After working two years as an intern and assistant to an interior designer and decorator, I have amassed piles of old discontinued fabrics. When I started this year in my independent study class, I had a few scattered ideas of what clothing I was going to modify and decorate, but little did I know I was about to start off with shoes instead!
My pair of black faux-suede booties are a loved pair of shoes - I have worn them many a time. However, parts of the suede has worn off and they were starting to look a little sad. Knowing I could easily buy a replacement pair, I decided to recover them in some heavy duty tapestry fabric of my own - I don't need designer shoes if I can make them first!
Best part is, they count for a grade. I love turning hobbies into school work, it's how things come out best. The tapestry fabric is both beautiful and should wear well. Originally, I started out with a chevron design with a covered toe, but after pinning and cutting the fabric for the first shoe, I neglected to cut the pieces in the opposite orientation for the opposite shoe. Lamenting one of my favorite samples gone useless, I moved onto a red paisley fabric, which is both soft and heavy duty.
Using my old pieces as guides and cutting them correctly this time, I have embarked on a spectacular shoe journey. I have been working piece by piece, starting with the inner back section, which was the smallest. After cutting the pieces, I made sure they fit correctly before buying fabric glue and using that to put the fabric on. After letting the piece dry for several hours, I hand sew the places I can to reinforce it (basically anywhere not near the sole, where it is too hard for the needle to go through). So far, they look like this, and all I have left to do are the outsides:
I hope to finish them either tonight or tomorrow morning, and I can't wait to wear them!
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