Pick'n'Mix - the joy of the chaz in '26!

MrsCatz

But what do you do with old jeans?

Rosa_Damascena

Check out this Emma Bridgewater chazzer haul, including the IG posting: https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/woman-spots-emma-bridgewater-mug-37589365

beanielou

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82116481#Comment_82116481

Lucky them. Love EB.

Brie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82116354#Comment_82116354

Decades back I made a shoulder bag from an old pair of mine. Cut the legs off just below the crotch. Straps made from the legs. And another bit of leg used to create a flat bottom to the bag.

DigForVictory

Popped into local charity shop to see they had prominently displayed a Dolly LP & were debating what to put in a window display. "We're a bit short on rhinestones" came one view, and whilst I agreed, I suggested 'books?' (They only have two small shelves & a children's box on the shopfloor, it being a small shop, but the window display can just be refilled steadily.)
They may well have a basque & stockings, but that's harder to refill the window with. Though eye-catching beyond words…

suzeesu2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82116354#Comment_82116354

cut into strips and use to tie plants in garden.
cut the legs and make into bags
cut the legs, hem top and bottom, add elastic and make a tube for keeping carrier bags in - in at the top, out at the bottom
Cut the legs off and you have a pair of shorts
Cut very carefully around the patch pockets on the back, ensuring you keep the back fabric with the pocket, make sure it’s neat, add Velcro to the top and you have a change purse
Cut into strips, and make a rag rug

And I know there are tons more ideas xx

weenancyinAmerica

My mother made my brother a quilt of squares from old jeans. It was very heavy and warm. Several family members also have made picnic blankets with squares cut from old jeans.

Rosa_Damascena

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82117605#Comment_82117605

When you say quilt - was it stuffed with something? Or 100% denim? (Says she who has several pairs to be ragged but is permanently cold in the winter).

MrsCatz

Thank you all, I find they tend to go in the inner thigh and it really annoys me

Brie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82117678#Comment_82117678

the standard thing with North American style quilts (can't vouch for the UK) is that you have 2 layers of fabric with a layer of batten in between. Often the top side which is on show is the fancy bit (all the denim patches or the intricate patched patterns) and the other side is just "plain" piece of fabric. A flat sheet works well for that. The quilt is put together in it's layers, an edge added all the way around and then comes the really detailed handiwork of quilting which imposes a stitch pattern to enhance the patched work. Machine stitching is often done these days.

Obviously the thickness of the fabric plus that of the batten will determine how warm the quilt will be. In the past, before the polyester batten commonly used now, it might be an old wool blanket in between or just other patched together bits of leftover fabric.

The quilting itself would be tough when there's a layer of denim involved and more difficult the thicker the batten layer is. You'd need a good quality sewing machine, maybe industrial, to stitch through all the layers including the places where there's double layer of denim where the patches join.

Side note: about 4 decades back when I still lived in Canada my mom dragged me off to see the preview of the Mennonite quilt auction at New Hamburg. Most of the quilting was apparently done by the men and it was astounding to see very elderly men checking up on the quality of each others stitch work (all by hand of course as machines wouldn't have been allowed). As I recall the minimum standard was 10 stitches per inch and they had to be the same size over the whole quilt. I wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes doing that!!