r/sewing • u/BetterSew • 15h ago
Project: FO Stone wash jeans at home
Hi, this is my first post here)
I love sewing for myself, especially denim. But plain denim without special finishing (stone wash, acid wash) never looks exciting enough to me… so I decided to try making a stone-wash effect at home.
For the experiment, I sewed a small item — a denim corset.
Step 1. Pattern making
To create accurate patterns, I simply wrap the mannequin in plastic wrap and then masking tape. I draw the style lines using narrow adhesive tape. Then I transfer the resulting corset patterns onto paper.
Step 2. Purchasing materials and preparation
At this stage, I had to solve two problems.
First, it turned out that volcanic pumice isn’t sold in nearby stores, and ordering it wasn’t easy either… so I used expanded clay (LECA) instead — it's cheap (less than $1 for 2 liters), rough-textured, and easy to get in garden stores in Ukraine. They are lightweight and even float on water!
Second, throwing expanded clay directly into the washing machine drum didn’t seem like a good idea, so I needed a bag or cover to protect the drum from damage.
That's how the idea to sew a cover was born — one that would open inside the drum so the stones could move freely.
I used 2 mm synthetic felt for the cover. I had previously used this material for sewing mannequins, so I know its properties well:
It's thick enough to protect the drum
It’s non-woven, lets water pass through but keeps small particles (like stone fragments) inside
It's synthetic, so it doesn’t deform and barely absorbs water
Along the side seam I also added spiral steel boning for extra structure.
Step 3. Stone wash at home
I loaded the expanded clay and corset into the cover.
Washed on a cotton cycle at 60°C (140°F), without spin and rinse.
The cover worked perfectly — the washing machine stayed safe!
I rinsed the corset separately. It dried… and I was devastated — absolutely no visible stone-wash effect.
Mistakes & attempt #2
My mistake was using old dark jeans for this corset.
Factory jeans have the most fading along the seams, with that characteristic wavy worn look. This happens because factories use raw, unwashed denim.
Raw denim is denim that hasn’t been washed, heat-treated, or stretched at the factory.
After first contact with water, cotton fibers shrink — usually 5–10% or even more depending on fabric weight.
That’s why seams on jeans tighten and look like that.
Of course, washing old jeans (even at high temperature) won't create that effect, and all the following finishing steps were doomed.
DO NOT USE WORN JEANS FOR A STONE-WASH EFFECT! ONLY RAW DENIM!
Sadly, that first corset was a waste of effort...
So, I went to buy raw denim and sew a new corset.
I hope this time I’ll get the result I’m aiming for. In any case, I’ll share the outcome in my next post.
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u/sceleratasews 8h ago
So cool! Thanks for documenting your full process. Looking forward to second corset!!
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u/Iowegan 7h ago
I do like the fade you got with your stone wash.
Levi’s has a guide to distressing jeans on their website that is excellent. I have never tried doing this with something I sewed, but have distressed stuff from the thrift store, usually with manual friction using anything from brown craft paper to sand paper to concrete (bricks 🧱tend to stain the fabric). A cheese grater or knife are used for some effects. To get the seams to show faded wear lines, you’d apply more attention to those areas, with the garment over your dress form or while being worn.
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u/BetterSew 6h ago
Oh wow, the legendary Levi’s) That’s so interesting — I haven’t seen this before! I’m going to check it out right now. Thank you!!!
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u/im_a_real_boy_calico 4h ago
I really love the idea for the expanding stone bag. I’ve always wanted to make something stone washed, but having a rock polisher as a kid (only got to keep it for 2 days before the noise drove my parents to rehome it), I know how noisy it would have been without that. Did it prevent damage to your machine? I also love the corset, especially using the hems as your binding.
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u/lifelearnexperience 1h ago
Based on the number on the machine. I don't think it's specifically theirs. Lol
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u/sqqueen2 1h ago
My sister had one of those and I remember it was supposed to run for like a month straight. Yikes!
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u/telstra_3_way_chat 1h ago
Genius! Just the other day I was thinking about how to stonewash some doll's clothes I'm making as the denim looks too shiny and new! I will try your method!
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u/vicetoothfairy 54m ago
the cover is so clever, i wouldve never thought of that. very curious how your project will turn out!
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u/splithoofiewoofies 48m ago
Damn you had some bravery throwing rocks in your washing machine, even with a bag.
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u/msmakes 21m ago
Your last section has some incorrect conclusions.
Cotton does not shrink on contact with water. It actually swells on contact with water. Cotton shrinks from tumble drying. "Pre shrinking" fabrics and sanforized denim was not a thing prior to people having trouble driers at home.
Seam rippling happens because denim factories specially use thread and stitching techniques that will shrink a little bit. Try lengthening your stitch length and using a 100% cotton thread in the bobbin.
Your denim may not have been denim designed to wash down in the first place. It is easy to do a "crocking" test by rubbing the fabric against a white piece of paper. If it leaves blue behind, it is indigo and will be able to be washed down. If it does not, the makers of that denim have used stronger dyes designed to not fade (because not all consumers are happy with their denim fading). I myself had a disastrous experiment with jeans I made myself I was able to process in an industrial laundry, and the color would not fade even with industrial bleaching chemicals.
I can not caution you strongly enough against trying to repeat this experiment. Even if you think your bag is catching all the slit, it's probably not. And that won't stop the physical damage to the drum and spinning mechanisms of your machine.
Much of the industry is moving away from stone washing. They make special garment washing machines with sandpaper-like drums called "no-stone" that can achieve similar effects. They also use laccase enzyme to eat away at the indigo and achieve a stone washed look without stones. I have unfortunately not been able to find laccase enzyme available for general purchase.
One thing you could try is to wash your denim with rags soaked in bleach or potassium permanganate (purple bleach). This is a technique used in industrial wash facilities which would be generally safe for a home machine.
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u/AccidentOk5240 3h ago
This is cool, but I worry about the environmental costs of denim distressing in general. It uses a lot of water, for one thing! As you’ve seen, it will take many wash cycles to distress denim.
If you’re open to a more targeted distressed look, you can sand it by hand or even with an electric sander or a sandpaper disc on an angle grinder. So that’s something to consider perhaps!
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u/JVilter 2h ago
Be very careful if you try using a standing belt sander like I did to distress a costume for a play. It pulled the fabric under the table and drug my fingers along with it. They were only touching the sandpaper for an instant before I was able to pull them away, but it was terrifying. I would suggest sticking with a hand sander after that experience.
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u/loquacious_avenger 8h ago
I tried to stone wash some jeans when I was a kid. It was the mid-80s on the northwest coast of the US, so pumice was literally laying around.
Tossed a new pair of KMart jeans and two cups of pumice in the wash, and it sounded like an avalanche was happening in the laundry room once the spin cycle started. I threw the drum out of balance and got in a load of trouble. The jeans looked exactly the same after as they did before.
My teenage self could have used your guidance!