Tag's baby shoes

So, the monkey shoes I made for Tag didn't really fit him. He also HATES anything on his feet, and with the velcro strap closure, he'd pull it right off. I knew that they needed to be different. I had some of those leathery (name brand, expensive) baby shoes for Clare when she was a baby and decided to try and make some like that. I used the other pattern as a template, but mostly for size. I changed the shape of the top and made it into two pieces for the toe and heel. It took a little manipulating once I had the pieces cut out and I ended up having to make the "toe" piece wider since it didn't fit the first try. Overall, they came out great and the best part is that he can't get them off.

These are the pieces. I used a black corduroy for the outer uppers, cream furry felt for the insides, and black felt for the bottom soles. I fused the inner and outer pieces together using Wonder Under (a fusible web). If you haven't used it, it's a pretty good product. You iron it on to the wrong side of one fabric, then peel off the paper backing and iron it onto the other fabric to make a single piece of fabric to work with. These are actually the first pieces I cut out. The "toes" had to be made wider. The "heel" piece had too much curve in the back, so I just cut it straight across the back and kept the curve at the sides.

The top of the "toe" is edged with a piece of twill tape. The top of the "heel" has a casing made from two pieces of twill tape sewed together and has a loop of elastic through it which keeps the shoe on tight.

This shows the furry felt inside.