i made shoes!!!!!! i can't believe it. i've never made shoes before and this whole process sort of freaked me out and made me so nervous i was going to screw them up. i'm happy to report though that they are not screwed up...not perfect...but not screwed up. cheri from sweet pea patterns instructions and photos were easy to follow and i found my nerves easing once i dived into the project.


whatcha think? you likie? i do. i made the 9-12months size and harper has a bit of room to grow into them but they look adorable on her. sorry no pics of her in them, she decided it was nap time during our photo shoot. are you interested in trying to make your own shoes but are feeling a bit hesitant? here are some tips for sewing sweet pea patterns " little london loafers" that i had:

- iron...a lot! i ironed everything over and over and over. it helped with the pinning and keeping everything lined up and on track. i love my iron and find it does wonders for me when i'm sewing. i didn't have fabric glue handy so the extra pinning and ironing allowed me to still make the shoes.

- the step where you are sewing the shoe together i also recommend a lot of pinning. pin till you can't pin no more. no pleats and my edges stayed lined up thanks to the tons of pinning.

- read the instructions through a few times before starting. i made an oopsie with the cutting of the pieces at the start because i got all gung ho and jumped ahead thinking i knew what to cut out. not fun. luckily i had just enough fabric left to recut.

- use the right needle for your machine and material. cheri shares this tip in the pattern but i wanted to stress this. it's always important to use a new needle for a new project and one that is for the kind of fabric you are working with.


shoe face...hahaha. couldn't resist posting that pic. mackenzie came over as i was shooting my pics and declared she wanted watermelon in the picture. i think the kid has a good eye..haha. she spotted those dots and thought they looked like eyes.


i had so much fun making these and know they will not be my last pair. next up...mackenie and then me. you can find patterns for your wee ones at sweet pea patterns, for your kidlets at sweet pea kids and for you at shoeology. cheri also sells waterproof soling material now so you can wear your fab shoes outside without ruining them! cheri - you rock girl! love you for making this so easy! and now on to the winner!!!!!

felicia - you're the winner! congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! can't wait for you to whip some shoes up for your little ones! i'll be forwarding your info to cheri and she'll be in touch soon.

here's a pic of from one of our fave long time readers - buffy. this is her daughter wearing a pair of boots made from the super slouchy boot pattern from sweet pea patterns. aren't they adorable? i love seeing what you guys are all making so come join our flickr group to show off your sewing goodies!

happy shoe making everyone and thanks again for all the entries! have you tried out making your own shoes recently? do you have any tips to share with us?