I sure wish I could find out how my life has gotten so busy when I have no kids living at home… I’d really like to know…
I did get something done, but you’re going to say, “yes, but they aren’t finished yet!” Well, that’s true, but I worked as long as I could and had to go to bed.. I’m trying to get to bed earlier… since I goofed up on the “date” for the blog the other day (thinking it was Thursday, when it was actually Wednesday! I must have been tired that night when I wrote it.
Oh well, let’s move on…
I decided I wanted to make Stella a pair of Mary Janes for her shoes this time… I thought about it while I was in bed last night… bad idea… my mind works like a movie camera and we flit from one thing to another and then to another and more! Anyway, when I woke up I had a reasonable idea of how I wanted them to look and how I’d make it happen.
I had to try a rough prototype FIRST and this was what it looked like. I just glued the edges of these together to see if I was even remotely close.
They were reasonably close, so I decided to work on my pattern a little more improving it in areas I saw needed it.
The thing that took the longest was making the pattern for them. I used paper and wrapped it around her foot to get it the way I hoped would work. Then I transferred that pattern to a piece of thin cardboard and began the arduous task of marking where the holes went from the sole to the top of the shoe.
After you get the number of holes to match from piece to piece, you have to lay your cardboard pieces on your leather and use an awl to scribe around the pieces and hold them in place while you use the tip of the awl to mark where the holes go. (I got a new .5mm hollow hole punch and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It makes a pretty tiny hole and is MUCH EASIER on my fingers!)
Then you have to carefully out the pieces… and then the stitching begins…
I stitched and stitched and then it was finally time to try them on… they were a bit snug, (rats) so I used a small paintbrush and dipped it in water and wet the inside of the leather. This causes it to stretch somewhat and then you can shape it as you like. I stuffed the toes of the shoes with little pieces of paper towels and made the toe area rounded. I let that dry for a little while and removed the stuffing.
After it was dry I tried them on her again and they were still just a little bit snug, so I wet them again, and this time I found a pair of thigh highs and put them on Stella and forced the shoes over the thigh highs, and shaped them to her foot. I’ll leave them until tomorrow and they should be fine to wear without thigh highs. I was really hoping for shoes that she could wear bare legged. Her dress is simple, so I was hoping for simple shoes.
I am going to revise my pattern (for the next pair I make) just slightly in the length and also across the toe area so they slide on a little more easily and also be able to wear them with thigh highs. I still need to finish the edges of the soles and burnish them and add a heel section to the bottom.
NOW, I have to figure how I am going to get that strap to stay over… I’ve tried looking for teeny tiny magnets, but they have to be ordered… I’ve looked for tiny buckles, but they have to be ordered too… I wanted them to be easy to put on, with maybe a slide thingy the strap can go through. I guess I’ll think of that tomorrow, because I sure don’t want to get that going in my head tonight as I get to bed.
I’ll see you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I was glad to see your response to my last night’s email regarding your missing blog, Jeanne! I finally did read it tonight (I usually don’t get to emails until after 9 p.m., and I do individual emails first, and then stuff like blogs and FB posts, so it takes a while), but I didn’t bother to post on it, as I figured everyone else had seen it already!
Stella’s dress is coming along nicely, and I do like that touch of blue on her lace sash. Of course, every girl needs a petticoat!!
Now the shoes…well I just love Mary Janes on girls, and they are practical in that they do stay on better than ballet flats! The leather you chose for this pair is such a lovely, soft green. I can see why green is Stella’s favorite color! (I have to admit, I did wonder at first about that olive green, I must say, and was relieved that it was only your test shoe!! Haha…)
We have had a bit of an adventure lately…Last Thursday (the 5th), we were going out for dinner and Ron realized he didn’t have his car keys, so I let him use mine. After we got home we searched…and searched…And Searched….No keys anywhere. Looked in all pockets, I went and looked under his car seats (in case he’d dropped them–he sometimes locks the car via the button on the door as he’s getting out), just everywhere we could think of. I was Not going to let him “have” my set, because if he lost those…!!!
So that Friday I went in with his car and my set, and got a new set, all programmed together–to the tune of $325 (electronic fobs are not cheap!) They did say that IF we find the old fob, we have to bring all three sets plus the car in to be reprogrammed!
A week went by. Long story short, tonight I got home from church (last night of Ken Lynch’s evangelism services) and…Ron had found his keys. ON HIS END TABLE, UNDER SOME PAPERS! Gee, I wonder how they got there?! 🙄 (Must have been something *I* did, right?! 🤨)
So next week, I go back to the Nissan place, because I have Nothing. Better. To. Do. (Hubby is quite frail…)
Dear Charlotte, sorry about the key adventure. Do they make GPS do-dads that can be attached to keys so they can be easily found? I think I read about that somewhere.
We’ve only lost one set of keys with the fob and yes they are expensive to replace. So now we have insurance so that we can replace them without breaking the bank. My stepson has always been terrible about losing his keys and usually they are under his nose, so we bought him a unit that he could use to find his keys. It is a sending unit and there are things to attach to whatever you want to find. He lost the sending unit.
Well, that made me laugh. I guess some just lose things easily. I know someone, not related, that has lost so many phones or dropped them, that they are uncountable. 🙁
That made me laugh, too. Sounds like something Ron would do!! I always say, he needs a “keeper”!!
Good morning! I am here, but still have not received any of your blogs the usual way, by email, Jeanne, for several days now,. Was I cut off your list?
Those pretty, soft gray/green shoes will be perfect for the dress! I too, was taken aback with that olive green color in the first pictures! The new color is so smooth and rich looking, much like the colors of the dress. You are really good at making shoes now!!
I am totally opposite of Charlotte when I do my emailing! I do nothing after 9:00 in the evening, except go to bed!! My emailing and such start early in the morning, around 3:30 am!
What a story, Charlotte about the keys! I know those key fobs cost a lot, not from firsthand knowledge, but from a friend who lost hers. Of course, Charlotte, it was YOU who put those keys on RON’S end table underneath some papers! Ha, ha! 🙂
Just a note here, but I did finally get the blog in an email today at 5:00 am, first time in 3 days!
Dear Jeanne, I thought it was going to be shoes! I love the color green in the prototype pair.
I think you have figured out the art of shoe making. These new shoes will be lovely.
I actually like the shoes worn with socks. Maybe thin socks would work with them? And when I saw the last photo, I had visions of the summer salt water sandals that all of the kids used to wear. I think they still make them. Remember those? Maybe on a future pair you can use the back heel part, but change the front to be more sandal like for the summer months ahead. Those Ruby Red’s have such cute toes. 🙂 Regardless, making shoes is a lot of work. Maybe you can do a tutorial some day for YouTube. 🙂
The shoes are just the thing with that dress. I had no idea there are so many pieces and steps to the shoes. Lining up the holes for stitching would give me a migraine🥴.
I got your blog today in the usual way🤗
Second time in a few weeks we were warned for days about a storm…and it avoided us again…no rain. Went around us. Guess the sprinklers need to be turned on!
I was so glad to see this fabric turn up again. I also start outfits, get pulled away for something else and it just happens. I promise myself I’m not starting anything else until I either finish or discard the in progress projects. I never find the time to do that either, oh well.
I really like this fabric, but was a little surprised by the bluish buttons. I thought maybe something that brought out the large pinkish gold flower in the center front. The slip is just so girly for swirling.
Perfect color for the shoes too. I have a similar pair that the front piece and back piece just meet at the side instead of overlapping. Probably would be easier than sewing through two layers. Instead of a buckle or loops, some shoe straps have a lengthwise slit that slides over a bead or button sewn on the shoe. I’m sure your end result will be just right, can’t wait to see the finished ensemble.
I think the hardest part of doing any project, especially a new process, is knowing the steps of the process. Once you get that down you can perfect your technique. I’d say you are close to perfecting your technique and then you can embellish with bravery. I love the pretty color of the leather. As for the closure, some of my favorite doll shoes close with Velcro. The straps are pretty and often embellished with beads and the Velcro makes them easy to put on and remove. I also have some with faux buckles. The buckles are for show and they close with Velcro. My Heartstring dolls and Tiny Betsy have shoes with slits that beads slide through, but they are difficult to hook so if I can I hook them and then put them on but you risk tearing the slits or popping the beads off. Tiny Betsy ended up with a pair of her Mary Jane’s becoming regular flats when this happened.
Has anyone ever used the Lutterloh “Golden Rule” method for making clothing? I bought the set a few years ago but had so much going on at the time the process seemed overwhelming to me, so it got shelved – especially because the measurements are metric. Since my embroidery machine is metric and I buy so many patterns from overseas, I’m adjusting to metric and am not so intimidated by it. When Charlotte suggested I try making my own clothes again, since I really did enjoy doing that, I decided to pull it out and give it a whirl. Back in the days when I was a perfect size and I didn’t have to alter a pattern at all, I used to make nearly all my clothes. Then things changed and I wasn’t up to the challenge of altering every pattern I tried to make. With the Lutterloh system you only need your bust and hip measurements and can customize any of their patterns to fit. The patterns themselves would probably fit a small doll but you extrapolate them using a center point on the pattern and other points and a specialized measuring tape. I love playing with points like that so I think this time I won’t be intimidated. I love vintage patterns but most of the vintage patterns I find at resale shops, etc., and some I still have, would have fit me years ago but not now. Lutterloh often includes vintage patterns in each regular series and actually has a series of purely vintage patterns. They also have children’s patterns that emulate European style children’s clothes which I love.
I seem to have a lot of those WIPs myself. What happens is I get in a creative mood one day and pick out several patterns and the fabric and embellishments to make them and then get sidetracked before I can get to working on them, especially this past year with all of David’s surgeries. The dress I’m currently making for my Paola Reina I decided on when I bought her a gray and pink pair of shoes and wanted to make a dress to go with them. That was about two years ago. Fortunately she’s still wearing the same size.
Lol Barbara, in NZ we call them UFO’s, unfinished objects. I have a lot of those
Glad to hear that your Paola Reina hasn’t had a growth spurt recently. Ha ha. 🙂
Beautiful shade of blue!