tutorial... cloth doll shoes
and today I’m making a pair of lined velvet doll shoes for my cloth doll (let’s name her Lucy). I have a pattern already, but it needs some adjustment. the sole size is fine, it’s just a little tight on the upper.
trace the upper pattern on tissue paper, split it down the center. I need to keep the overall measurement along the bottom edge the same, while enlarging the opening.
taa-daa! old, left. new, right.
cut out two velvet and two lining. and because the pattern is lefty-righty, remember to reverse the sole pattern.
uppers; pin right sides together stitch the center “U” only.
lowers; pin wrong sides together and set aside.
at this point, because I am feeling fancy, I insert a ribbon that will tie around the dolls ankle. it serves no purpose whatsoever, so, if you are feeling lazy (which I usually am) feel free to omit it. the shoes work fine without it. measure, or just guess, a length of ribbon that will wrap around your doll’s ankle and tie a bow. fold it in half.
match the heel edge of the shoe, right sides together, seam in the middle, and slide the folded end of the ribbon between, right along the seam, with the fold peeking out slightly. (does this make sense? just do it.) stitch.
lets take a moment to admire my painted, stubby nails in this blurry photo…
fabulous.
and that’s what it should look like. see? makes sense, right?
turn your right sides out.
fold the shoe upper so that the lining is facing out. pin the two layers of sole (that sounds like an entree) to the upper, lining out. take the time to make sure everything is even and matching up. trim off any uneven bits… attaching the sole is tricky enough as it is. notice the way I’ve inserted the pins… at this point, you might consider hand basting this mess together. doll shoes are small, and getting poked a millions times while trying to machine sew four layers of fabric together can sometimes push you over the edge. (just a suggestion.) anyhow, I start sewing at the heel because it is the most annoying, and I just want to get it over with first. take your time, because you don’t want to have to rip out these stitches and do it again.
done and done.
finished shoe, left. inside out shoe, right.
you might think about embellishing with embroidery, beads, felt do-dads, or what have you, but I am a minimalist and will leave it at that.
Lucy with her new shoes. (now I am thinking I should have inserted white ribbon… oh, whatever!)
basic shoe pattern available for download here.
