6”h x 15”w material - thick wool suiting, high-quality felt or soft leather (choose pliable material -- the shoes must bend to go on comfortably)
Two small scraps, at least 1” x 1” each, of leather or ultrasuede (or other tough, non-fraying material)
Decorative thread and scraps of material or trim for embellishment (optional)
Thread
Cut Out: With right sides together, fold the fabric in half (to 6” x7 1⁄2”). Pin pattern pieces down and cut. Simple enough. You will have two of each piece.
Reinforce: Tuck a small piece of leather or ultrasuede beneath the UPPER shoe where the dashed triangle is located on the pattern. From the top of the UPPER, stitch a triangle through all layers. Make it look nice, this stitching will show. Flip the UPPER over and trim.
Decorate: The fun part. Embellish both UPPERS as desired. For matching shoes, remember to flip the design for the second shoe. Add felt polkadots, ribbon, embroidery or trim. You may want to wait to add buttons or bulkier embellishments until after the shoes are assembled. Get creative. Secure your embellishments well and avoid any choking hazards – keep those babies safe!
Stabilize: Stabilize the TOPLINE of each shoe (the opening) with a hand- stitched blanket stitch or running stitch, or with a straight stitch on your machine. I prefer a small blanket stitch because it stabilizes the edge, while allowing for a little give.
Ease-stitch Toe: Stitch a longer-length straight stitch along TOE, between white circles, on the seamline. Do not backstitch or secure the thread at the ends.
Form Heel: Overlap the HEEL edges so that the seamlines and the gray circles align (the full overlap will be about 1⁄4 inch). Stitch through both layers with a straight stitch. Repeat with the second UPPER, but overlap in the opposite direction. Note: the sides of your shoes that are under-lapped will become the INSTEPS.
Organize: Before assembling, lay out your various pieces. Make sure your shoes are opposites, with the INSTEPS of the SOLES toward each other and the INSTEPS of the UPPERS toward each other. You don’t want to end up with two left shoes, or two right shoes, for that matter.
Pin & Ease: With right sides together, starting at the HEEL, pin UPPER to SOLE, matching like circles. Ease TOE by carefully pulling up the bobbin thread until the TOE fits to the SOLE. Pin in place.
Stitch & Finish: Using a fairly small stitch-length, stitch the pieces together. If you’re using a woven material, you might want to stitch around the shoe a second time and treat the seam allowance with FrayCheck to prevent raveling and to protect the seam from opening. Notch the curved seam allowances, if desired. Turn shoes right sides out and run your finger along the inside of the shoe at the seam, to smooth into place. Remove visible ease-stitching and add any remaining embellishments. Steam if necessary.
