Prepping Fabric, Learning Lessons & Finishing a Flowery Jacket

Now that the Bob Dylan-inspired denim jacket has come to an end, I’ve been looking ahead to my next denim refashioning project.

Last weekend, I had a little browse through Facebook Marketplace and picked up a few second-hand denim jackets – one women’s utility jacket, one men’s Levi’s jacket, and one kid’s Levi’s denim jacket.

I’m so excited to get started on these!

I also began prepping the fabric I bought last week from Spotlight. I never used to pre-wash my fabric before sewing when I first started, but I’ve since learned my lesson – now I always wash it, especially if I’m using it for clothing.

Somewhere in the swirl of TikTok, I came across a tip about cutting the corners of your fabric before washing to help stop it from fraying. Supposedly, this helps…

I had 22 pieces of fabric to wash and really didn’t feel like serging all the edges, so I was hoping this would be a quick and easy alternative.

Turns out, it doesn’t really work. 😅

After washing, I ended up spending a solid hour trimming off all the frayed edges, trying to save each piece.

Anyway… what’s done is done.

While the fabric was drying, I decided to finish up a project I started back in December – reworking a white denim jacket. I’d already hand-embroidered some colourful daisies on the back and lined the inside, but I hadn’t done much to the front yet.

At first, I thought I’d just add something subtle to finish it off… but after the loud and creative Bob Dylan jacket, I found myself getting carried away again – adding more and more until I had to gently tell myself to stop, take a step back, and say: enough is enough 😆

You can see how it all unfolded in my latest YouTube video:

Second Hand Denim Haul | Refashion + Embroidery Ideas & Prepping New Fabric

I’m calling the jacket finished now and will likely list it in my Etsy shop soon, for a flowery soul to give it a home. 🌼

Next up: refashioning the Levi’s kids denim jacket. I’m thinking retro florals and more daisies… of course.

If you love all things sewing and craft, or just enjoy a peek behind the scenes of a handmade business and slow, creative projects, come hang out with me on YouTube – Sweet Smiling Soul – and don’t forget to subscribe 🤗💗

What creative project are you working on lately? And if you sew, do you have any tips for prepping fabric before sewing? I’m open to more ideas! Feel free to share in the comments on YouTube!

Thanks for reading.

Take care,

Lauren