Shoes: Are YOU crazy enough to make them?

[Lazy K]

Here's a teaser before I go into details in a few weeks. I learned a lot from my first pair, especially what NOT to do.

This 1880's pair of Italian shoes inspired me to try and make my own.

[Lazy K]

My shoes are not as elaborate as those and the only real problem is that I had problems keeping the sole attached to the shoe

[Lazy K]

That's it for now.

[Lady Fleur]

proper cobblers glue... also stiching???

[Bloomin']

I can't wait!!!!!

[Allie Mo]

Oh my gosh, those heels are sure high. I'd probably teeter over if I tried to shoot in them. The toes look comfy. Can't wait to see what you are up to.

[maisondeverneur]

Lazy K - let me get this right - YOU MADE THE BOOTS IN YOUR SECOND POST????? :faint

[Lazy K]

Yep. I made the boots. And these boots are for evening wear not shooting. I can't shoot in heels or a trained dress.

[Bloomin']

Isn't she amazing???!!!!:tban

[Ida Hands]

Bumped 'cuz I don't want to lose this class! I'm really looking forward to it! :tban

[Sweet Violet]

That was it? Ooooh Lazy K.........you are not nice to tease us like that!!! I can't wait for the rest of the class!!! :jp :jp And the boots you made are so totally cool!!!

[Ida Hands]

I agree! I love the look of the boots she made. I like to look of the fabric and the fact that they lace all the way up! :tban .

[Ida Hands]

I don't want to miss out on shoes!

[Madamekat]

*chants*

SHOES! SHOES! SHOES!

[Lazy K]

I'm still planning on the class. It's just been bumped back. I have to finish Madam Guess' mourning dress and I'm MUST start a dress for convention. Then, shoes. I promise!:faint

[Sweet Violet]

Mourning dress: done. Your dress to go................

[Lazy K]

And I NEED shoes to do with the dress I'm making. I need some cream colored wool. Or maybe some of that tatestry I saw at WalMart. No, I think the dress fabric lined with muslin will do. Yes, I think that will work.

[Ida Hands]

I want to see the cream colored shoes you make, Lazy K! I bet they are DTF!

[Ima Horsinaround]

Oh Wow! I'm looking forward to this! It's SOOOOO difficult to find boots (shoes too) in a size 5. Just hope it's something I could learn and not toooo difficult. HURRY! HURRY! HURRY! :beg:beg:beg

[Allie Mo]

Oh my gosh Ima,:faint

With feet that tiny and as petite as you are, you could fit into vintage shoes. Or, at least find some bargains on eBay.

Hey, will you be at the Convention? I'm going this year. Yes, I am. No, I won't back out. I'm committed...

[Lady Fleur]

Oh Wow! I'm looking forward to this! It's SOOOOO difficult to find boots (shoes too) in a size 5. Just hope it's something I could learn and not toooo difficult. HURRY! HURRY! HURRY! :beg:beg:beg

Geesh i find them in your size all the time.. EBAY
look here too
Joanie is REALLY wonderful!
www.myvintagesole.com (http://www.myvintagesole.com)

[Lazarus Longshot]

Heck, I'd be interested in the shoe class. I wear size 12E gunboats, but Lorelei is HARD to find shoes for. She wears a Ladies 3 (or children's 4) in most shoes.

[Doc Barium]

Joanie is REALLY wonderful!
www.myvintagesole.com (http://www.myvintagesole.com)


Lady Fleur, :ty a lot for this site.

[Ida Hands]

Thanks, Miss Fleur! She sure has fixed up the website.

[Lady Fleur]

Joanie sent me the samples for display at costume college and people were thrilled to fondle them!! they are made SO WELL!! She and oscar are doing AMAZING THINGS. THEY CAN FIT ANY FOOT!!! so the small foot ladies up to those of us who cannot buy off the rack boots(me a 12) they can fit! So tell her Lady fleur/Tracylynn of Making your dream come true sent you!
Joanie and I have been sending kindred heart prayers to each other!
She is so kind! She has a pair of new twin grand boys!

[Ida Hands]

I love the way her shoes look. I have yet to purchase a pair. It is nice that she is listening to the people who wear these and not just designers.

[Ida Hands]

I just HAD to see these shoes again! They are GREAT!

[Ida Hands]

Now I REALLY can't wait for this class! Have you SEEN those convention shoes? WOW!

[Lazy K]

Testing.

I'm working on the photos and just checking to see if you can read the text

[Lazy K]

Ok, I'll try to make the text bigger on the rest of the pics.

First, decide what you want your shoes to look like. I like the ones that look handmade.


Then find an inexpensive pair of shoes with a nice heel.

Oh, and the first pair of shoes I made were made from scratch. It was a lot of work and so I'm just going to show you how to take an existing pair of shoes and make a pair of high top shoes or boots. If you want to make shoes from scratch I suggest you get the book "Custom make your own Shoes and Handbags" by Mary Wales Loomis. I think she also has a video

[Lazy K]

The shape you are making here is the shoe Vamp ( the front toe piece)

[Lazy K]

Remove the muslin from the shoe. Fold in half and add 1/2"-1" around your marked line and cut out this shape. This is the pattern for the Vamp. Don't worry if it's not perfectly symetrical.

More tomorrow.

[Bloomin']

Whoa!! It's here, it's here!! :ty I'm off to find a pair of shoes and get caught up :go

PS I love your new tag Lazy K :)

[Ida Hands]

I gotta go look for some shoes too! :faint

[Lazy K]

PS I love your new tag Lazy K :)

:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl I didn't notice it til you pointed it out

[Vintage Modiste]

Lazy, I love this thread! :drool :drool :drool I have covered shoes & boots before, but I have never converted shoes to boots.
I have the shoes, and :waiting!:wv

[Lazy K]

Ok. Using your pattern cut one lining, one "fashion fabric" and if you want to ( I did) one thin buckram or interfacing for each shoe. If your fabric is thin, you might want to cut 2 layers. Place right sides together and sew along the inside edge. Clip and turn right side out, press and top stitch. Baste along outside edge to hold everything together.
Pin in place.

[Lazy K]

So far this is just like covering any shoe. Now we start the boot part.
Cut 2 pieces of muslin about 12" by 12". Sew them together along one edge. This will be the center back
Pin the muslin to your shoe so it hangs over all the edges.
Put on a sock and gently put on the shoe. Pin the muslin so it fits your leg. Try to make the pins even with the center front and back of the shoe

If you don't understand what I'm talking about let me know

[Lazy K]

Mark where you have your pins. This is just like Aspen Filly's draping class except you're using your shoe and leg:lool

[Lazy K]

Remove this piece from the shoe. Fold this in half along the seam line. I put tracing paper on one side of this and trace the line I made. The back seam should be the same on both sides. Make any adjustment you need to make.

[Lazy K]

Add 1/2" - 1" seam allowance all around. Machine baste up the back seam.

Pin to your shoe, and place the front UNDER the vamp you have made.

Have your cat inspect your work to make sure all is going well

[Lazy K]

Try on the shoe again and check for fit. Further cat inspection may be necessary

This is also when you decide how tall you want your boots. You can add to the top if you want them taller or cut them down. I decided to make mine a little taller than I had originally planned

[Lazy K]

I didn't photograph this step well, but this is what I did. My boots meet at the center front and I want a 1 1/2" buttonhole flap. I took my pattern and drew a line 1 1/2" from the seamline. That shape is now the pattern for the flap.

[Lazy K]

And since my "Inspiration shoes" had scallops, I need to have scallops too. Draw them on but don't cut them out

[Lazy K]

You now have 3 pieces for the shoe. Left side, right and flap.
Cut one each of lining, buckram and fabric. You don't want your shoes to slouch so you need to decide how much buckram or interfacing you need. They don't have to be stiff, you just don't want them to slide down your leg!

Flatline the buckram to the fabric. Sew the back seam together and the flap to the center front so that it extends towards the outside of the shoe. Sew the lining the same way

[Lazy K]

open up the lining and the fabric. Pin with right sides together so the seams line up. Sew along top, center front and scallops. Sew in small stitched around the scallops so you can clip the curve.

[Lazy K]

Are we through yet? No.

Turn everything right side out. Machine baste along the bottom edge. I did a tight zigzag stitch along the scallops and put a buttonhole in each scallop

[Lazy K]

Time to pin this to the shoe and make any final adjustments. I had to take in the back of the shoe a bit and pull down the sides to get rid of some wrinkles.

[Lazy K]

Now you can do top stitching or sewn on trim. I left the shoes as they were after my final fitting and hand sewed the boot to the vamp. I took an occassional stitch into the shoe to keep everything in place.

[Lazy K]

These last two steps are my least favorite parts.

Take a table knife or other blunt intument and push the bottom of the boot fabric between the shoe and the sole. You may have to trim. And hold the fabric in place because the pushing will tend to pull the fabric to the side of the shoe. After you are sure the seam allowance will fit, pull it out and add some glue such as Elmers or a waterproof fabric glue and push the fabric back in

[Lazy K]

And guess what? I don't have pictures of how I did the heel! I was in a hurry to finish and didn't take pictures.
But Lady Fluer posted this site some time back about covering shoes. It's very good and it will show you a way to finish the shoes
http://www.pbase.com/lianasews/shoe_covering

[Lazy K]

And there you have it.

So get into your sewing room and show us what you come up with

[Clancy]

OMG :faint:faint:faint that is awesome, i must just try it for my black and white dress.......

Were you able to do all the pinning on your own leg or did you require some assistance doing that part?

[Lazy K]

I was able to pin on my own leg. You need to keep your leg straight (not bents at the ankle) and it helps to look in the mirror after you've done it to make sure you've got as many of the wrinkles out as you can.

[Hannah K. Gelt]

:faint OMG Lazy K, :ty :ty:ty

THAT was a fabulous tutorial, I think I can even accomplish it...

[Bloomin']

Oh my!!! How incredible!! :ty:tyLazy K!! Do you think this is doable with two different fabrics and some embroidery on the vamp?

30072

[lauren]

Hehehe.... Cat inspection is ALWAYS necessary!

Thank you SOOO much! I'm going to be scouring thrift stores for shoes to convert now!

[Lazy K]

Oh my!!! How incredible!! :ty:tyLazy K!! Do you think this is doable with two different fabrics and some embroidery on the vamp?

30072


Oh, 2 colors is absolutely doable. I think the fabrics would have to be a similar weight . Or add some extra lining to the fabric that is thinner. Embroidery would be great!

I'm thinking my next ones will be leather.

[Erin]

Do you think it would be possible to use leather? Perhaps make the whole bottom out of leather, and the top of fabric? I have aspirations to finer leather work, gloves and the like, and it would be fabulous if I could make some matching shoes! This looks so do-able, and far more affordable than buying some of the lovely replicas available! :jp

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl I didn't notice it til you pointed it out

Well, you earned it!!!

[Ida Hands]

I have TWO questions:
1. What type of shoe did you start with? I think someone mentioned a "MULE"


2. Do you have to color coordinate your shoes to your CAT?

[Lazy K]

1. Post # 29 and #37 show the shoe. It's just a cheap pump.

2. I always try to color coordinate with the cat. Fortunately, I have 6 cats so I have lots of options.:rofl

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

has someone started BEGGING YET?!?! Please do a class for convention next year K! OMG this is GOOD GOOD stuff! Shoes are the hardest thing to find!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

oh darn I just realized I need a cat to inspect my work...Emily will be so pleased...:go

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

:bow:bowLazy K, I bow at your feet, girlfriend!! Now, my question is, "how much will you charge me to make me boots?"

[Lazy K]

There is not enough money in the world for me to make boots for someone else! I'm not called LAZY K for nothing :lool

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

There is not enough money in the world for me to make boots for someone else! I'm not called LAZY K for nothing :lool

Darn!! I guess I'll be Bootless Fannie because this is out of my league!

[Lady Fleur]

This year i would like to do this.... I have a wholesale source and shipping is good on it (30-50$) and the shoes are the right price...
at 5.90 a shoe times 18 pairs of shoes plus shipping (still VERY cheap...)
http://www.shoenet.com/details.asp?SKU=35944
If we can decide on a pair of shoes to play with i am happy to purchase a few pairs provided others want to buy in too??
feel free to loo at the rest of the site and let me know what you like.. WHO knows if their is a good style of shoe i may carry it as well....
i have a account with them and wold love to play with this !!

[Lady LaSalle]

Ok, where do I begin:

a.) You have COMPLETELY lost your mine

b.) Love you for it!

c.) I want your cat

d.) The boots are AMAZING!!!!!!!! Holy jingleberries, girl!!!!!:faint

[Allie Mo]

Amazing! :ty

Your kitty is too cute!

[Nellie Blue]

Might I add....PHENOMENAL!!!!

[Chantilly]

:faint oh...WOW! Lazy K, that is marvelous! :ty for sharing your talent!!!

[Duzy Wales]

Amazing! :bow

[Ida Hands]

1. Post # 29 and #37 show the show. It's just a cheap pump.


Well, DUH! I should have seen it SINCE IT WAS SO OBVIOUS! http://www.georgehernandez.com/h/xComputers/Communicating/eSpeak/Media/y6/40.gif

[Lazy K]

Ok, where do I begin:

a.) You have COMPLETELY lost your mine

b.) Love you for it!

c.) I want your cat

d.) The boots are AMAZING!!!!!!!! Holy jingleberries, girl!!!!!:faint

No I haven't completely lost my mind. It's here somewhere. Probably underneath a pile of fabric.

You can't have that cat. She's new. But i'd be happy to send you one of my old worn out ones

[Sweet Violet]

:faint:faint:faint:faint OHMYGOSH!!! Lazy K!! Those shoes are so totally cool!! I saw them momentarily at convention, but didn't get a close look at them!! Your class is wonderful!! Maybe someday I will attemtp to make my own!! You are a fount of knowledge and talent!! :bow :bow

[Kitty Phann]

This is so totally cool!!! How did I miss this! Just cleaned out my closet and almost toss 2 pr that I could do this with. I'll have to rescue them!

[Shotglass]

You are truly one talented Lady.... You rock:tban:tban:tban

[Ida Hands]

Any one. besides Lazy K, make shoes yet?