Whiplash/Jeans part 1

I decided to make a rug for whip-ups whiplash recycled project which turned into two projects. First I collected a lot of jeans, not hard since I have kids who keep wearing theirs out. Then cut off the legs to make three inch wide strips. I wanted rows of colors, but with little kids there just isn't enough jean material in one pair of pants to make a complete row, so each row is a scattering of different colors. I just tossed them into a big tote to mix them all together. This was great fun for the kids.

Then I just sat down and started sewing; the kids would grab random pieces for me to sew into real long stripes. When I got about thirteen pieces sewn together, I would fold the strip in half length wise and wind it up into reels. This way a lot of yardage was ready to braid.
Next I just started the braiding. After a few yards were braided, I figured out the length I wanted the rug to start at. To get that measurement you take the measurements of the room you want to fill. Take the length and width and find the difference; that is your starting length for the center of the rug. Next I started to stitch them together to form the rug. I will not be able to complete this before whiplash ends; that will take many more weeks, but the idea is here and it is started. I think this would be a nice rug for a little kids' play room. This way if they spill something on it, it isn't a big deal, like my nice big wool rugs that I made which need special care. This can just go to the dry cleaners.

Because I was only using the legs of the jeans in the rug ,I still had the top half to do something with. I decided to make a quilt out of just the pockets, both front and back pockets, and any that where on the side of the legs, too. The layout when all complete will be nine pockets by eighteen pockets. I think once this top is done it will be good to use any scraps left to make a jean back for it and tie it. This will make a really big, thick picnic blanket so the cold doesn't go through. It could also make a real nice kid's blanket. If your kids are like mine, every stuffed animal in the room is on their bed. Maybe they can tuck a few of the little ones in the bottom pockets (no pun intended, I meant the ones at the end of the bed or sides, hanging off) and they won't have to clean up so much all the time. If I had made it shorter I could have made hooks to hang over their bedroom door and they could have put their Barbies in it for safe, visible storage.

The only things I didn't figure out how to use up was all those zippers. The labels from the jeans are also used; they are being sewn on to the quilt.
Part 1: this is it
Part 2: February 16: Update on rug progress here.
Part 3: February 17: Update on rug progress here
Part 4: here
Part 5: here
Part 6: here the end

Update Jan 6, 2009: Since finishing this post almost two years ago I have made a series of tutorials on how to actually make the rug not just how my rug grew if you wan tot make your own go tot the tutorial here.

whipup