The Madewell Denim Recycling program offers a simple and eco-friendly way to recycle old jeans, jackets, and other pieces. The program helps transform old denim into new products, such as housing insulation, pet beds, and food packaging. The denim is returned to its natural, original fiber state, cotton, preparing it for the insulation process. The process involves collecting old denim garments, shredding them into small pieces, and blending the fibers with new cotton to create a new fabric.
The Blue Jeans Go Green™ program helps keep textile waste out of landfills and helps build communities around the country. By recycling worn denim into insulation, the program keeps textile waste out of landfills and helps build communities around the country. The program also aims to create the most sustainable baby collection ever made.
To recycle old jeans in the UK, one can visit Mud Jeans, Nudie Jeans, Baukjen, local charity shops, Vinted or eBay, and Blue Jeans Go Green. They will resell or recycle the jeans into housing insulation, and customers who bring them in will receive $20 towards their next pair. The program aims to create a sustainable and eco-friendly way to recycle old denim and contribute to the environment.
📹 How Millions Of Jeans Get Recycled Into New Pairs | World Wide Waste | Insider Business
We make more than a billion pairs of jeans every year. Like most clothing, the vast majority ends up in landfills. In Pakistan, which …
How can jeans be sustainable?
The cultivation of organic cotton, which is achieved through the exclusion of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, has been demonstrated to result in a reduction in water consumption and chemical usage. This approach has been shown to promote the health of the soil and enhance biodiversity. Additionally, water-saving techniques, such as ozone washing, are employed in conventional denim finishing procedures.
Can you put denim in the recycling bin?
Clothing and textiles contribute to the environment by emitting 26. 2 million tonnes of CO2 in the UK last year. Most items can be easily recycled or reused, but not all items should be thrown in the household recycling bin. To reduce clothing and textile waste, consider being a smart saver, renting clothes for special occasions, buying disposable fashion items that won’t quickly go out of style, and following laundry instructions carefully.
Rinse spills immediately to prevent stains. To save money, consider buying items that won’t date or go out of fashion quickly, and follow laundry instructions carefully to reduce the need for replacement items.
How can jeans be repurposed?
This article offers 14 ways to repurpose old jeans, including creating funky cocktail napkins, creating a twisted denim headband, transforming old jeans into potholders, creating craft bins for holding supplies, wearing a’shabby chic’ denim-wire bracelet, and creating a heart-shaped corner bookmark. The author expresses their discomfort with discarding old jeans, feeling like rejecting an old friend, and the guilt of throwing them out.
They suggest repurposing them, as denim is a tough, resistant fabric that can be used for various purposes, such as making a twisted headband, turning old jeans into potholders, and creating a heart-shaped corner bookmark. The author emphasizes the importance of preserving the integrity of old jeans and avoiding unnecessary waste.
Why are jeans hard to recycle?
Denim is a blend of polyester and nylon, a sturdy cotton fabric made from cotton plants. It is a versatile material that can be made more comfortable by providing flexibility. However, it is harder to recycle due to the separation of the two threads. Denim is made by spinning cotton plants into yarn, which is then turned into denim using a twill weave. The yarn is off-white in its natural form and dyed using indigo dye to achieve the blue color commonly associated with jeans and denim products. Denim was first produced in France in 1853 and gained popularity in the USA after Levi Strauss began making trousers for miners. The true cost of denim and its sustainability are not well understood.
How are jeans recycled?
Recycled denim is a sustainable fashion practice that involves collecting old denim garments, shredding them into small pieces, and blending the fibers with new cotton to create a new fabric. This process reduces waste and conserves resources by giving new life to discarded clothing. It can be used to create bags, shoes, and home decor, while maintaining its durability and unique texture. The practice has been around since the 1970s, and advancements in technology have made it easier to recycle denim fabric.
Recycled denim is versatile and can be used in various merchandise categories, including apparel, bags, accessories, home goods, packaging, bottles, mugs, office supplies, tech accessories, care products, food and drinks, gifts, and print materials. This circular and environmentally friendly approach to fashion production promotes a more circular and sustainable fashion choice.
Is denim good or bad for the environment?
Denim manufacturing releases 40-65 L of effluent per kilogram of denim, contributing to 20 percent of the world’s water pollution. The increasing demand for sustainable denim is due to the growing awareness of health and environmental concerns linked to conventional denim processing. Research is crucial to explore alternative methods to reduce the environmental impact of these industries. This review examines sustainable ways to produce denim, considering the challenges faced by the denim industry.
Current advancements in environmentally friendly dyeing techniques, such as indigo production from bacteria and digital spray, microbially assisted dyeing, and foam dyeing denim with indigo, are discussed.
Environmental friendly finishing methods for denim garments include ozone fading, e-flow, enzyme-based bleaching, water, laser fading, and more. The review also discusses how chemical and mechanical processes used to finish denim may affect the amount of microplastics and microfibers released during domestic washing.
The importance of sustainable denim processing is emphasized, as it can be rethought, reevaluated, renewed, and restructured within the scope of conventional denim processes while considering eco-responsible solutions for increased environmental sustainability. Population growth, land use, and resource demands are major contributors to environmental destruction, with global warming and climate change resulting from deforestation.
Is recycled denim sustainable?
Recycled denim is a sustainable alternative to virgin denim, as it eliminates the water-intensive cotton growing process and keeps scraps out of landfills. Denim has a rich history in the United States, defining American blue jeans, apparel, tent canvas, upholstery, and accessories. Made from cotton or cotton blends, it has a distinct weaving method, contributing to its durability and long-lasting quality.
Denim’s unique dyed threads and fading method are defining characteristics. The history of denim in America begins with Levi Strauss, the founder of the first company to manufacture denim jeans. However, the classification of denim as a sustainable fabric is less clear.
What is the use of denim waste?
Waste jeans, a significant portion of textile waste, are a cotton-rich material that could serve as a sustainable raw cotton source to address the shortage in cultivated cotton. These jeans could be used to create new goods and contribute to the sustainable production of new goods. The use of cookies on this site is governed by copyright © 2024 Elsevier B. V., its licensors, and contributors.
Is recycled denim safe?
Recycled denim represents a healthier alternative to traditional clothing due to its lack of emission of volatile organic compounds or formaldehyde, which can pollute indoor air, and its absence of a carcinogenic warning label.
How can denim be recycled?
To recycle denim, consider making new clothes, creating bags or purses from jeans, donating to Rag and Bone, Madewell, or Slow Art, and reducing waste. Denim takes up 5% of all landfill space, and every pair of jeans takes 1, 800 gallons of water to make. Instead of sending it to the landfill, consider upcycling it.
One way to upcycle denim is by making new clothes. If jeans are worn out or you’re looking for something new, cut them into shorts or make a quick pair of jeans shorts. This method is ideal for wearing a single pair of jeans throughout the seasons. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that denim takes up 5% of all landfill space.
📹 Jeans Repurpose Ideas ~ DIY Denim Projects ~ Repurposed Denim Jeans ~ Denim Sewing Projects
MY BOOTH LOCATION: Walnut Creek Antique Mall 4872 McKinley Place Dr. Walnut Creek, OH 44687 AFFILIATE LINKS (doesn’t …
I love all of your creations, I love denim. And I loved when your cat was playing on the blanket, it looked sooo loveable how you would gently pick him or her up so you could work. Sooo sweet. You are very talented and I’ve watched some of your other diys. If I haven’t already subscribed, I will now. Thank you for sharing.
I love every one of these projects. I am thinking the apron would make a good gardening or craft apron (because of the pockets). I LOVE the throw but in the picture of you setting with it placed over your lap, made me picture a really cute prairie style maxi skirt. There is no end to what you can make with recycled blue jeans.
What a nice gift…the Bernini sewing machine given to you! Bernini was the brand one of my sister in laws, who is a professional seamstress preferred. Mary your article is inspiring and timely as my husband has been losing weight and I will soon have some clothes to sift through for “recycling” projects. Denim is such a versatile fabric to repurpose!
What a lovely article!! It is very inspiring to see you used the old jeans. I’ve made quilts like that in the past and sold them. But then I put my machine away. But even the pot holders make me want to get it back out! Thank you for keeping your mind looking ahead and bringing new/ old ideas to us every week! Love your articles and you and your family!
So cute! What size needle did you use? Did you use a thicker thread? And the same thread in your bobbin? I have a little stash of denim but my sewing machine tends to act up if I don’t have just the right thread and needle and some parts looked really thick to sew through. Anyway, your projects turned out darling!
Good morning! You are so creative, Mary! Seeing you at your fire pit made me wonder what you did with your grandfather’s work table that had been there when you redid the area earlier. I thought I remembered you saying you didn’t know what or if you were going to repurpose it. Just curious. Thank you for sharing your inspiration with us!
You are amazing!! I’m sure you’ve made skirts from jeans as well, they’re pretty cool. Not sure my machine would sew denim, not the best. I dreamed one night I was making a valance out of the tops of jeans for a little farmhouse boy. Kept everything intact and ran the rod through the belt loops, bandanas were tucked into the pockets. My best ideas come during dreams!!
Mary your story of generosity when someone gave you a brand new machine just blows my mind! I love these jeans projects! I want to know how to sew with a machine. My mom wouldn’t ever let me touch her machine so I never learned. So ironically many years later, I have inherited her machine which she wouldn’t let me touch, I have it now but I don’t know how to use it 😏.
Mary. You are so incredibly clever. I love using old jeans as fabric for new things. I had a friend that would make teddy bears and stuffed bunnies from old jeans. I have also made a lot of potholders, they last forever. Thanks for your website, you are such an inspiration and your countenance is so pleasant and calming.
I love the apron! I do sew BUT still consider myself a beginner. I would LOVE a step by step article on how to make the apron. I know most sewers could just watch this article and figure it out but I cannot. ( Sad but true). Would love to make it myself but without more instruction I probably would be unsuccessful. If it was available in your Etsy shop I would buy it that’s how much I LOVE IT!!!
Hi Mary I just could not help but leave a message how much you always inspire me I’ve got a couple of potholders down there that I was just about to throw away until I saw this article I just wanted to tell you that one of a million reasons that I like you so much is because you do what you love and love what to do.
Mary …. THIS WAS GRAND ! Love each one of these ideas! I was laughing at your cat! I gave up sewing curtains, pillows, etc for people because I have 3 Maine Coon Kittens and 2 older ones….no way could/ or can I place the fabric on the floor and accomplish anything except belly laughs at their playfulness with my fabric! No matter what goes to the floor ( a sheet of paper, a sock for the laundry pile ) they are on it ! 😹 They do own all that is in the house ! LOL!!! Great, great article ! Have a blessed week Mary ! 🧡🧡🍁🍁🍁🍁🧡🧡
I am not creative, no matter how hard I try. So I live vicariously through you. When, if you ever do, feel like your articles don’t matter, just think of those of us who can’t do what you do & enjoy perusal you. I am just in amazement perusal you turn almost nothing into something grand. Keep up the good work. Also, congratulations on doing so well on your website that your husband can stay home & help you. I thing that is so neat. Good luck to you both in the future articles. Love ya.
Beautiful projects!! I’m working on a jean blanket that will lay at the foot of our bed which is similar to your blanket. Instead of cutting out squares, I have circles that I’ve made in cathedral windows with lacey fabric peeking through. It has been a larger project than what I originally thought. Glad I’m only making a short blanket rather than a full size king 🙂
WOW. This was genius. At first I was saying out loud, “Just sew the two removed pockets back together, making one oversized pocket, and sew them back on the front to cover the darker area.” But then I saw what you did, and it was fantastic!! Love, Love, Love. TWENTY THUMBS UP! The apron was my favorite project because I collect vintage aprons (never wear them). 🙂 But what was so insightful was how you simply cut the seams out of the pant legs. Amazing. Having to rip the thick, stitched seams of my jeans has kept me from altering them after losing weight. It never occurred to me to just CUT them out. That’s outside box thinking right there.
As a dog owner, that throw looks pretty dog proof and great for the couch. Dirty paws etc. won’t matter or will wash fine. Love the bag as well! Great idea to use an old pot holder as the lining for a new one with the denim. Beautiful workmanship on the apron and every piece. Very inspirational to watch. The cats were so funny. I always told my golden, “You’re not being a dog if you are not RIGHT in the way.” Looks like it is the same for cats. lol.
OMG, perusal this process makes me want to try. I was given a sewing machine and have always wanted to learn how to sew. I am now inspired to do a rag blanket as my first project. It won’t even a fancy fun and straight as yours, but the idea of using something I created would be a good feeling. As always, thank you Mary.❤️
WOWSERS IMPRESSIVE!! BRAVO!! Man these are so stinking cool. You should be making and selling them! I made jean purses and seen aprons and stuff before but never as pretty as these. I’m sick with the virus which we shall not name. LOL I did save this and I shared it with friends too!! 🕉️Namaste 🥰🐞🤗✌️
I have a box full of my husband’s old jeans. He passed away 13 years ago. At one point, I started cutting them into squares to make a quilt. I even kept a few of my boy’s acid-washed denim jeans from the 80’s. Things happened, project tabled, but this makes me want to resume that, now. Oh, I did finish one project. I made a Christmas stocking for my oldest grandson. Great projects! 🙂👍 P.S. Oh, very interesting. When you mentioned using 34 x 32 jeans…that’s what my husband wore.
Cool projects, I learned something new by seeing how you created the bottom on the tote bag, I didn’t know that. When we were younger I remember we used to make skirts out of jeans 👖 I they will turned out well. I looooved the blanket wow, who were thought 💭 of making a blanket with jeans 👖? of course Mary lol Thank you for the tutorial #grisellescakes
Mary, Is there anything you can’t do! 💙 I love the jean makeovers.. My favorite items were the apron and blue jean bag! I received your Book for My Birthday last Wednesday.. I think you spoke to my hubby.. he was panicking lol.. It did get here on time!!!!! I’m so excited to have it Mary. You’re a blessing to watch and you certainly have set the bar high when it comes to caretaking, You are the epitome of the Proverbs 31 Woman ✝️ love you from Florida💞⛱ Peggy Jacobs
On the throw you said you sewed every other square line to the duvet. In Both Directions? Or only the length? 🌹 So Creative!💖 I used to get down to you’re area from Sandusky at least once a year. Since I’ve had a leg injury it’s too much walking & I haven’t been since 2013. In fact I was there the day before my accident. I Miss Going!!! Such A Beautiful Area!!! 🌹💕
Mary, you absolutely knocked it out of the park, again! I’m always so impressed with the materials you “have on hand”! I hope someday you’ll make a article of how you decide what to keep/thrift/purchase, not knowing at the time, what your going to make with those items. I’m going to steal some of my husbands jeans, now! (And mine,too.😉) Your projects have inspired me to recover an ottoman in bluejeans patchwork! TFS!
I also loved your projects. I have a LARGE stash of jeans that I need to use. I am also Mary. A widow of 14+ years, former preachers wife, and just turned 80 in January! But I am a confirmed crafter, making things over, sewing, $ Tree, garage sales, etc, etc. I love your episodes. Also have some furniture I want to paint and decorate with IOD molds, etc.
Mary I really enjoy perusal and learning! I’ve been sewing. Awhile and I enjoy all your projects! Well when I get to watch. Denim projects Are my favorite. I love the Quilt so nice!! I’m retired now but I still have a studio at home. You are a blessing and an inspiration. I’m a collector of unusual Denim jeans.(thrift stores) I just have a few. I have always wanted to make a quilt. I also want a garden apron. Well thank you. I spent 42 years in my own shop sewing for others. Now I can play abit!! Lynda.
OMG! You are amazing Mary. Love them all! And you have given me the best idea. My dishes are the retired Pfaltzgraff Folk Art pattern (sort of a coffee with cream color with a denim blue print). Will start with that apron… then pot holders (have lots of oldies I can use for the center, as well), then have to do that throw… Then hmmmm… placemats, a table runner, chair cushions, kitchen towel tops, valance over kitchen window, pillow for entry chair, grocery bags, crocheted rug… OMG… the list could go on and on! Gotta run… headed to the second hand store for used jeans! 🙂 You just gave me a whole winter of new fun things I can do! Luv you!!!
These projects turned out beautifully and I loved perusal Pebbles and Twinkle “helping”. 😸 Your tote bag is so clever; even these small projects can be complicated. Thanks for doing all the figuring-out for us. I think I like your apron the best though—it looks so professional and “Country Classy.” You come up with the best ideas and the end result is always an inspiration to us. Thank you. 🌟 👍🏻
I’m always so impressed with WHATEVER you are creating! Lol love and appreciate your ingenuity and your willingness to share. Love that apron. I used to figure out how to create sewing projects using found materials but I was much younger then and had more passion for doing it. Now, I enjoy perusal YOU create! I just have more passion for other things these days.
Love how you left the raw edges to fray on your blanket! I’m making a quilt for bachelor adult son for Christmas. One side is cotton Dollar Tree bandanas in red, white and blue, washed a couple of times before sewing (shrinkage). He has a great kitty, but the hair! So, to make life easier (hair doesn’t stick so much to denim), I’m doing the opposite side with denim squares! Sewed two flannel sheets together, crisscrossing seams everywhere, for my batting! Will message you a pic when finished! Great article! 🥰
I just sat back in awe and watched you work your magic on all those old jeans. I don’t think there is anything that you can’t do? When I think about all that you do (woodworking, furniture restoring, painting, sewing, baking, cooking, cleaning, canning, gardening, decorating, and now designing (I’m sure I left out many other things too), my fingers just get tired from typing and yet your have unlimited energy. You are amazing and I love to watch your website. God Bless you and your family and Happy Fall!
Oh Mary, thank you thank you, what amazing pieces you made, I love everything, I so enjoy your articles ( don’t stop please) .We are experiencing the same weather depressing,but Mary you and your fur babies have cheered me up. They think everything is for them to play with, mine are the same🥰 There are kind people in the world, ypu to me are the KINDESS
Love all the projects! I like to re-cycle denim and other fabrics too. (Waste not, want not.) I made a slip cover for my daughter’s desk chair with six inch squares I’d saved from old jeans. One of my first sewing projects as a teen was a bag from jeans. For the apron check thrift stores for large sizes of jeans for a wider apron. Happy fall!
Love it all! I expected a Q&A article but am so glad you did this one. I have new ideas now to incorporate in my home. My color of paint is a winter white and my accent color is denim blue. Funny thing is I didn’t think of incorporating denim material – which I definitely will now. Hmmmm …. love that throw (which would look lovely with the warm fuzzy throws I have for my livingroom.) You’re my inspiration!
Great fun projects – sewing things from repurposed items is always fun. Loved perusal the cats, my old guy (lived to 17) would come from anywhere in the house to “help” me sew. He would be on my fabric, on my cutting table, right up at my machine. He would get very feisty when I tried to move him. The only way to get him to leave was to shake the vacuum cleaner hose, that guaranteed he would run and hide for at least 30 mins.
Absolutely adorable with your kitties playing on the floor with you. Mine are always near me when I am working on a project. My mother used to make rag quilts out of flannel fabric. (How many people asked you “what the ditch was” ? I knew. Great projects. Took me back to my teenage years when I would create things out of my jeans.
There you go again, getting me in trouble…….LOL LOL I have been wanting to do some jeans items for years and I think you’ve sent me over the edge and I NEED to do some of these. I am wanting to use heavy duty paint drop cloths with denim as well so I shall see how that turns out. Just completed outside table clothes for use and table runner and now it starts to rain ………sooooooooo this is just what I needed today. It’s rainy and a bit nippy so a in home project would be a good reason to take a little down productive time. LOL Mary, you are such an inspiration. I love each of your projects and you just are so uplifting! Blessings! Thank you so much for the sewing segment………love it!
That is the apron to wear next time you try your hand at WELDING Mary!!! Though now that John is working at home I’m sure you can sweet talk him into doing those jobs for you!!! He looks to be enjoying being home and it’s sweet to see you smile at him while you work! I have a small pile of jeans our son outgrew to make into projects – I think the bag idea is perfect! Thanks for sharing!
A quick tip — to cut squares quickly without pinning, to avoid shifting, use a piece of sandpaper to cut your template. Place the sandpaper template face down on the fabric when you are cutting it and the fabric will not shift. Your sewing machine must be heavy-duty to accommodate the denim material. Beautiful projects!
Do you never bring your cushions in off of your porch on your porch furniture? Let’s you let them get soaked in wet. Don’t they smell after a whi? Just would have thought you would have brought the man and said of letting them get wet anyway, it’s just, I thought that I had. I just thought. Maybe You must not do that
I make aprons as gifts and for sale. However, I have never made anything from denim, and since have several discarded pair of jeans, the time seems right. I will keep your article on my Pinterest Sewing Board and hope to start a family trend for our guys. All our guys enjoy their shops and grilling. I just know that your ingenuity will bring out lots of smiles. Also, the great thing about denim is that it looks better with wear. Thanks. New subscriber from the Alabama Gulf Coast.
You made one of kind items everyone would use and can make!! The tote is one I want to tackle, and apron was super cute!! Blankets are always a great gift to make and give!! I would love to see you make a denim mid length skirt from old jeans!!! I have bought them but they flare out in the back (long length) which I don’t like that…so I thought you could give me tips and inspiration if you ever need an idea for repurpose jeans again…Tfs love the ideas and items made!!! 💕👍😎🇺🇸
Your such a good sweet person and I love knowing there r good people in this world .I raised my children by myself because their Dad had passed away .I met so many good descent people in times that I thought We just wouldn’t be ok,times when the power got cut off r We wouldn’t have a place to live .I’m so blessed to have the people We had in Our life and Thankful to God for helping Us through .God Bless U and Yours and thank y so much for all U do .
I have been perusal sewing articles for years and your article by far is best! Calming, informative and interesting ! So many people doing articles won’t use pins just trying to show off and they end up teaching bad habits to new sewers! You’re very creative with your stash of jeans and I admire you. I have to watch articles for ideas because I am not so creative intuitively. I have seen many Jean purses over the years, I’m older, but never seen one I liked. But yours I liked! Thanks so much for your work I will be following you and looking forward to seeing your past articles and new ones!😉
I enjoy perusal how resourceful you are and not wasteful. I live in Palm Beach Fl. You should see how much folks just toss out into the road for the garbage. Brand new items. I wish you were my neighbor lol. Nothing would go to waste. You’ve inspiring me to be better and I’m gonna start picking up some of these items that are tossed out and donate them. They don’t even donate here! So frustrating. So much money. Million dollar mansions and so wasteful.
I agree with you, the world is full of good people. We would all do better if we could always focus on the good. I have always said that light attracts light. Keep the light shining! BTW, Bernina was always my choice in our sewing lab at college. I haven’t sewn in years, but I just may start again….my husband goes through jeans like nobody’s business. He will rip holes in the back but most of the fabric is still good. I hate to see good fabric go to waste. I am thinking aprons and totes. Even the scraps could be used by those of us that play with polymer clay…the denim scraps are great to use in a rock tumbler to polish polymer beads…ok, look at me going on!
I love how you made some items out of unused jeans. I once made a cushion cover out of my husbands denim jeans and kept the spare off cuts for another projects. The cushion is strong and we still use it.Today while I’m recuperating from a broken metatarsal, I’ve been catching up on your vlogs and hand sewing some new bath mats into cushions for the autumn and winter. One down two to go. 🤣. Thank you for sharing your ideas. I love your apron, pot mats and especially your trendy bag!
I love these projects. I also love that you are like me and just kind of wing it when you do not have exactly what you need. How wonderful that someone gifted you that sewing machine. I have just a basic singer that I got nearly 20 years ago, but it is still going so I cannot justify buying an expensive machine. Thanks for the ideas. My boyfriend has a stack of old jeans with holes, now I know what to do with them.
FINALLY….DENIM IDEAS IN ENGLISH!! LOL!! I started perusal a bunch of “best of waste” and “recycle” foreign websites for inspiration. I have soooo many pairs of jeans I have saved over the years. (I initially planned on making a large denim rug, but haven’t gotten around to it. LOL!) I love perusal people from other countries make things, but it is so nice when I can understand the language when they show a product or something. I don’t know about others, but I love denim. It is so versatile and sturdy and goes with most everything. Plus, repurposed projects are my favorite! Your projects turned out so AWESOME!!! Can’t wait to try some of these!! Thank you for all your inspiration!
If I was able to at least make a functional bag it would be so satisfying. A sturdy book bag for trips to the library with my grandson, or anywhere, we have no use for a diaper bag anymore. Easy washing, great idea. I should start with something easier thought, I am not very experienced with my sewing machine. Thank you.
Thanks for another great article. It’s so nice to see someone sewing, I get really sick of seeing YouTubers hot gluing fabric. I have recycled so many jeans into purses and bags, I used to sell them. Maybe I will have to make some for my booth and see how they do. I haven’t sewed in a long time either but I really enjoy it, very gratifying to take a piece of fabric and make something.
Everything that you made is so cute. I like the blanket best. I like the inside of your bag–I have so many bags that are black inside and stuff really gets lost in the black hole, lol–like my black phone. So the fact that the tote bag has a light-colored lining is good 😀 And the cats are so precious!!
I looked through the comments and did not see anyone one suggesting this trick. I make rag quilts for baby gifts and if you really want the seams to fray, snip each seam allowance up to the stitching but don’t cut the stitches. Do that on all seams about every 1/4 inch. It takes awhile to do this, but it is worth it . I notice you made wide seam allowances, which is good for this technique. They make special scissors for fraying, but they are expensive. I did invest in a pair since I make so many quilts. I hope this makes sense if not I will try again to explain. If you wash it again after snipping the seam allowance it really frays. Charlene
May I make a suggestion that may make your life easier if you have not done so already? Find a place in your house where you can leave your sewing machine set up and ready for use at all times. Be sure to have or make a light- weight fabric dust cover for it and whenever you gotta stitch, large project or small, you just whip off the cover and ready to rock! Hope this is helpful!😊