Sunday, January 2, 2011

Sweet Slippers Tutorial and Pattern



I needed a little pampering after the holidays. My kids go to a year round school, which means I had them home for 4 weeks in November, sent them back to school for 2 weeks, then got to have them back home for winter break. Needless to say, I am ready for them to go back to school for awhile. In celebration of them going back tomorrow, I made myself a little "good job mom" present. My suggestion, before you begin the after holiday clean up, take a couple hours while the kids are back to school and make yourself a pair of these super sweet slippers, you deserve it!


I started off with a half yard of cotton fabric (Riley Blakes Sweet Divinity line), a half yard of pink dot minkie, and a half yard blue felt (not pictured). I had PLENTY of fabric, I could probably make 2 or 3 more pairs of slippers, depending on the size. You'll also need my super quick drawing of a pattern. You can print it off for free HERE!


You'll need to adjust the pattern to fit your foot (I really hope you're making these for yourself, because we all need a bit of pampering!). This pattern fits me perfectly, but I am aware that I have a rather small foot. I am a shoe size 6 and my foot's pretty narrow. If you need to make it larger, DON'T just enlarge the pattern on the printer, it will turn out too wide. You'll just need to add lenth (and perhaps a very little width, depending). Start by placing your foot on the pattern of the sole. You'll want it to be about a half inch larger than your foot. The best way to do this would probably be to actually cut the pattern directly in half and add inches to the middle, so it does not distort the shape of the sole. You'll also need to do the same to the side of the slipper. REMEMBER, these slippers are made to fit snug, like a sock. Otherwise they will slip right off! Don't make them too large.


On your pattern you'll see a side labled "fold". Place that side on the fold of your fabric (as you see below) and cut out twice from the cotton and twice from the minkie. With your sole, cut twice from the felt and twice from your minkie. You can use fabric instead of the felt if you want, I just had a hard time thinking about walking around my dirty floors which such pretty fabric on the bottom of my slippers.



Here is a picture of what you should have cut out for the outside of the slippers. You'll need all these same pieces cut out of the minkie as well. Make sure that you cut a right and a left foot! *see below*


Pair up an outside piece and an inside (minkie) piece and pin them together, right side together. When you are working with minkie you'll want to pin REALLY well. The stuff is so stretchy and so slippery. If it wasn't for how wonderfully soft it is, I would never, ever sew with it. Sew a scant seam along the inside curved edge.


You'll then fold the lining and material apart, and place the edges on the bottom (where the heel will be) right side together, with the lining against the lining and the material against the material...


I hope you can see that OK in the picure above. Make sure that minkie is touching minkie and cotton is touching cotton. Sew along that egde. This will make the heel. *see below*


You'll now turn it right sides out so it resembles the top of your slipper. Pin it in place, all the way around, like I've done in the picture.


You'll now want to sew the lining and the outside together. Sew a scant seam all the way around the slipper top. See my picture below...


Now to attach the sole. Turn the slipper top so you see the minkie side and pin that to the felt sole piece. You'll notice here that you need to pay attention if you are making the right foot or the left foot. Make sure that you turn one of the soles around so that you don't end up with 2 left feet.


Now sew where you have pinned, all the way around the sole. Once that is done, place a LINING SOLE on top of the WHOLE THING. Make sure that your get the extra fabric out of the way of the seams (as you can see in the picture, I pinned mine out of the way). Pin it in place (always pin!) and sew almost all the way around. Leave a small whole on the side, where you can easily reach in and hand stitch it closed, to turn it right side out.




Turn your slipper right side out, hand stitch your turning whole closed and slip it on for size.


Adding a cute little felt flower and a button (you can find my list of felt flower tutorials HERE!) gives it just the right touch.


My favorite place to nap? Up in the top bunk of my daughters' bunk bed, right after I make the bed, wondering what my 6 year old is doing right now at school. Ahhh, a few minutes peace...


... Until my 3 year old pokes her little head over the rails and tells me she's playing "princess barbies take a bath". Oh please let it not be in the toliet!


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