Had a nightmare week with recycled denim last month, everything frayed wrong

I was working on a patchwork jacket using salvaged jeans from a thrift store in Portland, and the threads kept snapping under my machine after 3 days of cutting. The fabric was so uneven that my seams puckered on every panel, which ruined the whole drape I was going for. Has anyone else dealt with thrifted denim giving them way more trouble than it's worth?

3 comments

3 Comments

taraanderson22d ago

Read that soaking in vinegar sets the dye and softens old denim up.

scott.drew28d ago

Bought 4 pairs of "vintage" Levis once and my sewing machine nearly went on strike.

finley_price2428d ago

Switched to a denim needle and slowed the machine way down, @scott.drew. That was the only way those thick seams didn't break it.