Silk Scarf Embellished Slippers- Part 3 of 3

Using lasts that I made a number of years ago...

                                                 ...and a pair of old stockings...

                        ...I tumbled the nearly completed slippers in the dryer for a while...

                                                     ...to finish them off.

                                           While choosing leather for the soles...

                                               ...I thought it would be fun...

                                          ...to use grey leather for one slipper...

                                               ...and burgundy for the other!

                                          Because I wasn't completely satisfied...

                                 ...with the way I 'healed' the slits during felting...

                                              ...I did a little hand embroidery...

                                                      ...around the cut edges.

                                      I also stitched a bit on the slipper exteriors...

                                           ...to slightly camouflage the spots...

                                  ...where the silk didn't completely cover the wool.

                     Next time: photos from a couture fashion exhibit in Philadelphia.

"Deborah-Style" Wet-Felted Slippers- Part 2 of 2

Trying out different buttons for the closure.

                                                 Fashioning leather soles...

                                       ...and punching holes in them (for stitching).

                               Here, Deborah shows me her own brilliant 'notion' (har)...

                            ...twist pins for holding the leather in place while stitching!

                                                  Within days of my arrival home...

                                  ...I received a packet of these special pins in the mail.

                                                 (Thanks, again, Deborah!)

                            The soles are sewn into place using strong beading thread.

                                   Next, I sorted out the placement of my closure...

                                  ...and sewed the felt cords and buttons into place.

                                 

                                  The red lining provides a 'pop' of intense color...
                                          
                                    

                                ...and overall, my finished slippers are a real 'kick'! (groan)

                        

                                 

                                       
                                      Now, I'm looking forward to cooler weather...

                                             ...so I can really test them out! :)

                                  

No Fooling!

It may be "April Fool's Day" today...

 

...but it's no joke how perfectly these slippers fit! :)

 

While watching my friend open his birthday gift this morning...

...I mentioned that I had been keeping my 'fingers crossed' that they'd be the right size.



Happily, I received an e-mail from him later in the day which read...

"A picture is worth a thousand words."...

...and he attached these photos as proof. :)

 

Happy 65th birthday, David...

...wishing you many more happy and healthy years to come!

(Photo credits: David G.)

Leather-Soled Pre-Felt Men's Slippers- Part 3 of 3

After wrapping each resist with layers of wool roving...

...and felting for a time...

 

...I cut a slit into the 'top' of each slipper...

 

...and turned it 'right side' out.

 

Using the finished slippers as templates, I cut out leather soles...

...then punched stitching holes around the perimeter of each one...

...prior to attaching them to the felt with nylon thread.

 

The finished slipper tops...

 

...and bottoms (suede side 'out').

 

A view of one pebbly interior.

 

By utilizing pre-felt in this way...

...it was easy to create a pair of matching slippers!

 

My neighbor (and walking buddy) has a big birthday coming up...

...and a foot pampering pair of slippers seemed to be 'just the ticket'!

 I made them 'inside out' (as usual)...

...and took pains to keep track of which side was which...

...every time I added a new layer of roving.

To prevent them from quickly wearing through...

...(in case he pulls them on to go outside for the newspaper)...

...I added full leather soles.

'Fingers crossed' that they'll fit him when he finally tries them on! :)

Leather-Soled Pre-Felt Men's Slippers- Part 2 of ?

After tracing around my friend's sneakers...

...I added a margin for shrinkage...

 

...and cut out two slipper-shaped pieces of foam floor underlayment.

 

Using the resists as patterns...

 

...I cut out matching pieces of pre-felt for the 'slipper components'.

 

Next, a thin layer of wool (from a batt) was laid down...

...followed by the first pre-felt cut out (with the 'design side' facing up, toward the resist).

 

The foam resist came next...

...followed by a second piece of pre-felt.

 

The entire project was then wrapped in the bottom layer of wool...

 

...and wetted out...

 

Since this was a new kind of slipper for me...

...I estimated the size of the resist that I would need...

...based on a slightly enlarged tracing of my friend's sneakers.

Rather than wrapping the resist with wool roving like I usually do...

...I used trimmed pieces of pre-felt for the first layer on each slipper.

Besides being a nice little short cut...

...this was also an easy way to give the slippers a symmetrical look.

Next time: the remainder of the roving is added in the usual way...

...and my slippers start to take shape!