. The zippers are a no-brainer. You can never have too many zippers or buttons ..... and she who dies with most fabric wins.

I was lurking on Pinterest and saw that some enterprising person such as myself had designed some coasters out of the flat-felled seams of old jeans! But, I have no need of coasters with my double insulated glasses that do not sweat, and he who drags a huge bubba mug around like a baby drags his blankie. Not to mention the fact that I have miles of inseams and side seams.

So, here it is. A rug. Not big yet, but still growing. I just wound it round and round. I liked the look of it, but decided I wanted oval and just changed the shape. So far I am just using glue. I was going to sew it by hand, but quickly abandoned that idea when I realized just how hard it was to push that needle through all those layers. Now I think I will use carpet tape on the bottom and glue it to a piece of painter's canvas.

The quilt still has to be washed and dried, then all the threads clipped, But I like the look. It could be reversible, too. It has a nice weight. I like a heavy blanket, so this will be perfect. And denim wears well. Toni Louise is finally past her puppy chewing days. My last quilt has gnawed edges from her teething.

This is what Toni Louise chews on now. It looks like they are viciously fighting, but Mr. Martha loves his dog!

I will need to paint my bedroom and cover my headboard. You know how it is, get just one new thing, then everything has to change. In the meantime, I painted Oscar's portrait. It looks surprisingly like him! What do you think? Am I talented or what?