TUTORIAL ~ Make your own Ballet Slippers & A Giveaway!

Ballet Slippers

Here's an easy way to make some really cute slippers! Hopefully my instructions will be easy to understand! There are other ways to make these, but this is probably the easiest way. Make any changes where you prefer.

I'm a size 7.5 ( My foot measures 24.5cms) so the pattern is to fit me - please adjust to fit.

First of all, download 'Slipper base' template & 'Slipper top' template. Print, this will be your template to cut your fabic. If your foot is larger, I would say adding the extra length of your measured foot to the tails of the slipper top and to the sole would make for a perfect fit.

I'm using a cute print form Moda's Wonderland Bloom! Along with Moda Essential Dots for the inside fabric.

You will need to cut:

Base ~ 4 from wadding, 2 from interfacing, 2 inside peices and 2 bottom peices - You may want to find some non slip fabric for this, or something a little more durable.

*Make sure you flip your template so you have a left & right foot peice!

Slipper top ~ 2 from you feature fabric, 2 from wadding, 2 from the medium interfacing & 2 from your inside fabric to match the base.

Once you have all your peices cut, assemble them as shown below -

Base: Bottom peice, Interfacing, 2x wadding peices (for extra padding) and then your inside peice.

Slipper top needs to assembled - wadding peice, Inside peice (facing up) and the feature peice (facing down) so fabric is right sides together, then interfacing on top.

Once you have pinned them, stitch around each base holding all 5 layers together

Then sew around the inner curve of your top peice

Unpin the top peices, and you will need to pull the top fabric around to the other side ~ wiggle and press till nice and flat.

Topstitch around the inner curve...

Pin the tails of the top peice with feature fabric (top fabric) right sides together, sew along the edge securely - here I've added a binding to hide the edge or you can leave it raw.

Pin the top section to your base with your feature fabric and outside of bottom peice to the inside.

Carefully sew around the outside edge ensuring you're sewing through all layers really well, overlock or zig zag around the edge too.

Turn inside out - and you have a lovely pair of Ballet Slippers

Now embellish! These ones got a little bow on each side.

These got some cute crochet lace...

Again some crochet lace with some little buttons!

And finally some pink Ric Rac! Yo-yo's would be a great idea too!

Well I hope that was easy enough to understand - a bit confusing when I read back through it afterwards, but I tried.

I'd love to hear your feedback, and see pic's of finished slippers! Please feel free to email me at charjen1@optusnet.com.au if you need any further info.

As an extra bonus - A Givaway!

** Giveaway is now closed - Congratulations to Vicki from Tozz's Corner! She picked the middle pic slippers with crochet lace & buttons! They've just been posted off to her. I hope you like them Vicki!

If you blog about and link to this tutorial you'll get added to the draw to win one of the finished slippers pictured in the last 3 photo's! Winner gets to choose which pair they want. Simply leave a comment on this post to let me know that you've posted & linked to this tutorial. One entry per blog.

Entries will close on Friday 17th April at midnight Australian time. I'll let you know a winner on Saturday morning. Please ensure I can contact you. Slippers are size 7.5 (UK size 5) so if they are not quite your size they would be perfect for a gift.

Best wishes everyone - have fun sewing!

Jenelle

A lovely fabric package!

Look what I got in the mail on Friday!

Lots of yummy sweet fabric's from Fabritopia! What a perfect shop!

I have wanted some of these fabric's from Annette Tatum's 'House' for soooo long! And they are finally here...I'm so excited. I've already made a few things with them.

And this one below is a bit out of my normal range of fabrics... but I do have something in mind for it...



Look what I made today! I'm quite excited with these. I have a huge 'thing' for cute little ballet slippers... My husband's Aunt usually brings me about 6 pairs every year when they come here from Scotland...but I've already worn them to death, and was not looking forward to finding some here. So I unpicked an old grotty pair (I am sooo not showing a pic of them!) and got cutting and sewing these sweeties. I absolutely love them! Super comfy and just sooo cute. I can just imagine what my slipper collection is going to look like now.... :)

And these Paris Bebe ones will be on the way to Joyce in Scotland tomorrow, I swear I was only modelling them for the pic's... :)

I also finished my 'Charm square quilt'. It was a bit harder to do the quilting due to the size, I've tried to keep them small till now, but I felt it was time to move up in size. I think it's turned out really well. I have another two quilt's to do the quilting on this week, I'm just lovin' this!

Here's another A4 Notebook cover I've also made, something a little more simple.

I had an email on Sunday night from a lovely lady I made some Raggy quilts for. You can see that post here..

She was pregnant with twin girls, and I made her matching quilts and name cushions. She sent me a little note telling me she had her two little girls 5 weeks early on the 29th March. I also got an adorable picture of the sweeties, still in hospital for a few more weeks!

I thought it was such a nice thing for her to do. We make so many great friends through the things we make and do.

Best wishes,

Jenelle

Lavender Heat Packs & Pin cushions!

I've been busy making these heat packs above. These are patchwork raggy edge style! There's so many variations of these (We had a 'hot dog' once!) - and I've never seen a raggy quilted one so I thought I'd attempt one. I've also added just a touch of lavender, so that when you heat it up, you get a nice soothing fragrance. They will all be available in my Ebay store soon...

Above is a cute little baby boys quilt I've nearly finished and will be posted to a friend tomorrow!


An along the same idea of my heat packs - I've made this cute little raggy pin cushion. I weighted it with some rice - again, some lavender - to soothe me while sewing Lol! Not sure whether to make any more, please let me know your ideas...

I've finished my Charm quilt top in the Rambling Rose fabric I showed in a previous post. I'm hoping to get it finished tomorrow! I just love the colour!

Best wishes,

Jenelle

Amazing giveaway from 'Don't Look Now'

One last little post...

I just had to let you all know about this lovely ginaway from Kellie at "Don't Look Now". You get the chance to win two of these amazing cushions (seen in the pic above) , Amy, Lilly & Tina monkeys and a pattern!

I've got my entry in, definately won't be missing this one! I've been a fan of Kellie's blog for ages now. It was one of the first blogs I found! Her designs are stunning. Check it out!

Best wishes,

Jenelle

Quilts and other projects

I just finished my Baby Pinwheel Quilt designed by Jodi at 'Simply This That and the Other'. I love the way it's turned out, those Prairie Points are just so cute!

I think I'll do another one in some soft pink and sage...

And my pink & grey quilt was finished this morning, this one measures 102cms x 116cms (40" x 45.4") so it's a great lap quilt. I also added my first peiced backing for this one as I had soem leftover strips, it just adds that little bit 'more' I think!

And below is a pic of a pencil roll I made for a present for a friend of my daughters. The party was on Friday afternoon, and it was last minute invites. I've seen so many of these floating around recently and I thought it was ideal. Combined with a receycled paper scrapbook - I'm sure he'll create many artistic pictures with this...

Finally, I picked up these sweet fabrics on Friday. I intend to use them for a new quilt I just started on today. It's from Chickpea Sewing Studio, called Finn's quilt and there is a great tutorial for it!

I hope you enjoyed the pic's...

Best wishes,

Jenelle

My new sewing desk!

I've been looking all over the place for a new sewing desk. I would have been more than happy to sand and re-paint, so I've been looking in all the second hand shops near me. But I'd found nothing till yesterday when I visited the Salvo's, and there was this sweet little desk - already perfectly painted white for me! I didn't want anything too big as I've got a little corner in my bedroom (I've been sewing on the dining table till now)

I slightly distressed the corners - but since decided I'd like it a little bit more distressed... So I'm thrilled to bits, I can leave my sewing machine out all the time - and nobody can whinge at me that they have no where to sit and eat dinner! Giggle! (4 kids & 2 adults - we kinda need the whole dining table!)

So with my new found sewing freedom I finished my grey & pink quilt top. I'd seen this design on Moda Bake Shop, and thought it would be great for this quilt. Now I just have to get it quilted...

And last of all I'm doing this Pinwheel Baby Quilt. I finished all the pinwheels for the centre, and I have about a million Prairie Points to press tomorrow!

I love the retro look with the red and blue together! I'm tempted to make more pinwheels for a larger quilt to keep - I don't have any idea where I'm gonna keep all these new quilts...

I've recently found out a close friend of mine is pregnant! I'm sooo dying to make her a million things for the baby - but it's probably better to see what she has - only 29 weeks to go!

Best wishes,

Jenelle

Baby quilts finished!

I spent the entire day on Friday stipple quilting 4 quilts. The first one below is my 3" squares quilt. I was planning on selling it, but I like it so much I'm thinking I'll keep this one. All of the squares were entirely from my scrap stash!

And below are the three baby quilts. I think these are so cute! All of them are now on Ebay.

More of the cherry red...

And sweet Shabby ones...

As promised, I've included a picture of my hubby Charlie with 'Baby' Caiden. This one was taken when we were in QLD in February.

And this happened when I was taking photo's of the above quilts. I'd just been on the computer, so Caiden was patiently awaiting my return, when he fell asleep. I quickly snapped this pic before I moved him to a more comfy location! Notice the Rash vest - he was trying to convince me to take him swimming at the pool where my sister lifeguards - and the brown boots (On the wrong feet) which he just LOVES! He seriously has a shoe fetish at the moment - and his Thomas train in one hand. Odd combination, but that's Caiden most of the time! He He!

Thanks for taking a peek into my last few days...

Best wishes,

Jenelle