Cheap, washable seat cover!

[eaglefreek]

I went to a friend of a friend to get a quote on those seat covers. She estimated 10 pairs of jeans and $320 for labor. That'll be $550 total. I thought maybe $300. So, unless I find someone cheaper or buy a sewing machine, it's not gonna happen.

[rollguy]

       Jeans are cheap at thrift stores, but not just any sewing machine will sew through several thicknesses of denim.   A commercial walking foot type is the best for this.   The newer home sewing machines will not be up to the task of sewing old jeans together with upholstery thread (regular thin cotton thread will not last long on a seat cover).   
       About 35 years ago, my brother got into upholstery and found an old Singer machine at a yard sale.   It was a home type, but was very heavy duty.   He got some big needles and some upholstery thread, and started doing car seats.   The motor on the machine finally quit, so he put a 3/8 chuck B&D drill motor on it.   This old machine would sew through your finger if it would fit under the foot!   Years later, he acquired a commercial walking foot machine and used it for years and then sold it to a friend when he quit doing upholstery.  A couple years ago, I bought the machine and still have it.   I may break it out and try doing the used jean seat cover idea.

[Whuntmore]

I love these.  (almost Looks like a fat girl's mini skirt!    )

Actually there's a trick to getting a normal home sewing machine to go thru denim.  But it requires a hammer and a block of wood.

Make sure you have at least a No. 16 (18 sized needles are better) ball type needle.  pin your seams together, and hammer them flat.  Don't have too many folds.  But I've seen this work with up to 8 layers of folded denim seams.  I've had to hem the bottom of Jeans with that heavy outside seam, folded over like 3 times.  I can get it, but you gotta hammer it really flat.

Now, this won't work for doing allot of denim, but it will get get you thru the odd job.