Well, I don’t mean that title to sound selfish, but once in a while, you know some sewing does need to be done for the Mama too. I have desperately been needing a new pair of slippers since the cold weather set in this past fall, but with Christmas gifts to make, my slipper need got bumped to the back of the list. After Christmas was over, I jumped right on those slippers though! I mean last years pair was getting me through, but at a great cost….with all those holes now and all. You’re welcome for not giving you a photo here. Ahem.
Sure, I could go out and just buy myself a new pair of slippers, or I could have asked for some for Christmas, but where would the fun have been in that, now really? : ) I couldn’t possibly break my three year in a row tradition of making myself and my family members a pair of slippers for the winter, now could I? No, way! They are just too much fun! Here were our slippers from year ONE, and for little N too, and TWO (I forgot to take pictures this year! Ahh!), some EXTRA ONES and now year THREE:
We love our house, but in the winter our wooden and tile floors get very cold on our feet, even through thick sock wearing. We moved in over three years ago during the winter and felt immediately the need for some slippers! I came across this delightful & easy free baby slipper pattern from Joanna of Stardust Shoes online back then, and converted it into an adult-sized pattern for Steven & I. And it has worked ever since. When Nathan came along, I made a couple pairs for him as well, but after he started crawling and then walking, he just kicked them off. So, for our now, house sprinter I made a pair of Snap Happy Booties. And P.S…..Steven’s pair above I made out of his multi-cam camouflage jacket he wore recently in Afghanistan. You know he loved it : )!
A few things I’ve learned after making 10+ pairs:
- a thick material must be used for the outside on the adult slippers like fleece, nylon rip stop, duck canvas, etc… (NOT cotton or knit for the adults. Cotton or knits work fine for the babies, though).
- It’s more comfortable to line the adult slippers with faux (or real) Sherpa. Much warmer on the toes. I found the faux kind at Jo Ann Fabrics. Fleece works fine too.
- It’s only necessary to line the bottom (sole part) of the adult slippers with 3 layers. Any more layers, and they just compress down anyways after wear.
- The material on the soles of the adult slippers stays in place when it’s sewn/tacked down (as pictured above on the bottom of Steven’s above).
- The best sole material for the base of toddler and adult slippers is vinyl (by the yard). Even after continuous wear, the vinyl stays presentable looking, is flexible to walk on, and provides a non-skid surface. I prefer to use matte (instead of glossy finish) vinyl. I do like jiffy grip for the sole material too, but in my house that white would just get dirty too fast.
Our little guy in his mommy made camoflage Flashback Skinny Tee, and matching camo slippers!
