I have long admired and even purchased denim jeans embellished with flowers and other embroidery designs. I knew that I could create similar items, but I dread the “H” word:  “handwork.” I’m just not a fan of having to sew or embroider things by hand!

When I first saw this denim jacket at Baby Lock Tech in St. Louis last year, I knew that I could create my own version WITH ONLY my sewing machine—completely avoiding working by hand with needle and thread. 

Created by Mike Johns, the jacket features new stitches that were introduced on the Baby Lock Anthem.  Not all sewing machines have tapering stitches, including mine. But I was determined to be creative.

As many of you already know, I purchase denim jackets with the intention of embellishing them, but then I grow so attached to them that I am unable to alter their appearance for fear that they will lose their comfort—or my attraction to them… I have SOOO many denim jackets… but… what about jeans??

I have a few pairs that are starting to feel outdated and could use a lift.  I found this pair:

These jeans aren’t that old, but I always felt like they were too short—check out my high waters, I’m waiting for a flood! And after their first wash, the hem curled up and started looking pretty shabby. I initially decided they were headed to the donation pile, but now I have a good reason to experiment with them!

So now that I have a pair of jeans to “play” with, I searched for more inspiration. I found it at Coldwater Creek:

I have always liked daisies and coneflowers, and they are easy to draw. So, I decided to start there.

Before we get started, here is my full materials list:

MATERIALS

• Denim to embroider (could be jeans, jacket, whatever you’d like to beautify!)
• Paper and pencil for sketching
• Sewing machine with a few decorative stitches—I used a BERNINA B590
• Kimberbell Medium Weight Cutaway Stabilizer
• OESD Aquamesh Plus Stabilizer or Kimberbell’s Sticky-back Wash Away Stabilizer
• Frixion pen or chalk liner (depending on darkness of fabric)
• Threads in various colors
• Seam guide or piece of tape

Want to download this project tutorial as a PDF? Click here!

My first step was to sketch a simple design. I used a medium weight stabilizer like OESD Ultra Clean and Tear, OESD Medium Weight Cutaway, or a medium weight cutaway instead of paper because I planned on using this drawing as a guide:

Next, I had to find stitches that would work. I searched through the sewing stitches on my machine and stitched them on a piece of stabilizer. I made sure to make a note of the stitch number. 

Once I found a stitch that I could use for a leaf or a petal, I made alterations to the stitch by changing the width and length of the stitch—making sure to note the stitch number, stitch length, width, and any other changes that were made so that the stitch can be recreated.

I decided that I would use the triple straight stitch for the stems of the flowers. The triple straight stitch is one of my favorite stitches because it looks like I used a thicker thread. The triple stitch looks like this on some machines (#6):

The symbol that machine manufacturers use is deceptive, because the picture looks like the machine will stitch three stitches, one next to the other. But it actually stitches over itself three times. Forward, back, forward. It looks like the thread is thick and really is a nice stitch to use for top stitching. You could also use a satin stitch (#2), which is a zig zag stitch with a small stitch length. Or a stretch stitch—it looks like a lightning bolt (#5). Whichever stitch you choose, practice stitching it out first.

Now that I had my stitches selected, it was time to practice. I stitched directly on the drawing that I sketched on the stabilizer. I stitched the stems first, then leaves, petals and flower centers.

The flower on the left was my attempt at an older coneflower with drooping petals. Yuck! It looks like a spider took residence on the top of a stem! That was scrapped. And, because that flower didn’t turn out, the bud was scrapped too. My final design consisted of three flowers. Two daisies and one coneflower.

Time to transfer design to the jeans leg! I really thought I could stitch this without opening a seam. NOPE! On jeans, the outside seam is always easier to open. So, get the seam ripper and rip that baby out!

It is best if you have a stiff, stable surface to stitch, so secure a stabilizer to the wrong side of the stitching area. I used a sticky-backed wash away like OESD Aquamesh Plus Stabilizer; Kimberbell’s Sticky-back Wash Away Stabilizer is also a good option. 

Now it’s time to sketch the design onto the jeans. I decided to shorten these jeans after I stitched the design. The stems should have been longer than drawn, since I removed two inches. I usually prefer to use a disappearing marking pen like a Frixion pen because it removes the markings with the heat of an iron. But, because the denim is so dark, I used a chalk liner instead.

You can also trace the design onto the stabilizer and stick the stabilizer to the outside of the jeans leg.

Here is my finished, sketched design on my jeans! Now it’s time to start stitching the stems, then leaves and petals, using the stitching template as a guide.

I love the way this turned out! I was very surprised at how quickly it all came together!

Watch our tutorial video to see how I sketched my flowers and embroidered them onto the denim:

Now, about that wonky hem… I decided on a scallop edge. Many machines have a built-in scallop stitch. This is what my machine’s stitch looks like. Notice how tight the satin stitching is:

Because the stitching is so dense, I recommend using the sticky backed stabilizer on the hem—the stabilizer will give the stitch a firm stitching surface and eliminate distortion of the stitch.

I decided to remove 2” from the bottom of the jeans. Using the existing hem as a guide, I placed a seam guide (you can also use a piece of tape), two inches from the needle and stitch the scallop along the hem.

Stitch both legs. If your jeans’ legs are wide enough and can fit over the arm of your machine, you won’t have to open the other pant leg.

When the stitching is complete, cut away the excess fabric. I cut from the wrong side of the fabric as it was easier for me to see the stitches. Cut close to the stitches, being careful not to cut through any stitches.

The stabilizer really worked well at keeping the fabric firm. Look at how flat and perfect the scallop stitched out.

Stitch the pant leg closed. And enjoy!!! I really love how these jeans turned out. Now I have intentional, beautifully embroidered and embellished high waters. They’re perfect for spring and summer!

Watch our video tutorial on how to sew a scalloped hem:

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