Handmade Baby Boy Booties

My first attempt at baby boy booties

Introducing little Lorenzo. Isn’t he a cutie!?

I finally got around to making these felt little boy booties for Marcy & Alex’s adorable son Lorenzo. I’ve posted about handmade baby girl shoes before here and here (with tutorial links), but mary jane’s just don’t work for little boys. The template for the pair above are based on one from B is for Baby: 26 Projects from A to Z by Suzonne Stirling. A really nice book with lots of fun projects. Also, did you know that Joann’s now carries ecospun felt, made from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles? Nice.

Babyness – Cutest Baby Shoe Tutorials

This post has moved. Please click here.

Crafty Cuteness – Felt Baby Shoes

I got my haircut today. I’ve been going to the same stylist for over a year (maybe two?) which is a record for me. She is only a couple weeks away from giving birth to her second child, a baby girl this time, and I decided a while back that I’d sew up something simple to take along with me.

Lately, I’ve noticed several cute online baby shoe tutorials. I thought it would be fun to give little mary janes a try. Instructions usually call for wool felt, because it is more durable. I decided to use craft felt because a) it’s softer, b) it comes in many more baby appropriate colors and c) I already had some on hand. Since I was sewing for a newborn, she’d grow out of them in a matter of weeks anyway.

To make the strap, I used papercrafting ribbon. It’s the kind with the adhesive strip on the back, and I hand-sewed it to the inside of each shoe. This way there is no need for velcro, elastic or snaps (none of which I’ve worked with yet) because it will stick delicately over the baby’s sock and attach to the other side of the shoe. I’d like to try other fastenings in the future, but this worked fine for a first pair. Cute, huh?

See my second pair and links to baby shoe tutorials and templates here, and baby boy booties here.

Patchwork shoes

I’ve really been loving all things patchwork lately, which is why I couldn’t pass up a sale on these patchwork shoes. Who thought to mix asian-style embroidered satin with the plaid wool and brown leather? They’re even quiet (no tapping sounds with each step like hard soles). Now I finally have a slightly more lady-like third pair of comfortable shoes to rotate between my everyday not-so-good-looking but very serviceable brown and black Dankos.

Versatile Eco-Shoes by Patagonia

Patagonia “Sugar & Spice” shoes available in 4 colors (brown leather not shown)

I absolutely love the idea of these versatile “Sugar & Spice” mary janes from Patagonia. They can be worn two ways – the inner slippers by themselves when you want something a little less casual, or, when more durability is desired, they can be worn with their all-natural latex outsoles (perfect for rainy Portland winters). They’d also be great for traveling since both the outsoles and slippers “roll up or pack flat to fit in a briefcase or suitcase.”

Separate slipper and outsole (detail view)

This is a particularly good fit for those who are uber-eco-conscious, because Patagonia is well-known for their strong commitment to the environment. According to their website, these shoes incorporate:

• Latex from the milk of the Hevea tree (the harvesting process is good for the tree, and the milk has a microstructure that when cured creates thousands of tiny air bubbles for natural cushioning)
• Environmentally Responsible leather from tanneries registered as compliant with ISO 14001, a set of standards that measure how efficiently a company uses natural resources, and how closely it adherers to international and local environmental regulations
• Glueless construction, minimizing impact by eliminating toxic glues
• Recycled TPU footframe and piece fastener

Now, if only I could actually afford to buy a pair!

Other Patagonia styles worth mentioning: “Toast & Jam” “Gumwood” “Patrol” and “Freeflow”