Denim Doodles

I had every intention of celebrating my old camera's new battery with some decent FO pics of Vino. Vino turned out great. The pictures did not. So I'll have to wait until daylight and try again. In the meantime, I'd like to share with you a different sort of FO.


This is my first (and probably last) attempt at embroidery. This was all about product, not process. I don't like to sew, by hand or machine. Actually, I don't like to sew by hand, and I don't sew by machine because I am terrified of that slashing needle. I am always convinced that it's going to grab the fabric and rip it out of my hands, or, worse yet, grab the fabric and suck my hands in with it. I know embroidery is not sewing, and I know you purists out there are spluttering with indignation, but it uses a little, pointy needle and thread, so as far as I'm concerned, it's still work. But I wanted a pair of embellished jeans, and since the thought of spending the month's grocery budget on jeans gave me pause, I decided I could figure it out for myself. That was...oh...maybe three months ago. I think I've finished three sweaters in the time I've been working on this simple little project.

I did start out trying to do actual, recognized stitches and following someone else's pattern. That was a total bust and accounts for the first two and a half months of the saga. Once I gave up on that idea and just made it up as I went, things went better. Well, faster, anyway.

I finished up the embroidery tonight, and then, with the encouragement and assistance of my two eager helpers (my sons), I got out this:


I think I may be the only person in North America who actually owns one of these. It was my husband's gag gift to me last Christmas. I love it. I've never used it before today, but I love it all the same. It's like a stapler for rhinestones. Between the three of us, we stapled the heck out of those jeans! (If you look closely, you can see little red rhinestones among the embroidery.) But, you ask, will I wear them? Oh, yeah. I'm a total sucker for this sort of thing. Also, I have no fashion sense.

And, since the theme of today's post is denim, I thought I'd share something else with you:


Yes, I really did take a picture of my own butt in the mirror (and how flattering it is, too!). But it's for a good cause, I assure you. This is in the nature of a public service announcement. As you can no doubt see in the picture, my lack of a "front porch" is more than made up for by my ample "back deck". My butt is at least a size larger than my waist. When I shop for jeans, they are either too tight in the seat, or too big in the waist, or, most often, both. Like most women, I am on a lifelong quest for a pair of jeans that fits. And friends, I have found one. Eddie Bauer has come out with a fit (called the "Shaped Fit") that is, in their words, "one size larger in the seat than in the waist." And you know what? They really are! I chose a size to fit my waist, and my rear just slid right in. There's no gapping at the waist, and while they're cut low enough to not look 10 years out of date, they're cut high enough that there's no risk of inadvertent butt cleavage, should I choose to sit in public. So if you have similar fit issues, I highly recommend giving these a try. They come in boot cut and straight leg options in a variety of washes and three different lengths. Definitely worth a look.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program.