Denim Sunrise Vest: Handmade by Londa, Made in USA

A young friend of mine, who is deep into internet marketing, told me she believes it is by far the most unique and intriguing piece in my entire collection. So, for what that's worth, here are some pics of the day I started what turned into my Denim Sunrise wearable art piece.

It’s hard to describe how VERY MUCH FUN I have when I’m back in my Sunroom Sewing Studio creating, draping, cutting, stitching, and even UN-stitching—all while my trusty feline friend watches every move I make.

These days, I find 'regular' sewing to be boring. I opted instead to focus on upcycle sewing. My 'fabric stores' are now thrift stores and estate sales. In fact, it was at an estate sale where the woman had owned a clothing store that I hit the JACKPOT earlier this year. The jeans with distressed and inserted copper-colored 'nail head' type embellishments were my prize.

Design Elements: Accents and Details

Below, I've shared close-ups of these 'accents' on the leg fronts—both outside and inside views.

Next to teaching in my studio, engaging in UpCycle sewing is my most fun and FAVORITE pastime. I feel SEW very fortunate to have discovered my love for sewing at an early age.

How I Got Started Sewing

Just like many Sewists, it was my dear mom who inspired me. She sewed in the corner of our kitchen. One fond memory is watching her stitch rows of netting onto muslin bands to create tutus for costumes at the dance studio where I took lessons (at a whopping $5/month!). I believe she charged around $12 for those costumes—before knits!

Her method included fitting a muslin base to the girl, which became the pattern to cut the satin leotard portion. Then, she’d trim up with sequin trims and fringes for tap costumes or tutus for ballet students. Of course, everything was finished with a zipper—metal ones existed back then. In 1965, she saved enough money from her hard work to take our family to Disneyland in CA from central Illinois! She was one tough lady.

So, I grew up loving clothes AND appreciating everything she made for me. Unlike those whose moms made them clothing, I never wished for 'store-bought' pieces. Eventually, as all teenagers do, our tastes differed. I wanted more clothes than she thought I needed. To solve that 'issue' and teach me about budgeting, she put me on a clothing allowance of $25/month.

That doesn’t sound like much, but I learned that 243.40 today. In retrospect, that was quite generous! This allowance covered everything—from undies to winter coats—even heel replacements on my shoes. I learned to budget for various needs with dollars (and coins) in envelopes.

The most crucial takeaway from this experience was that I figured out the only way I could have as many outfits as I wanted was by making them myself! So, I began sewing—and never looked back.

I only attended one semester of sewing in 8th grade Home Ec class. To this day, I still remember the lime-green shift with a fabric-covered navy low hip belt that I made. I had to model it at Edison Junior High School in Champaign, IL. By the time I reached high school, I thought (at least I believed) that I knew more about sewing than the teacher, so I didn’t take Home Ec in high school! Deep down, I knew I’d major in Home Economics in college.

My wise mom suggested that since I always said I wanted to be a good wife and mother, majoring in Home Ec to become a teacher made sense. Indeed, that’s exactly what I did.

Sneak Peeks of Denim Sunrise

I’ll share more of my 'career path' in another blog post, but for now, here are a few more peeks at my new favorite creation:

Denim Sunrise - Up for Adoption 3-20-25

Starting tie selection—watch for a Reel/Short on my FB and Instagram coming soon showing how I 'filtered' my ties for this project.

This next pic shows the jeans with a potential cutting line determined using this great skinny, somewhat sticky 'drafting' tape. I bought a bunch of these in various colors from Amazon a few years ago. Sorry, I searched, but couldn't find the exact product.

My experience shows that it’s IMPOSSIBLE to plan out an entire garment. Instead, it’s a 'journey' involving creative starts, refinements, un-stitching, and re-designing. It’s great practice in decision-making and teaches one PERSISTENCE!

Consider Booking a Sewing Workshop

If you're scared to 'jump in' all on your own, I invite you to consider this opportunity: book a 3-day Sewing Escape Workshop with me. You can even bring a friend! Together, I will teach you how I navigate the design, stitching, and re-designing processes.