Make Your Own Pair of Shoes - A Modern Take on the Ancient Viking Style

I just wanna be clear here.

I started this blog, years ago, as a creative outlet from the hum-drum of life. I do projects all the time, but posting them online sort of holds me accountable. If I didn't post things here, I would be less likely to actually do them. I really enjoy learning new things, and I enjoy posting and cataloging them here, so I'm thankful to have this medium.

This blog is a needle in a haystack. There are millions of DIY blogs out there. Isn't that great? We can all learn from skilled people who bother to share their ideas and projects. We live in a day and age where information has become so accessible that you can actually learn a new skill every time you open YouTube. Back in the olden days, you would have to apprentice for years to learn a new skill...or at least read a book.

This accessibility is good and bad.

It's good because the ability to learn is literally a click away.

It's bad because once something amazing becomes uber-accessible, people stop caring. Most people don't avail themselves to this fountain of knowledge. Instead, they just get dumber playing games, watching TV, and posting mindless things on social media.

Anyways, my point with this blog is not so much to show off or to get you to ask me to do all these projects for you (Note: I'm for hire, but it'll cost ya!). I work a regular job, albeit part-time, but I still have all the duties of a regular housewife, plus random "extra-curriculars" with my church, friends, and family. So, I actually don't have as much spare time as you may think. It's just that when I do have time, I try to use it. I try to use my time either learning a new skill or honing an old one. I do this in hopes that my brain stays creative.

A wise lady once told me, "You gotta use it, or else you will lose it."

But it's not just me. You can be creative too. That is my MAIN reason for this blog: to inspire you to try something new yourself. Some of my posts are step-by-step. Others are just informative. Others are a combination of the two. But the main purpose of this blog is to inspire you. If I do something that you like, there is literally nothing stopping you from doing the same (barring a physical handicap).

I think sometimes people think that there are creative people and that there are non-creative people. Most people I talk to consider themselves the latter. I think that is crap. If you are living and breathing and have any kind of appreciation for art or crafts or DIY or whatever, the only thing stopping you from doing them is yourself.

I think the main reason people tell themselves that they can't be creative in certain areas is because of fear. It may sound silly to say that. I mean, are people cowering in trepidation of a pair of scissors and a glue stick? No. But what I mean is fear of failure. If I can tell you anything helpful, I hope you will at least hear this: Don't be afraid of failure. 

Sometimes, I simply like to do projects to see what I can learn from them. Not all projects have to be perfect winners. In fact, I didn't post this (and I TOTALLY should have) but I actually slit my finger open on my rotary cutter while cutting pieces for my first T-Shirt quilt and had to run to the bathroom to get it to stop bleeding all over the place. On my second T-Shirt quilt, I actually sewed a big, horrible fold into the outer seam and had to take out about a foot of stitches and resew them.....and I've been sewing on a machine SINCE I WAS SIX YEARS OLD, People! So, no one is perfect, but you know what?

It's called "learning"....and no one is immune!

But the problem is that most people let their fear get the better of themselves, and then that fear turns to very real laziness. I mean, really. Why spend eight hours on a quilt when I can just run to the store and buy a blanket for $12? Who has time for all that mess? Why spend days sewing a dress when I can just get my crafty friend to do it?......But at what real cost, though? When we live like this, we (...yes, fuel the exploitative "Made in China" machine, but that is a whole other can of worms...) end up completely losing that amazing feeling of accomplishment and self-worth. 

And isn't that what made America great? ;)

Anyways, don't be afraid of failure. This project today is sort of testament to that. (What? There's an actual project to come? This isn't just a self-righteous sermon???) Sometimes, you should just try your hand at something you've never done before, simply so that you can learn about the process. Even if the end result is crap and you will never end up using or wearing it, if you bother to learn what went wrong or what could have been improved, you will be better for it. The process itself actually (1) gives you a deeper appreciation for people who do the skill for a living ("Oh...I was going to pay him only $20, but this is clearly a $100 job!") and (2) you end up getting one step closer to becoming an expert yourself.

So...thanks for listening, and I hope that you take to heart what I've said. Now, let's get into today's project and end this rant that was not unlike a current episode of Saturday Night Live: 

Really preachy and went on a liiiiittle too long.

So today, Kids, we are going to make a pair of shoes. Remember that post where I made those Kimono-style shoes? Anyways, I was searching "leather shoe pattern" on Pinterest the other day, and came across these old Viking/Nordic patterns for shoes. I don't know why I'm always so dazzled by shoe-making, but I really am. I'm still learning, and one day, I'll get it right!!! 

(But today was not that day! Oh well, read on!)

I'd never seen a pattern like that before, and I was inspired by the other-worldly look of all the branch-like pieces sticking out from the toes. It's not really my cup of tea to wear personally, but from a mathematical standpoint, the fact that they all gathered--from seeming chaos into toe-covering order--was really compelling to me.

Okay, so...I didn't take pictures of this part, but what I did first to make my own pattern was to make a "tape cast" from a pair of ballet flats. I saw a tutorial about it several years ago on YouTube where this kid covered a stiletto with cellophane and then added strips of masking tape all around until the shoe was covered. Then, he cut the tape/cellophane part off the shoe. I thought that would be a great way to make a pattern for a shoe, so that's exactly what I did...except I used black gorilla tape instead, because I didn't have masking tape.

The picture below is after I cut the tape off the shoe. You can see that there are a bunch of triangular pieces sticking out. (If you make a tape cast shoe pattern this way, you don't have to cut it off this way. You can cut it off any number of ways as long as you get the whole thing to flatten.) I did it this way because I wanted to try to make a shoe--sole and top--in all one piece of leather. I also wanted to allude to the "branch-like" tendrils of the Viking shoe above, but in a more modern pointed-shoe way.

I traced my tape cast onto some cardstock. I added a little bit of seam-age in different places, trying to anticipate the final result.

Okay, so taping it together, this shoe looks pretty cute, no?

Part of the reason it looks so good is because the cardstock has so much body to it. Because it can stand up on its own, it holds a really great shape.

So here I traced the card stock onto some leather. Then, I cut out two mirror-image pieces. (One for each foot.)

Okay, so...Tieks, right? You know how Tieks have that double sole? (Well, you do now! Just look at the picture.) Anyways, I wanted to try that.

But I stylized mine. I made the ball and the heel parts into hearts. I thought that was kinda cute. (Copyright: Jessica Jones 2017.) :) I used recycled rubber from a roll that I think is supposed to be used for car mats or something. Anyways, I glued the pieces on and then stapled them in place. I learned from my last post on shoe-making that glue alone (even the really special cement-type glue that is EXPRESSLY for shoe-making alone) peels off over time. A stapler was the closest thing I had to those little nails or the industrial rubber/leather sewing machines that are used for shoe-making. And you know what? It worked!

I cut out some plastic canvas to use as the sole stabilizer and glued that in place.

Then, I cut out some craft foam to use as the cushion. (It works really well! Very comfy.) I think you can buy this stuff at Dollar Tree. After that, I cut out a piece of leather and glued it over the cushions to cover them.

Okay, so skipping ahead, I sewed a few stitches in the heels to hold those pieces in place, and then I sewed a few stitches in the toe area to keep those pieces in place. They were supposed to have only needed one stitch in the heel and one in the toe area because all the pieces were supposed to have gathered up to those two points, but...that ended up not actually working.

Anways, here are the finished shoes.

I mean, I guess they were a success if you are into Tom's and hobo-chic shoes like that. I'm not. These shoes looked different in my head, and they are way too big, so I'm not happy with them, but...oh well! I learned stuff for sure!

Next time, I think I will try making a tape cast of a sock instead of a shoe. See, I think that my taping around the outside of an entire shoe added a lot of extra, unnecessary dimension. I've heard that some people make tape casts of their socks for this reason. If I had taped around a sock, I would have had a better, more tailored pattern of my actual foot. Or...you know what? Forget the sock, I'll just put cellophane around my foot and tape that! That way I won't ruin a sock.

Also, I think I will definitely reinforce the leather with something with more substance...either interfacing or maybe another layer of leather. I'm just trying to figure out how to make a shoe with the least amount of sewing and without having to buy a shoe form (called a "last") and nails and all that stuff.

I am really happy with the sole and the inner workings of the shoe, like the cushion and the plastic canvas, so I'll have to remember that part. Good thing I have it posted here!

So...what did I learn? Well, This whole process took five or six hours and I found that I still have a lot to learn.

I learned that maybe Tory Burch isn't so much the hack as I once thought she was...Ha! 

(Just kidding. I like Tory Burch.)

Shoe making is a definite art!

The End!

My Newly Improved Craft Room!....(I Love My In-Laws!)

Okay, so like the crafts that happen within it, my craft room is a constant work in progress. If you have ever read any of my posts prior to this one (especially from the "Fashion" tab), you will see the things I make. However...I never really pictured the room, because this is what it looked like, and I've been sooo embarrassed!!!

Can you even see my sewing machine? (Hint: If you look at the dressform it is directly to the left of it in the background.) Right behind it, on a tiny old computer desk, is my embroidery machine that I barely use because I can barely get to it! I just got a Cricut for my birthday which you can see on the floor just behind that white box. If you look up and to the right, you will see a ton of cardboard boxes. You will notice that just about everything else is piled up or on the floor. I HATE this, but when there is nowhere to put anything, you just have to stack things and move them around when you need them.

This may sound funny to some people, but I'd been praying for a large, sturdy, industrial table that I could put against this big picture window and work on for sewing, embroidering, and Cricut...ing. I saw one at my old job (Blue Ridge Orthopaedics) which would have been perfect. It was about six feet long--perfect dimensions, no one was using it, and it was just cluttering up the hall--but unfortunately, since it is Post Office property, I couldn't take it off their hands. 

Anyways, ever since I'd seen it, I'd been praying for it, or something like it. . .

This is another view of the mess.

Then, a week ago Thursday, out-of-the-blue, my mother-in-law told me about how her brother, Eddy--who works at Duke Power--had a couple large trailers full of old office equipment that he'd rescued because they were throwing it all away. We went to his house to check the situation out, since my father-in-law also wanted to see if there were a few pieces that he could use for some of his projects as well. Ohmigosh, you guys. . .I should have taken a picture of the trailers. They were a crazy, wonderful mess of drafting tables, filing cabinets, shelves, desks, tables of every size, office chairs...You name it, it was there!

Tommy (my father-in-law) and I both tagged a few items and then I went home, okay-ed the prospect with Billy, and then spent my whole last Friday cleaning out the room to make way for my new furniture! I moved most of the mess to the other guest room, and I threw away a TON of cardboard boxes. (I'd been saving them because I sell stuff on eBay, but. . .enough is enough!!!)

So here is the room at that point. You can see that I kept my cube shelves and Rubbermaid drawers.

But everything else was cleared out to make room!

I measured everything to know exactly what dimensions would fit into the room.

Okay, so then the next day, Saturday, Billy and I went to his parents' house and we all drove to Eddy and Shirley's house to load up Tommy's trailer. I decided on not one, but TWO six foot tables! And a six-foot-tall metal shelf cabinet! Thank you to Tommy, Sue, and Billy for helping me get them in here. I DEFINITELY couldn't have done it without them!

So. . .It's not done yet, but I was so excited that I wanted to share what the room looks like so far!

You can see that I kept my cube shelves where they are. . .

Along with crafting, I use this room for exercising. I'm really excited about that part because I can pull the stepper forward and use my yoga mat, and I have all this room now! (In fact, now I can put down an air mattress when we have an abundance of company!)

Also, I like to watch TV shows on my computer while I work out, so I just have to open the doors of my cabinet and set my computer inside, and the computer is at just the right height! (I used to have to use a stack of boxes as a computer rest.)

Here is a closer look at one of the tables. You can see it has a really nice wooden top. I broke the Rubbermaid shelves down and put them under the table. They look so much neater there than when they were stacked on top of each other. Also, my dressform fits nicely there in the corner. The white board on the wall was another Duke Power trailer find. (The dry erase markers were $.25 for two at the thrift store.) You may recognize the ribbon bulletin board from my post here. You can see my embroidery machine and Cricut on this table. That grey thing in the middle is my Bluetooth speaker. (You gotta have a speaker when you're crafting...and exercising!)

This is the corner of the same table. I just wanted to show you my "eBay shipping office." I love this table because it has three file drawers on this end. The top drawer holds all my shipping tape, weight scale, markers, etc. Those Rubbermaid drawers hold all my packing supplies and on top is our printer and my scrap paper that I use for making mailing labels.

This part, I am really excited about! Look at how much sewing space I have now! And it's right next to the window so I get plenty of natural light!

I pulled my sewing machine out to show you. 

The ironing board is still up because we need it on a pretty regular basis, so it needs to stay out all the time. From a sewing perspective, though, having it right next to the sewing machine is ideal, so it works out for everybody!

Here is my cabinet. You can see some of my tools are now hanging from magnets. (I saw that idea on Pinterest, so don't be too impressed!) I love it, though, because I don't have to put any holes in the wall, and my tools are super accessible.

Inside the cabinet again.

And just in case you wondered what was in my closet. . .This is my fall/winter closet. (Yes, I have two closets!)

And when I just feel like relaxing, I can sit on my beanbag and ruminate about how awesome God is and how He not only supplies my needs, but even my desires as well--above all I could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20)!

I hope this gives you some ideas on your own craft room. I know it's not as picturesque as those rooms that cost thousands of dollars with chandeliers and stuff, but it's so much better than what I had! And it was free! If you are on a budget, don't go to the store unless you absolutely have to. First of all, I suggest praying about what you specifically desire and then start looking for answers. I suggest looking at Craig's List, asking around to see if people are getting rid of things, or driving around in neighborhoods to see what people put at their curbs. You don't have to have a lot of money. Feng shui is free! Really. My room was so much smaller when I had a tiny computer desk with a crappy 4'x4' card table in the middle. Now I have three huge pieces of furniture, but my room is so much bigger! The key is to position things at the periphery versus the middle. Anyways. . .that's what worked for me! I hope you were inspired!

The End

Refashioning: Three "Meh" Shirts into Two, "Yes, I Will Actually Wear Those" Shirts

Here is a quickie I did in about 15 minutes a few weeks ago.

First of all, the three shirts in question. The one below used to be a big kid's mini dress. I was going to wear it as a tunic, but then realized that that was not going to work. I cut the bottom off as you can see in the picture. (The bottom inches I used to make a headband. . .All the parts of the buffalo, right?)

This second shirt actually became part of the other two shirts. It fits me in the shoulders, but it's too short in the torso. . .amazingly enough.

The third shirt is one that you might just not consider even buying (even if it was on the dollar rack at Goodwill) because it's SUPER REDNECK! But. . .I saw its potential to be a statement piece.

So, I cut the bottom hem off the black shirt.

I folded that black bottom hem over and made it into the bottom hem of the houndstooth shirt.

So that one's done. The next one took a little longer.

So for the redneck shirt, I cut around the eagles in sort of a "sweetheart" neckline sort of way. 

So, here you can kinda see my vision for this shirt/dress. Maybe I just gave away the punch line. Oops.

So the next order of bidness was to fold the black shirt in half and cut a scoopy sort of section through the whole thing. Just so's you know, this will be the back seam line.

The next thing I did was to lay the eagle shirt on top of the opened up black shirt and cut the same "sweetheart" shape out of the front of the black shirt. (Notice how the bottom of the back of the black shirt is still "scoopy.")

This is kinda hard to see, but I pinned the armpits of the eagle shirt (which is inside out in the picture). I sewed up from the sides to the armpits because the eagle shirt was bigger than the black shirt.

Also, hard to see. I'm pointing at the side seams I'd just created to show you what I did.

Okay, so remember how the eagle shirt still had "sweetheart" necklines on both the front and back? So, in the picture below, I laid the black shirt on top of the back of the eagle shirt and cut out a "scoopy" seam line for the back.

See?

Okay, so. . .Here you can kinda see where I will join the black shirt and the eagle shirt.

I pinned them both together and sewed them together.

Voila!

Notice how the seams are "sweetheart" in the front and "scoopy" in the back. Hopefully, seeing the finished project makes my confusing directions clearer.

The End!