Tutorial Tuesday - super easy slippers!

You know those sweaters that felted just a bit more than what you wanted for your project? This is the perfect project for them! I got this tutorial from the Martha Stewart website, and it's a good thing! These are super easy, and take a short time to make. Here's the original tutorial, with my slippers below it:

" Homemade slippers of thick wool felt make a heartwarming (and foot-warming) gift. Felt is the ideal fabric to work with, since it won't unravel when cut.

Felt Slippers How-To
1. Use our templates. Trace onto 1/8-inch-thick wool felt, and cut out (you will need 2 sole pieces and 2 upper pieces per slipper; remember to flip the soles over for the opposite foot). Stack the sole pieces.

2. Place the upper pieces together, then sew the heel and the instep with a straight stitch, 3/16 inch from edge. Open, and pin to the sole pieces, first at the heel and toe, then along the sides. Sew all the way around, through all layers, 3/16 inch from the edge.

3. Add a decorative stitch with embroidery floss, like the X pictured on the big red slipper opposite. To add custom fabric name tags, print them on iron-on tape using a label maker, and apply to top layer of sole before sewing slipper."

I made 2 pairs. I would have made many more, but I ran out of thread in colors that match what I have, so I have to get more thread today before we are snowed in. I made one pair for myself, and added cuffs (I can't seem to just make anything without tweaking it!). They were just the cuffs of the sweater that I just sewed on. It only adds 5 minutes to the slippers. For those slippers I used a thick felted blend I had on hand. It is 60% wool/40% nylon. People are always asking me, "Does it have to be 100% wool to felt?". As you can see, the answer is "nope!".


These I made for a friend who is getting over pneumonia (oh my gosh, I spelled it right on the first try!). She says she is feeling much better. I'm pretty sure it's because of my slippers ;). Anyway, I made them without tweaking them, but I modeled them in the picture inside out to show that you that you can wear them seams in too (unless they are really really felted) for a more "finished" look, if you prefer. I like them seams out.


FYI: I was not able to print the patterns from the MS website, and heard others had the same problem, so I just held a piece of paper up to my computer screen and traced it.