If there is one fundamental article of clothing that can be found in most everyone's closet, and at most any age, it's jeans. Comfy and looking best when well-worn, they signify the casual, playful side of the dress code. Available in black, and sometimes green, blue is the favourite colour for hard-wearing denim that takes a beating in stride. Perfect for work or play, its all-round versatility and acceptance as a wardrobe mainstay spans decades of style changes. Designed as stove pipe or bell-bottoms, droopy and baggy, stretchy or tight-fitting skinny jeans, it's the fabric that makes the statement.
Sooner or later, favourite fabrics such as denim make the crossover to home fashion. Predictably, the look and feel of denim fits naturally into a family room or kids' room. Store-bought or custom-sewn denim upholstery and slipcovers, pillow shams, bedspreads and curtains add instant character to a room. The no-fuss fabric is youthful, nostalgic and inviting.
Pairing denim with other fabrics creates differing results. Returning to the fashion front, top a pair of jeans with a lacy white blouse, and you have an alluring, feminine combo. Edge a denim pillow or curtains with lace or eyelet trim and you get the same result. The contrast makes a subtle impact.
Pairing denim with plaid or gray flannel sheets on a bed is masculine and wintertime cozy -- a combo that fits neatly into country cabins, ski chalets and the bedrooms of young hockey players and fans alike. Lighten up the look of denim in spring and summer with crisp whites, covtton pique and pastel polka dots.
I experimented with paint applications that mimic the look of denim and created a dado for a boy's room that was fun and easy to do. The overall theme for the room was western, with cowboy and horse motifs along with photographs chosen by Aaron. I painted the dado in panels approximately one-metre wide, then separated the panels with a darker blue line to represent a seam line. Terra cotta stitch lines along the seams and a rounded pocket shape at the corner produces an authentic illusion of real fabric panels.
To produce the denim weave, work on alternate panels and tape off to keep lines neat. Apply a light blue base coat and let dry. Mix a medium blue coloured glaze with one part water-based glazing liquid and one part latex paint. Working on one panel at a time, apply the coloured glaze to 100 per cent of the panel, covering the light blue base coat completely. Using a dragging tool or rough wallpaper brush, pull the brush from top to bottom through the wet glaze and repeat until you have filled the panel with vertical lines then repeat the dragging, moving in horizontal lines and it will take on the appearance of the faded weave of denim. When alternate panels are dry, re-tape and fill in the remaining panels. Finish with your seam lines and stitch lines filled in freehand with an artist's brush, making the stitches about 11/2 centimetres long.
The denim dado is topped with a painted chair rail decorated with metal cowboy boots painted white.
Debbie Travis' House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please email your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.
