Handmade Shoes for Babies

Dubai-based hobby enthusiast Lovina Ferrao, shares a quick and easy method for making handmade baby shoes. This is an ideal gift for a mom-to-be or a new mommy for her little one. This is what Lovina calls, ‘Shoes for the little angel – the new born baby’.

STEP ONE

You need to first finish the paper cuttings before you cut the cloth.  Take the size of your palm and draw the sole of the shoe like given below:

While you cut the paper keep around half an inch for stitching.  Cut the sole of on the dotted line for the paper cutting.  You will require double cloth for the sole to be a little thick.  Cut around 4 pieces of the cloth for the sole.  Keep in mind which part of the sole will be out and which will be inside and mark them with a chalk for your reference.  You can also mark them as for left leg and one for right leg.  Mark the dotted line on the cloth and stitch on that line.  Now your sole is ready.

STEP TWO

For the top portion of the shoes follow the below paper cutting.  You can cut two different colour cloths, one for the inside and the other for the outer part.  Make sure which cloth you would want on the top portion of the shoe and mark it with a chalk. Keep the front portion on the inner side as you would require stitching both the sides together and turning them inside out.  Cut the material keeping the paper cutting on it.  Mark the dotted line on the cloth for stitching.  Stitch on the dotted line only for the top portion and turn them inside out.  Now stitch one more time from the top making the proper edges out, giving the finishing work.  Now tuck in the lower portion and stitch them too.  You will require 4 pieces of Material for the cutting of the top portion, 2 pieces per pair of shoe.  Now your top portion is ready.  Mark the centre of the top portion with the chalk as given in the diagram below.

STEP THREE

Now place the sole and the top portion of the shoe as given below.  Remember, you need to place the printed portion of the shoe which has to be on the top portion of the shoe, facing inside when you stitch. Stitch along the center point marked on the sole and the printed cloth as given below in the diagram. Stitch till you complete one end then overlap the other side and complete the stitch.  Now make sure you remember which side you have stitched first.  You will require to stitch exactly the other side first when stitching for the other pair.  The diagram will show you a clear idea.  Once you have completed the stitching, you need to overturn the shoes inside out.  You can decorate the shoe with adding any sticker or stitching a flower or stitching some sequences as I have done. Happy stitching…

Text and Photographs by: Lovina Ferrao.