Second-hand and “vintage” clothing shops are becoming more popular in Korea, and I enjoy poking around them once in awhile to make up for the garage sales I miss in the U.S. These shops mainly carry clothing, but on occasion, they also sell luggage, quilts, and dishes.
Last Saturday, I went to the thrift shops around my neighborhood’s traditional market, and found a couple of denim jackets that looked perfect for refashioning with crocheted granny square elements. They were only five dollars each, so I wasn’t afraid to do a little experimenting. One of them, pictured below, is faded black denim, which works nicely with some black, gray, white, and neon yarns that I had in my stash.
The photos don’t show the lurex running through some of the black yarn, which is a fun contrast with the 80s-inspired neon colors.
The jacket has an interesting fit. It looks like a jean jacket, but fits like a cutaway blazer. The buttons don’t button. I did try it on and it fits a little snug, but I really have my young niece more in mind for wearing this jacket. Not sure, yet, what she’ll think of it!
It took a couple of days to plan and finish the work. Before washing, I used fabric shears to carefully cut out the panels that I wanted. I had some fun “destroying” it, but still took care not to cut through a seam. After washing and drying it, I cut away all the frayed edges and ironed it.
I measured the cut out spaces to determine how big my granny squares should be; then I was ready to start crocheting. I decided on saturated black, stark white, grays, and neon colors that I thought would complement the faded black.
I had to crochet elements that matched the irregular trapezoids of the cut-out panels, and they were just slightly wider than the opening, so I could sew them on the inside of the jacket.
The sewing process was pretty basic. After slip-stitching together the crochet squares for the back, I pinned the elements to the inside of the cut-out openings. With polyester thread, I hand-sewed the crocheted elements close to the edge of the openings. I made sure there weren’t any gaps or buckling of the fabric.
Done!
That’s it! I wonder if this hippie-chic, thrifted jacket will be appealing. I’ll report back if I find someone to love it. See you soon!
The Frill Seeker 
Very clever!
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