Baby booties tutorial

Yes, can you believe it?  I finally did it. I would like to say that I have been super busy the last few months (since I promised this tut) but I haven't been - its my archnemesis' fault - but I overcame you, dreaded procrastination, and I will live to fight another day.

Ok so lets do this!

What you will need:
Two to three different colour fabrics
Batting (or you could use thick felt)
Thread
Embroidery thread (or just fold your normal thread in 4, if you aren't fussy about this type of
 thing:)
2 buttons
2 press studs (aka metal clip thingies)

Step one: Cut out the pieces leaving a 1 1/2 cm to 2cm egde. Mark the fabric clearly with a fabric marker - its CRUCIAL for a later stage.

In the picture you can't see clearly how I marked the batting, but I did, so you should too, unless you have progressed further than me and have upgraded from 'experimental-I-don't-really-know-what-I'm-doing,-but-I'm-doing-it-anyway" seamstress, to a professional :)

Cut out 2 bottoms (outside)
2 tops (outside)
2 bottoms (inside lining)
2 tops (inside lining)
4 straps - I usually cut two from the fabric that I use on the outside and 2 from the 
fabric that I use to line the inside of the shoe. Give the end of the strap a 3cm allowance.
2 bottoms from the batting
2 tops from the batting

Step 2:

Pin the outside bottoms and tops to the matching batting.

And if you want to add any embroidery to the top/bottom of the booty, now would be the time to do it. I usually write the baby's surname or something at the bottom of the shoe (it makes me think of the toys in toystory)

Step 3:

Take both the tops (outside parts) and sew the back ends together (wrong side facing out)

You can do this by hand or with a sewing machine (my sewing machine, which you can see from one of my first blog posts, is like a toy and naturally doesn't sew through anything thick:)

Don't trim the edge just yet, you might want to readjust the size when attaching it to the bottom.  Do the same with the tops from the lining. (Tip - If you are handsewing,I usually fold the thread in two just to make it a bit stronger)

Step 4:

Pin the bottom of the shoe (the pieces with attached batting) to the tops that you have just sewn. Inside out.

Then sew along the line that you made earlier with your fabric marker (in step 1) Make sure that the line at the bottom of the shoe and the line on the top match up while you are sewing. When you are finished, trim the edges. (And now is the time to make adjustments to the back if you need to...)

Do the same with the lining fabric. With one exception. Leave about 3 cm open. This is so that you can turn the shoe right side out, later. (and remember to trim the edges)

Step 5:
Place the lining inside the the shoe. The wrong side of the fabric should be showing in both cases.

Step 6:

Sew along the upper edge on the line you made with the fabric marker (in step 1:) and trim the edges.

Step 7:
Pull the shoe through the 3cm gap that you left in the lining. (I usually find at this point that I should have listened to myself and really left a 3cm gap and not a 2cm gap)

Step 8:

Push the lining into the shoe.

Step 9:
Sew closed the gap that you made. I usually only do this at the end because I find that if I'm not happy with the shape/colours, that I have to re-do some of the first steps and then it would have been nice if I left the gap open. (so you will have to wait till the end for a photo of this)

Step 10:

Sew the button onto the outside part of the strap. Sew the press stud onto the inside part of the strap. (the right side of the fabric:). Just check your alignment - I usually make some dots with my beloved fabric marker. I use press studs instead of button holes because its easier for a mom to clip shoes than it is to fasten buttons (or so my friends tell me) when having to multitask. And I think the button on top looks cute. (there are no substitutes for buttons in my life)

Step 11:
Sew the two parts of the strap together (wrong side out) and trim the edges.

Flip it right side out. (you will find if your button is too big that you will have a problem here.)

Step 12:

Push the end of the strap in and pin it to the shoe.

Sew (with your neatest sewing technique ever) the strap onto the shoe - I usually make a little block pattern. Unfortunately it does show up on the inside of the shoe so try to use a thread that isn't too much of a colour contrast - but no-one will see it anyway.

Step 13:

Attach the remaining part of the press stud to the opposite side of the shoe (make use of your beloved fabric marker to make sure it ends up in the right place).

Then if you are me - you revert back to step 9 and sew closed the gaps :)

AND TA DA!!! Its done, or at least one shoe is :)

You may have noticed that the bottom of my shoes changed colour through out this process. At step 1 I thought I didn't like the colour combination, but I ignored myself.

SO after step 8 I realized that I REALLY didn't like the colour combination and therefore had to unpick almost EVERYTHING and redo the embroidery. The joys of sewing:)

You may also notice that I don't show you the surname on the one bootie - due to the fact that the couple hasn't told anyone that they are pregnant yet. And no its not me, and no you probably don't know them anyway:)

Oh and before I forget - click here for the pattern!! - You have to log on to scribd using your facebook log in or alternatively you can just right click on the image and go to "save as". If that still doesn't work please let me know.  You can mail me at inspired.gabi@gmail.com and I will gladly and freely email it to you.

Hope you have fun making it.

If you have any professional advice, or any other random comments please feel free to add it :)