WITH THE CURRENT DRIVE to be green and spend less money, thrift-store shopping is now eco-chic. But what if those Gap skinnies or Seven bootcuts don't fit, are out of date, or are just revolting? Don't die of barfness — reconstruct.
Did Levi Strauss have skirts, appliques and raw hems in mind when he invented jeans? Nah, but redoing denim makes sense. Denim "has a distinct American history," says San Francisco designer Scatha G. Allison, author of "Jean Therapy" ($20, Quarry). "It's designed to be worn until it falls apart," meaning blues that've outlived their hipness are ripe for rehab.
Choose jeans that fit you, either from your stash or a thrift store. Make sure the denim is in good shape, with no rips or holes. A sewing machine, scissors and heavy-duty needle and thread are musts, say Allison and fellow jean-revival queen Karen Kormondy of Capitol Hill store Ipso Crafto (733 Eighth St. SE; 202-546-4329). Kormondy also just wrote a DIY book, "Denim Mania" ($20, St. Martin's).
20080509-jeanskirt-300v.jpgThen relax! Use a pattern, or don't: Many "Jean Therapy" projects require just adding ruffles or embellishments. Kormondy tells newbies to start by turning full-length jeans into capris, then go on to other easy stuff like morphing jeans into a skirt. Then decorate with sequins, paint or iron-on patches from the craft store.
And loosen up: "The more original it looks, the better" says Kormondy. "Nobody's measuring your stitches."
20080509-jeanshirt-300v.jpg» Gored Skirt: Adapted from a pattern in "Jean Therapy"
Time: About four hours
A super-flattering shape goes anywhere. Cutting the pattern pieces turned out to be the most time-consuming part of this enterprise; we also used denim from three smaller pairs of jeans, rather than the XXL the book calls for.
» Puff-Sleeve Shirt: Adapted from a pattern in "Denim Mania"
Time: About three hours
This shirt, a thrift-store find, takes on a new flirty dimension with denim sleeves and a pocket lifted from the back of an icky pair of jeans. A little elastic keeps arms together. With a sewing machine, stitching time's cut in half. We hand-stitched the whole thing to prove we could, but by no means are you required to be as stubborn.
Did Levi Strauss have skirts, appliques and raw hems in mind when he invented jeans? Nah, but redoing denim makes sense. Denim "has a distinct American history," says San Francisco designer Scatha G. Allison, author of "Jean Therapy" ($20, Quarry). "It's designed to be worn until it falls apart," meaning blues that've outlived their hipness are ripe for rehab.
Choose jeans that fit you, either from your stash or a thrift store. Make sure the denim is in good shape, with no rips or holes. A sewing machine, scissors and heavy-duty needle and thread are musts, say Allison and fellow jean-revival queen Karen Kormondy of Capitol Hill store Ipso Crafto (733 Eighth St. SE; 202-546-4329). Kormondy also just wrote a DIY book, "Denim Mania" ($20, St. Martin's).
20080509-jeanskirt-300v.jpgThen relax! Use a pattern, or don't: Many "Jean Therapy" projects require just adding ruffles or embellishments. Kormondy tells newbies to start by turning full-length jeans into capris, then go on to other easy stuff like morphing jeans into a skirt. Then decorate with sequins, paint or iron-on patches from the craft store.
And loosen up: "The more original it looks, the better" says Kormondy. "Nobody's measuring your stitches."
20080509-jeanshirt-300v.jpg» Gored Skirt: Adapted from a pattern in "Jean Therapy"
Time: About four hours
A super-flattering shape goes anywhere. Cutting the pattern pieces turned out to be the most time-consuming part of this enterprise; we also used denim from three smaller pairs of jeans, rather than the XXL the book calls for.
» Puff-Sleeve Shirt: Adapted from a pattern in "Denim Mania"
Time: About three hours
This shirt, a thrift-store find, takes on a new flirty dimension with denim sleeves and a pocket lifted from the back of an icky pair of jeans. A little elastic keeps arms together. With a sewing machine, stitching time's cut in half. We hand-stitched the whole thing to prove we could, but by no means are you required to be as stubborn.
