Monday, November 7, 2011

Slipping Up

It's cold weather season. A cup of tea can warm hands and faces, but not do much for your feet. How about some fuzzy woolen slippers?
I happened to have a bag of sweaters which had met an unfortunate fate in a too-hot washing machine, and this child's sweater is a pathetic little blob of thick wool. Perfect for keeping toes cuddly!
I traced my feet a little big (these are for my boy, his feet are big!) onto faux suede then pinned that to the sweater as a template. I then cut the top front, slightly wider than the bottoms. The rest of the sweater yielded short strips to go around the back of the heel.
I cut a dart out of the top fronts, and sewed that up to make it three-dimensional. I then layered everything ("right" sides together) to start sewing! The suede is sitting in the middle because it will be the bottom. One could also use real leather, recycled denim, or any tough and not-too-slippery material for your base. I whip stitched all the way around joining the heel strips to the sides of my toe covers.
Turn them right side out and check your seams. I used quilting thread, and put a sturdy knot in every inch or so for longevity. Put them on and enjoy toasty feet!
Winter is a great time to upcycle any "oops I put that in a hot wash" wool goods. Have you made any warm things out of old sweaters?

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