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The Dolls As you can see, my dolls do not have shoes (unless they came with the doll and were in good shape, or they were part of a cloth body). For the latter see Repairs under CLEANING & REPAIRS). I rationalize that (1) they take too much time, (2) they are difficult to make, and (3) they easily come off and are lost. I haven’t changed my mind, but I have been rethinking it, especially after corresponding with several ladies on the Internet. So, one of these days, I may give it a try. Fabric: Suggestions for fabric to use for shoes are those that do not ravel, such as vinyl, fake leather, pleather, suede and felt. Felt can be sewn or glued and can be decorated with mini bows, buttons, etc. Another possibility is to use material to match the dress, or denim scraps. Old leather gloves can sometimes be used, if not too thin. If a fabric is used that tends to ravel, or is too flimsy, it can be stabilized with a fusible interfacing. Furniture and upholstery shops often have outdated samples they just discard. If the pieces are too small, consider a two-tone shoe. If sewing on leather, hold it together with paper or hair clips and be sure to use the correct needle. One lady contributed the following: You can press (without steam) iron-on sheer knit interfacing to the back of old, recycled leather. Then the leather sews without faltering on most sewing machines, and it is supple enough to turn after sewing. She stitches around the top edge of the shoe on the traced lines before cutting it out. Then she stitches the sole onto the top after tacking it at center front and center back. (It is easier if the seam allowances for the sole and upper are reduced to 1/8".) The interfacing also works with ultra suede making it very easy to handle. Even old scraps of leather can be “ironed” if a press cloth and NO steam is used. Her best press cloth is a piece of silk organza. (This knit interfacing can also be used to cut down people sweaters to doll size.) Patterns: Alternative to sewing: One lady wrote in to tell how her mother makes doll shoes. To avoid the difficult part of trying to sew the upper piece to the sole of the shoe, as some patterns instruct, she glues them together, as is done with most commercial doll shoes. Make a pattern for the inner and outer sole separately, to adjust for the thickness of the upper coming between the two. The inner sole is drawn by tracing the doll’s foot. Cut it out and trace that piece for the outer sole. That adds enough size to it. Sew the back seam of the upper, clip the curves and glue to the inner sole. Then glue the outer sole on the outside. Cut up boxes with interesting textures and colors to use as soles. Slippers: Another lady has made doll slippers by crocheting a rectangle. The width measurement is taken just below the ankle, under the sole and up the other side. The length would be the length of the doll foot. Sew up one end for the heel. Sew the other end so it will lie flat. Add a pompom. (Commercial pompoms work great.) Vary the yarn weight for the size of the doll. Do not crochet the slippers too loose or they will be too large.
Socks: One lady suggests purchasing little thin white or pastel baby socks at yard sales, etc. Turn one inside out and sew two lines down the length next to each other. Then cut carefully between your two lines and you have two skinnier socks. If they are too tall, cut them off at the right place and use something like Fray Check to prevent raveling. If you decide your dolls must have shoes, and you are not inclined to make them, there are many stores that sell doll shoes. (See Doll Supplies under SOURCES, or do an Internet search on “doll clothes”.) If I don’t get around to making doll shoes (or even if I do), I would appreciate hearing from any of you who have had experience in making quick, easy, and inexpensive shoes, and are willing to share your ideas with others |
