Long ago, I wondered why every pair of my jeans ended up with a hole in the left knee,
but NEVER the right. These are my favorite gardening jeans and at that time,
I diligently patched the left leg (shown *right* side above ) covering the patch with kantha stitches
in every shade of blue embroidery thread that was at hand.
(Click Mending with the blues to read that tale, if you wish).
Since then, another patch was added below the original ... some plaid from an old work shirt
... and more stitches to make it good & secure. Ooooh, it is strong.
Well, guess what has happened at last? I finally broke through
on the other leg!
So I pulled out the original pair of sacrificial jeans, cut a big wonking hole in the derriere
and stole one of its pockets this time.
The bottom edge of the pocket is going to rest right above where my knee bends, so it
should be perfect for surreptitiously stashing all manner of small things ...
seeds, plant labels, small clippers, dawg treats maybe (shhhhh).
And I thought I might venture out from straight kantha this time,
do a little exploring & experimenting.
Have you seen the needlework over at Tanglewood Threads? So worth a look-see.
I get inspired when I go over there.
Recently, I told Penny I would show her this brooch ... not round like hers,
but very similar in other ways. She's working on filling circles with stitches.
I think perhaps her brooch & mine might be kin
with their distinctive triad motifs and Celtic spirals ...
... something in common with this, too, I'd say,
which dawg & I found while walking tidelines.
I absolutely love what you're doing to patch those jeans! The seaweed spiral ain't bad, either!
ReplyDeleteI had been walking ahead of dawg & saw the spiral first. As she came walking forward I took a series of photos of her walking right into the center of it and out the other side ... she was clueless & I was thrilled. When I started playing with the apps to make the color effects & punched thru the images one by one, it was like a little video. Serendipity!
DeleteThanks so much for visiting, Connie.
j'ai plaisir de voir ces magnifiques broderies..pour m'inspirer ...
ReplyDeleteCe style de point de broderie est si fort... bon pour travaux de réparation, Elfi !
Deletelove the "kantha stitching" ... which I confess I had to google. turns out? running stitch. duh. I like the more ancient sounding version. we would make a great pair ... my right knee always goes out before my left. I think I was left-handed in a previous life. thank you for introducing penny. a fellow nova scotian. though on the other coast. stella grabs sea kelp and whips it side to side dancing along the sand. silly dawgs!
ReplyDeleteYou made me laugh, Jen ~ Isla wouldn't touch a piece of seaweed if her life depended on it! Unlike Quinn, who would probably mimic Stella's response ... silly indeed. And I like the "ancient" Kantha version, too.
DeleteSo glad you popped over to Penny's blog. Did you see the cavorting of her *rusty pups*? They are very playful & hold a large presence on her blog .. a good spot to visit for many reasons ;>]]
Pockets are pretty sturdy -- methinks that is a good part of the old jeans to patch onto the less old jeans! *smile*
ReplyDeleteMethinks so, too. In fact at this rate, I may cover the old jeans with many more pockets...so sturdy! The tricky bit is stitching the back side of the pocket patch onto the old jeans without stitching it closed in the process ~ challenging.
DeleteBack in the day I recreated my worn out jeans into other all things wearable. Pockets are a nifty repurpose.
ReplyDeleteI did that too, Nancy ~ did you ever take a pair of jeans and turn them into a skirt (with that big "V" shape in the front and back)? I think I made 3 of those. Also, notebook covers. Wish I still had them.
DeleteWonderful spiraling post! Thanks for the link to Tanglewood Threads... When am I going to start Kantha stitching?
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add that soon these jeans will be much too nice to wear for gardening... Your stitching is lovely!
DeleteI can't wait till you do start, Robin, we can have kantha marathons :>D
DeleteAnd I am just now starting to wonder if I'll actually wear these thru the gardening season...!
I love the way the color threads you picked and the rhythm of the stitches make your patches look completely integrated!
ReplyDeleteDee, you should FEEL these patches. I can't believe what the running stitches do to the fabric over time. No wonder this has been done since antiquity!
DeleteThe big kelp circle is a great image, with Dog adding to the effect! -sus
ReplyDeleteDogs add to EVERYTHING, don't you think, Sus?!
DeleteLove the darning and the pocket on your leg is a great idea! Celtic spirals -- great!
ReplyDeleteGreetings to you, Helen ~ thank you for visiting here.
DeleteWhen I saw that spiral, I about fell over...it was the only thing on the beach for about 1/4 mile (I have a thing for spirals as you can probably tell ;>]]
I appreciate the kind words!
love those jeans...
ReplyDeletelovin' more with every added stitch, Caterina....pretty soon I'm going to have frame them & just look at them, HA!
DeleteShade of blue and shades of blue... nothing fades and mellows quite like denim.
ReplyDelete...it's one fabric that will probably NEVER disappear from use. Stays tough while it gets soft ~ nice attributes ;>]]
DeleteLove your stitching on these jeans. Really beautiful. Your patience shows in this. I love so many stitches but denim makes my fingers hurt. I need to try to get used to a thimble I suppose, but I am stubborn about it.
ReplyDeleteSusan, you would laugh if you saw some of the gyrations I go through to pull the dang needle! I use a mini jewelry pliers!!
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