I’m not sure why I suddenly became obsessed with making my own DIY embroidered jeans. Who knows where these weird creative urges come from? They are artistic seizures which dominate my brain until I’m forced into submission to actualize the piece and then quickly move onto my next compulsion.
I picked up some jeans from the thrift store for $7 to play with. Never buy jeans from a retail store people! There are SO MANY great jeans to be had at thrift stores! Why not save your money and save the planet?
DIY Embroidered Jeans
You can see the progress on the first leg I altered here.
I decided I want to chop a few inches off the jeans and make them into my version of a frayed kick flare (aka the fastest way to make your legs look 3″ shorter).
Bad decision. It probably would have been okay if these were high waisted jeans, but they aren’t. At all. I should have left the length. It makes my legs look like stubs.
I do like the embroidery which was fun to do and learn. I started out using an embroidery hoop but found it too difficult to position on the jeans and gave up. I had a vintage embroidery hoop. I’m sure a newer one would have been easier to use. It was easier to embroider with the hoop, but I still managed okay without.
I followed these instructions for the French knots and these for the flowers. There are loads of easy-to-follow instructions for hand embroidery online.
My embroidery wasn’t perfect, but I wanted them to look like they were altered by hand so I was pleased with the end result.
I paired the jeans with my DIY vintage brooch jean jacket and stomped around like I was a famous rock star for the day.
I am crossing my fingers that these jeans will look better with my high wedge nude sandals for summer.
I still want to find a pair of dark denim high waisted jeans thrifting and DIY a raw hem kick flare without any embroidery. Just for the heck of it. I want to see if a short curvy almost-50-something can work that look or not. I may fail, but I like a style challenge.
Did you ever think high waisted jeans would come back in style?
If that isn’t proof you can wear whatever the heck you want I don’t know what is. I’ve always found high waisted jeans to be super unflattering. They make my butt look like it is 2 feet long and goes halfway up my back. I guess that is what they mean when they say, “Baby got back.”
Linking up with Visible Monday I Will Wear What I Like, Turning Heads Tuesday, 52 Pick-me-up, Throw Back Thursday
You did a great job on the embroidery Suzanne!
I have a pair of cropped (more than just ankle pants) trousers….just got them thrifting, so we’ll see how much I love them. They aren’t high waisted though. Funny how I used to love the high waisted, but right now they seem so restrictive and tight on my waist (is it all what we get used to, or is it age?)
As for your behind—I always thought it was the placement of the pockets that made a difference?
I noticed you wore your blue boots with the jeans—-trying to lengthen with color? When you do wear these jeans with your sandals, will you show this picture too so we can compare?
jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I do think the placement of the pockets make a difference but if the jeans go halfway up your back no matter where they place them you butt will still look massive. Mind you, that’s in nowadays! LOL
I was trying to lengthen…good eye Jodie! Nothin’ getting past you. I will try to remember when I style these with sandals to put this photo up. When I tried the jeans on with my nude wedges seemed to work due to the heel and colour.
High waist jeans do NUTHIN’ for me either – but at the thrift shop all the young girls come in desperate for them! Your jeans, OTOH, look fabulous and very rock star. Sandy, looking over my shoulder, said “why don’t you do that?” Love me as I am, man! Srsly, great art, and looking good, xox
Patti
http://notdeadyetstyle.com
Ha ha! The grass is always greener…
I LOVE your jeans Suzanne! It is funny to see the high waisted jeans back…baby. Oh how I coveted the Seafarer high waisted jeans in the seventies.
The length is perfect with your boots. I think the wedge sandals will be super too!
Thanks Sue.
Everything 70’s is new again.
🙂 Très chic, Suzanne!
I’m in love with your vintage pins and how you style them.
Must have an old jeans jacket somewhere…now I just need got some more vintage pins 😀 hahahaha!
I think your “shortened” jeans look fine with the boots.
Have a very HAPPY week and greetings from Vienna 🙂 xo
I was practicing embroidery on a scrap of denim the other day but hadn’t got any silks bright enough to recreate it on a real garment. You’ve totally inspired me to get my act together and get sewing. Those jeans are incredible, what a fabulous job! xxx
Thanks oh Master of Creativity : )
You do look like a rock star in this look! Those velvet boots are to die for! The embroidery perfect! It has that dainty sweetness about it that counterbalances the distressed denim. So cool! And, although I haven’t seen you in person sporting this outfit, I think the cropped flare works! The way you’ve styled them with the boots, the belt, and the jacket — like I said, you look like six-foot-tall a rock star!
I always get so inspired by your blog!
http://www.petiteover40.com
Thanks Sherry : ) I think attitude can go a long way in looking taller. That and 4″ heels.
OK Suzanne, this is getting spooky now. Not only do I have this same craving to do some embroidery on jeans, but I wore my very own denim jacket last week which I’d plastered in brooches in exactly the same (clearly now un-original) way! Polly’s eye’s were all over this cute personlised jacket and she lusted over some of my vintage brooches. And how did we end up like this? Not separated at birth as I’m WAY older than you. But maybe were that different thing called maybe Style Sisters?
Thanks for the tips on the diy embroidery, but maybe it’s too late. As you’ve done it for me. Am sure you get that don’t you? I need to find something else to challenge me x
Anna
http://www.annasislandstyle.com
Okay Anna…this doesn’t surprise me one bit about you. LOL I see where our creative minds meet.
I’m not going to share with you my next obsession until it is finished. It is a time consuming one but I think it will look cool. Fingers crossed.
I totally understand that once you see someone else has done it the wind comes out of your sails.
Good luck with the next project. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be amazing. Am still going to wear my jacket today and maybe even put it up on IG for you to see (as I’ve just clocked yours). Great minds, eh? Great fun I say!
Anna x
http://www.annasislandstyle.com
I got seriously cracked up when you were talking about how these jeans made you instantly lose 3″. This is why I don’t think I can get behind the cropped kick flare trend. Anyway, your embroidery looks so pretty on these jeans! I may have to give it a try, and you have also encouraged me to thrift for jeans in the future. Your denim jacket with the brooches is just lovely, too. A definite rocker vibe all around.
The jeans I chose for this project weren’t ideal as they are very low rise. I think a medium or a high rise would be okay for someone that is petite when paired with heels. Depends how short waisted you want to come out looking. When it starts looking like your pants are coming up to your neck it might be time to move on. LOL
I hate sewing on pants, fiddling within the legs (!)
Could you add another piece of denim?
I see a piece with a slit up to the current hemline flared out over your boots with embroidered flowers curving down and around the join and slit. Not much work at all!
Having said that, the current look is fine too.
Love these artistic obsessions! Thank goodness for thrifting to give us a cheap playground 🙂
xo Jazzy Jack
The embroidery was a delightful touch, Suzanne, adds a pretty, flirty feel to the street feel of jeans, you know?? And do my eyes spy some blue velvet boots? Very smart 🙂 perhaps you could add some embroidered cuffs to lengthen them? I’ve never quite liked high waisted anything, they’re on the same level with belts where I’m concerned, but yours looks quite fabulous on you, my friend. And that sea of brooches on your jacket?? Swoon.
Boy, I am creative, but not crafty! Love that you experiment. I really like them with the blue suede, and being that I am working on my vast vintage brooch collection, I will try some on my Jean jacket, thx! Very nice embroidery, the other thing I lack is patience!
Jessxx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
You’re so talented. I was useless at sewing at school. No patience for it!
Of course the shorter length means we get to see more of those fabulous boots! But I get what you mean. Like Jennie, I’m not a fan of the crop kick flare – I’m small enough as it is without making myself look like I’ve shrunk in the wash! I’m a fan of high waisted – so much more comfortable, well on me anyway!
Fabulous array of brooches. I’m surprised you were able to swan around like a rock star with the weight of all that awesome bling!
http://petitesilvervixen.blogspot.co.uk/
There is so much deliciousness in this outfit that I don’t know where to begin! The embroidery is gorgeous. As you already know, I don’t have a lick of domestic talent so I won’t be trying that anytime soon. The brooches on the jacket though? That jacket is so bad ass rocker cool I can’t stand it…and that I can do! I’ve always been a fan of broaches in randomly weird places, but putting all of them on at once…why have I never thought of that. I am so going to copy you!
Debbie
http://www.fashionfairydust.com
These turned out great. I did recently buy a pair of crop flare jeans knowing that I have to wear heels with them. I do love them in heels but it is not flattering with flats.
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
Hope to see you Thursday for TBT Fashion link up.
Love the embroidery you did here. So creative and so pretty. I’m not a fan of high waisted jeans myself – or really low ones either. Give me a good old mid-rise any day.
Great job on the embroidery. Very sweet and boho. I did so much embroidery on denim in the 1970’s that I swear I still have a callous on my sewing finger. Oh Honey, I made the same mistake on a pair of Gap jeans. I chopped ’em off so they looked all fringey and cool and tried them on with every shoe in my closet and alas I look like one of the lollipop kids in Munchkin Land. Boo Hoo. This is not the trend for lil’ ole me. Though I think you will be able to carry it off. You’ve got a few extra inches over me.
LOL, baby got back! I like high waisted jeans only because it hides the muffin top 🙂 Plus makes my short legs look just a bit longer…I can use all the help I can get!
Cropped kick flare? I didn’t know there was such a thing. Watch – now I’ll be running out looking desperately for a pair. Hahah. High-waisted jeans are also called mom jeans aren’t they. Did you ever see the Saturday Night Live spoof on them? Heh.
You know, if you reduced the flare and made them straight or stovepipe they would visually roll right down to your boot making your leg look longer, maybe? Or you might just end up with really fecked jeans. But I LOOOOVE the embroidery you did. I think these jeans are a huge winner as is.
No, I need high-waisted jeans with elastic at the back. I used to have a pair. Do you think embroidery would help?
very nice!!!! xxx
stylentonic.com
Geez, these look AMAZING Suzanne, really gorgeous! I love your embroidery. They really look like a funky designer piece. Bravo!
I agree, I never though high rise jeans would come back either. Mums jeans they are called aren’t they? The way I “handle” this fashion item is by wearing something longer over it. Let the shirt hang out and not tuck it in completele.
Your embroidery work is lovely. And you are clever to dress in one colour only, which of course elongates you. Would it help if you roll up the hem? Or sew them into skinnies?
Greetje
Could you sew the legs back on and hide the join with ribbon? Or turn them up more and make them into capris?
I actually think they look cool as they are, but if you don’t feel right in things you never wear them do you?
I am admiring your creativity though, I never do anything crafty, I just don’t have a crafty bone in my body! Cutting the neck out of a t-shirt is about my limit! My husband does do crafty stuff though, so maybe I can talk him into prettying up my wardrobe?!
Ok, my first thought when I saw this was, Dang, she rocks those frayed flared jeans! I keep trying them on at the stores and look at myself in the mirror and say, yea right, if you were 6 inches taller. But seriously you look great! I know I just told you my embroidery story so I won’t repeat it. But these are fantastic!!! Too bad we can’t do some thrifting and fraying together, that would make for one fun day.
I agree! It would be extra fun to have a crafty friend nearby. Oh the trouble we’d get into! ; P
Beautiful embroidery, and your brooch collection is fun! I have quite a few brooches, too. Maybe I should wear them…
And jeans… I must be a total weirdo, but I’d actually love to have high(er) waisted jeans. I’m so tired of constantly keep yanking my jeans up, or trying to keep them from falling with a belt. A smaller size perhaps? Err, no: then I wouldn’t be able to squeeze my big bum and thighs into them anymore. And even the so-called curve-friendly jeans have a gaping waist, at least on me.
I would so do that! I love the embroidery you did–embroidery was the first craft I ever learned and I love how it’s such an easy and quick way to customize something. Plus, if you don’t like how it turns out, it’s really easy to rip out the threads and try again. I’ve never embroidered directly on jeans before, but I could imagine some designs with pretty good potential….
I love this outfit! You made me think, I totally forgot that I like to embroider. I haven’t done it in years and kind of forgot that was a thing.