Refashioners 2016 – DIY Zip Front Denim Skirt

I was so thrilled and honored when Portia asked me to participate in the Refashioners this year. Then I got really nervous because the challenge was jeans. I was so nervous about creating something reminiscent of my grungy '90s days. I really wanted to make something that didn't obviously look like it was made from old jeans. Which let's face it, is not easy. 

I did a bunch of research and found a lot of inspiration from RTW clothing which surprisingly included a few two-toned pieces. I went through a lot of ideas but I'll let you read the whole story over on Portia's blog (including some refashioning tips!). 

 I used two pairs of jeans, one light and one dark. I used my skirt block to draft a new pattern that has 8 panels, each cut from one leg piece of the jeans. 

The aftermath. Now what to do with the scraps? A quilt? A fannypack? Haha I've been wanting to make a fannypack for a while. Of course, a very cool one though. :)

One of the pairs of jeans I used had a frayed hem and I used it for the front panel. It was tough to get it straight, I had to trim and wash a couple of times to get it right. 

I really love how the skirt turned out. And I love this pattern. It's something I'd really like to spend more time on. But enough about me! The more awesome thing about The Refashioners is that you can join in and you can WIN A BUNCH OF PRIZES. So, head over to the Makery for all the details, check out the other refashioners projects and harness your own jeanius. Happy sewing!