The Jandolier

Sometimes it's such a pain to reach into your backpack or pouch to grab a new pencil or pen, or maybe you dropped a pencil, and you don't want to pick it back up. I realized this and decided to come up with a solution for this issue: The Jandolier. It's called that because it's a bandolier made of jeans, funny, right?

1. Jean Pieces
2. Jean Thread
3. Fabric Scissors
4. Small String Scissors
5. Pin Cushions
6. Pins
7. Sewing Machine
8. Thread Cutter
9. Elastic Fabric
10. Fabric Chalk
11. See-Through Ruler

Since this item is a bandolier that goes around your body, I had to specifically design it in a way that fits me perfectly. I took fabric scissors and cut a bunch of jean pieces into 3-inch-wide strips that were roughly 15 inches long. The total length of the Jandolier was about 60 to 65 inches long.

Now that the jean pieces were ready, I had to sew them together. I took my sewing machine, replaced the bobbin, selected a straight stitch, and sewed them with 70% Poly and 30% Cotton jean thread in a way that the showing side would have no seams visible.

I sewed the jean fragments together, now I just needed to sew the elastic fabric to the outer side. Setting the stitch is a big part too, doing so keeps the thread from coming out. First, sew forward. Next reverse after the thread connects the jeans and elastic. Continue forward again until the thread nears the edge, then reverse the thread again before letting it sew into the opposite side of the elastic from where you started. This way, the elastic will tightly hold a pencil or pen in between each holder without ripping off the jeans.

The Jandolier is finished. I put it on and inserted pens and pencils into the holders, and to my pleasure, they held tightly and did not slip out. The writing utensils were easily accessible, and I found that the larger space in between the elastic is good for holding binders, notebooks, and computers.

Since this was a prototype, the final product I made was definitely not the best thing ever. What would I do for the next iteration? A big part would be to put some sort of barrier or stitching on the edges of the jeans to prevent fraying. Also, I could use some other tool to cut the jeans into straighter and more uniform pieces. Maybe I could use a fabric wheel instead of fabric scissors. Perhaps I could also try to make a design where the Jandolier is adjustable, so anyone could use it.