You will need

Fabrics

• 24cm x 30cm wide (9 1/2″ x 12″) piece of wool felt for one pair of booties

Supplies

• 60cm (23 5/8″) narrow ribbon for the ties
• Threads
• Stranded cottons to complement the sea green and white color of the felt

Equipment

• Tracing paper
• Sharp pencil
• Water-soluble fabric marker
• No. 8 sharp needle
• No. 22 chenille needle

How to Make the Booties

Patterns and templates

Click here to download the bootie pattern, embroidery and appliqué templates PDF. Use the pencil to trace the pattern pieces and placement marks onto tracing paper. Cut out. Use the large needle to pierce holes at the marked positions for the shoelace and at the center front of the toe piece. Make a template for your chosen bootie motif in the same way.

Cutting out

Referring to the cutting layout, trace each bootie piece twice onto the felt and mark the dots through the pierced holes using the fabric marker. Cut out the pieces.

Cutting layout

1. Sole
2. Back
3. Toe

Green Booties with Stars

Center the star template over the marked dot on the bootie front. Trace around the circle with the fabric marker (diag 2). Repeat for the second bootie front piece.

stitching

Secure two strands of the green thread on the back and bring it to the front on the marked circle. Take the needle to the back at the center. Work a second straight stitch next to the first, taking the needle to the back through the same hole at the center (diag 3). Continue to work straight stitches around the entire circle in this way. Stitch the white highlights, using two strands of thread. Secure the thread and bring it to the front a short distance from the edge of the star. Take the needle to the back halfway along and between two green stitches (diag 4).

Continue to work white highlights around the circle in this way, spacing the stitches 3mm (1/8″) apart.

Make the perfect gift for a special baby

By using the same small designs to decorate hats, singlets or bibs you can easily make a special gift that is sure to be treasured.

constructing the booties

1. Edging the front and back pieces

Use two strands of thread in a color to complement the felt to sew the booties together with blanket stitch.  Tie a knot at the end of the thread. Bring it to the front at one side of the upper edge of the bootie front piece. Take the needle to the back through the same hole, leaving a loop. Slide the needle through the loop (diag 1). Pull the thread through, anchoring the loop around the thread. Take the needle through the felt a short distance from the first stitch. Push it through until the tip appears beyond the felt edge, keeping the thread under the tip of the needle (diag 2).

Pull the thread through. Work a second blanket stitch around the edge of the felt a short distance from the first (diag 3). Continue along the edge in this way until reaching the opposite side. After the last stitch, bring the needle to the front through the same hole in the fabric to anchor the last stitch (diag 4). Work a tiny stitch, taking the needle to the back.

Secure the thread under the stitches on the back. Work blanket stitch over the upper edge of the remaining front and two back pieces in the same way.

2. Assembling the booties

Matching placement marks at the center front, pin and tack a bootie toe piece to a sole piece (diag 5). Matching placement marks at the center back, pin and tack a bootie back to the sole, overlapping the toe piece at the sides (diag 6).

Secure the thread inside the bootie. Slide the needle between the layers to bring it to the front at the edge (diag 7).

Work blanket stitch in a similar way to the edges of the upper pieces, stitching through all layers around the edge of the bootie to join the upper pieces to the sole (diag 8). Carefully remove the tacking stitches.

Finishing

Cut the length of ribbon in half. Thread one piece into the large needle. Take the needle to the back at one marked position of the bootie back.
Bring the needle to the front at the marked position at the opposite side (diag 9). Unthread the needle. Tie the laces in a bow.

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March is National Craft Month and we are celebrating by posting one project every day this month! If you are joining us late, click here to see the full list of Craft Month projects that have been posted so far.

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