Through the Magpie Eye: Custom Denim Madness

26.05.2016

Someone in a blue shirt and bow tie, in jeans decorated with white clouds, a rainbow and sequins, posing with two others

For most people, a pair of jeans or a denim jacket is just something to wear, but for a select few, it’s a indigo-dyed, cotton canvas of creativity, crying out for home-made expression.

These photos here (from a book called American Denim: A New Folk Art that Josh found on one of his charity shop missions), show such people, posing with their multi-coloured, hand-stitched creations.

Some of the designs are better than others, but definite stand-outs include that winged Levi’s shirt and that trucker jacket with Ena Sharples on the back.

Study these images, buy yourself some new denim, fire up that sewing machine and turn your dreams into a slightly strange looking reality today.

Someone sat on grass with a hound, wearing a chambray shirt with cows stitched across the chest

Front and back views of someone in a tie-dyed shirt and jeans, a mandala on the back, stood on a tie-dyed sheet

Someone in jeans painted with a cartoon face on the seat and mushrooms on the legs, bent over the back of a green Volkswagen

Someone in a blue roll-neck and pendant on red steps, wearing Levi's flares covered in frayed stripes of rainbow colours

Dark denim western shirt with gold studs packed across the yokes and lining the pockets and placket

Someone holding open a black denim jacket to show a silver satin lining, with blue patchwork clouds and a gold wing

Someone with long dark hair in a denim jacket covered in silver studs and rhinestones, with striped ribbed cuffs and hem

Someone in aviator sunglasses wearing a pale denim shirt decorated with branches, leaves and a bird, against a wooden fence

Back and front of the winged Levi's shirt: dark denim with arm-length wings of white finger shapes tipped with red nails

Someone among potted houseplants in a pale denim jacket and flares decorated with purple irises and tall green leaves

Faded jeans embroidered with a smiling sun, moon, star, rainbow, dove and a figure on the knee, worn with white socks

Someone in aviators and a cream shirt in a field, wearing patched pale jeans with chains criss-crossing the legs

Someone in aviators stood in snow by a weathered fence, wearing denim covered in stars, polka dots and an embroidered rose

Someone from behind in a denim jacket with a quilted three-faced head on the back, rows of eyelets and hanging chains

Someone in a dark denim jacket encrusted with pearl buttons, dangling beads and gold chevron patches, over a red shirt

Someone in round glasses holding open a long denim jacket covered in satin patchwork, stitched stars and red poppies

Someone in an embroidered denim trucker jacket and rust trousers, stood in snow by logs and a red weatherboarded house

Someone in a khaki shirt on an antique sofa, in faded jeans with a painted face on the thigh and beaded tassels

Someone smiling in a mustard armchair, holding up a chambray shirt with a large American flag on it

Someone in a cropped colour-block jumper and red clogs by a tree, in dark jeans embroidered with two red-haired rag dolls

Someone in a denim trucker jacket embroidered with clouds on the yokes and a red-haired nude figure on each front panel

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