Upcycled Denim Placemats with Matching Table Napkins

Spring cleaning and finding a pile of jeans you don't/can't wear anymore? Deconstruct them into re-useable parts. Once you start snipping away sort into like piles...pockets, seams, waistbands and lengths of material. Iron before sewing.

This isn't a pattern and I'm in no way a seamstress but I'll just show you what I did. I'm sure you can sew better than I.

I cut the useable pieces of material into squares and rectangles then sewed them together, sometimes leaving a hem or seam for interest. Trimmed them to just a bit larger than the size I wanted the placemats to be.

I sewed a pocket on the right-hand side for the cutlery and napkin because I think it's cute. But there was also a practical reason. When my husband sets the table he can never remember where the knife goes, where the fork goes. Now I just say "stick them in the pocket!"

Once that was done I cut some cotton for the backs and I also cut some old towels (I seem to have alot of those!)  the same size as the denim patchwork.

Sewed them together and trimmed the sides. My poor old sewing machine had some trouble here but we got the job done.

I sewed over each seam throughout the placemat to keep the layers together (sort of like quilting I would imagine)

Next, the bias tape edging.
This is where I had the most difficulty...figuring out how to make the corners with the bias tape. This is what I came up with, don't know if it's the correct way but it worked for me.

Then I made the coordinating table napkins.
Using the same material as the backs of the placemats, I cut 18" squares and folded and pressed a 1/4" hem all around.

Then folded 1/4" again and sewed all around.

So, here are the finished placemats and napkins,

A little puckered and pulled but still cute for very casual dining I think 😕

And everyone knows where the cutlery goes!

Here's a use for those denim seams...

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2018/05/recycled-denim-wrap-bracelets.html