All levels
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29 min 59 sec
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01:09
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01:05
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05:39
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12:55
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06:44
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02:27
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Give an old pair of jeans a fresh new life with textile artist Sandra Lee Chandler. In this class, Sandra walks you through opening the outer side seams and inserting a fabric panel that’s equal parts practical and eye-catching. Along the way, you’ll learn how to reuse the original hems for a polished finish, navigate a tricky Y-seam, and add sashiko-style decorative stitching for texture and detail. The possibilities are wide open: use upcycled denim, quilted fabric, or a favorite printed cotton. Go bold with a wide panel for extra movement, or keep it subtle with a narrow insert that adds just a hint of design. Mix indigo shades, play with contrast, and turn an everyday pair of jeans into something completely your own.
Learn how to:
Here’s what you’ll need:
- A pair of jeans you want to add a panel to (non-stretch denim preferred)
- A pair of jeans you don't mind cutting up, or assorted denim fabric
- Seam ripper
- Scissors
- Rotary cutter and mat
- Ruler
- Pins and/or clips
- Sewing machine and thread
- Iron and ironing surface
- Chalk/marking pen
- Optional: sashiko/embroidery thread and needle
Downloads:
- Design a unique pair of jeans with an insert
- Use original hems for professional seam finishing
- Sew a Y seam
Member Gallery
Browse members' projects from this class and share your own work! Learn how to take great photos here.
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Transcript
Class PDF
Upcycled Denim: Side Seam Remix Reviews
30 users recommended this class to a friend
Creaky Susan
Just the right pace. I found this class very inspiring. I have lots of denim at home and I'm excited to use them (in one case, I'll be using denim to sew together a variety of quilt squares into a kind of quiltlet.
June 18, 2026
Gloria Martinez
I would like to request from Sandra, a live video on adding the side strip all the way to the waist line to make it size bigger on waist. Greatly appreciated and appreciated your video on adding bell bottoms to jeans. Helped me with the point sewing. Also the added patch work is a favored one.. God bless..
May 31, 2026
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