Jeans Coveralls Make Great Vintage Fabric for Sewing Projects

Trips to the fabric shops are full of eye candy.  Bolts of varying colors, textures and designs give me ideas and spurn my love of creating something from scratch.  However, unless there is a sale, I usually just browse because good fabric per yard can be pricey.  This is one of the reasons why I'm always on the hunt for vintage fabric.  And remember, fabric can come in many different ways.

Visiting a thrift store is a good start.  Prices are reasonable and the larger thrifts often carry a sewing section where you can find vintage fabric.  Browse the linen aisle because vintage bed sheets, comforters and blankets can be a source of fabric.  Clothing can also offer you exciting patterns and material not seen in today's market.

I'm a particular sucker for old, worn jean coveralls.  The varying degrees of wear are evident and I think that makes a story.

An old pair of coveralls yields quite a bit of fabric for projects such as my snowman pillows.   I started working on them last night.  I really never have an idea in mind until I start.  First I assemble the wool roving and use my Janome Needle Felting machine to create the snowman:

I then go through my collection of vintage fabric scraps.  In the past, I have purchased bulk pieces of fabric from eBay, but now I keep my eyes peeled for scraps at the thrift and antique stores.

Sometimes I find pre-cut fabric pieces that someone has assembled in hopes of making a quilt, but never getting around to it.  That's where I found the two fabric pieces I used in this pillow.

I cut a smaller piece of the fabric below for the ground and then I matched the color combination back to this 1940's floral fabric and cut out a flower hat for my snowman, or woman as it really is.  :)

Using a decorative stitch to sew the fabric on the pillow is always an added touch.

I placed two grommets on the neck of the snowman and used antique lace trim for a tie and then sewed the pillow together.

All that's left is to sew up the side seam! I like to keep some of the original seams showing in my work, so when I list this pillow, I'll take pictures to show the seaming that's at the bottom of the pillow.  The more stains and wear, the better I like the fabric when it comes to jean coveralls.

So if you enjoy sewing, remember to expand your horizons when looking for material in your next project.  To be even thriftier, open your closets and use what you already own!  It's mighty fun to repurpose fabric into sweet works of art.