My little boy has been happily wearing the slippers I make since he was a newborn but since he started walking a month or so ago I've felt he probably needs something more... so I bought him a pair of sandals before we went away. But after seeing him hobble around awkwardly each time he wore them I've decided to go back to the slippers for the time being.
The slippers don't provide a lot of protection for walking feet though, which is why I only normally make them big enough for babies up to about the age of 1. So I thought I'd design something more like a pre-walker. I bought an old leather skirt at my local op shop a while ago thinking I could experiment with cutting it up to use as soles for the baby slippers, so I used some for the outer soles and also sandwiched a piece of felt in between the 2 sole layers for a bit of extra padding.
For the outer I used some of the Prints Charming jersey I bought recently, and for the inside plain green knit fabric. Normally the slippers are fully reversible, but I didn't think it would work with these, hence the inside all soft. On the advice of my friend the sewing machine repairer I didn't use a leather needle, just a large one (size 18) and it sewed beautifully. They were a bit of a nightmare to turn inside out, but once done I was quite happy with them. Anyway, technical details aside, only time (and an adventurous boy) will tell though how useful they are.
Oh those chubby baby ankles... I could just eat them up :-)
Yes, the ankles, and those toes!! These shoes are fab, Jo. I love them in that fabric.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're all back safe and sound from your holiday - and straight back into the sewing!
ReplyDeleteLoove those little slippers, they look so cute and comfy!