So Much Denim

The pile of denim strips is now double this size.

I have no new photos today.  This photo is the one from last week.  This week I spent more time cutting denim strips.  I now have two brown paper grocer bags full of strips.  It takes a while to cut up a pair of jeans into two inch (5.08 centimeter) strips.  Some days I cut up one pair of jeans, other days I may get in two pair.  One day last weekend I had a marathon day and cut up four pair. My hands were hurting after that and I resolved that taking a slower approach to this project was going to be the better option. 

The directions for this rug said to tear the denim rather than cut it.  I tried tearing it, but the fabric is heavy, and my hands just was not going to be able to take it.  It would have been quicker to tear the fabric than to cut it.  In the long run, not being able to tear it may turn out to be a good thing.  I have been wavering in the manner of construction of the rug. Torn strips have raveled edges.  Some of the other projects will need a firmer edge on them.

I started out with a photo of a rug in a magazine and some minimal instructions on the width of the strips.  It looked nice and sounded easy enough.  This rug was even something that I could do in the evening sitting in front of the television.  However, the more I looked at it, the less enchanted I became with that type of rug design.  I might add that the rug was part of a larger photo of a decorated room.  It obviously looks better from a distance.  I saw a close up photo of the same type of rug on recently on Pintrest, and lost all interest in that style.  Up close it looks a little less finished than I had in mind.

However, there are so many different ways to make a denim rug that I still have plenty of options.  Rugs can be braided, hooked, crocheted, woven, and foundation pieced to name a few.  Many of these rugs will take much less time than the one I initially planned to make.  Some of them will require using a sewing machine, so I will not have evening work time.   

Some of the rugs will take much less denim than I needed to use for my first choice.  It may mean that I will have a lot of denim strips left over.  There might be more denim projects in my future.  I won't be making one denim project after the other though.  They will be interspersed throughout the year.  Last year I spent a lot of time on one major project and experienced a case of burnout.  I am not ready to repeat that so soon. 

Next week I will have information and pictures on the beginning of the rug.   Check back again on Sunday afternoon for the latest on this project.