Recycled Cosy Boot Slippers

After trawling the retail websites for comfy warm fur lined slipper boots in my size (UK 9) with no luck. I decided it was time to recycle an old pair of canvas shoes into my ideal slipper boots..

50cm of fur backed, mock suede fabric (140cm wide), Selection of 8 buttons, 1 metre of 2cm soft elastic

Strong thread such as Coats Epic 40. Teflon foot for machine sewing

Old canvas shoes with good sole.

It's important to work out your design and I always draw out an alternatives sheet, simple line drawings of styles and shapes to focus on which would be my favourite. Big decision made no.2 design will give me the shape and versatility I need. Plus, the bonus of knowing the button design goes on the outside. Great for putting them on when your half asleep! I will need 3 pattern sections: inner foot, outer foot, and cuff.

Remove inner sole from shoe, then cut around top canvas 2cm away from base. Leave heel stiffening area attached to base. layout top canvas and cut the centre back position and front line at centre. Mark inner foot and outer on the canvas fabric. Outer will be the side with button opening.

Layout your two canvas sections on pattern paper and add bottom foot rim allowance of 3cm and shape top foot line to centre back. Make cuff band the same size as foot opening plus 3cm for overlap at the side. I made mine 14cm wide to enable flap down of fur. I also made the whole front to back approx. 2 cm longer to allow for the fur width. Cut out pattern and cut into toile fabric, sew together to assess fit, safety pin onto base and check plenty of room for fur fabric! Take a walk around to make sure the fit is comfortable. Adjust pattern if necessary, label 2nd draft!

Cut out pattern on the fur fabric with fur going up wards away from base of foot. Make sure you pair up each section to make left and right foot. layout patterns on suede side and mark around lightly cut and vacuum! If you don't vacuum the cut lines everything will be covered in fine polyester filaments for ages. You have been warned!

Sew the front top line and the heel line with right sides together making sure you are attaching an inner and outer piece together. Working on the suede front of fabric topstitch seams flat on both sides of seams. A Teflon foot is fantastic for this type of work.

Make loops onto opposing cuff edges using soft elastic folded in half and stitched along the length, start them 5cm from the top edge. Double stitch top edge of cuff and pull out fur for edging. Attach cuff to foot opening and top stich with flat soft elastic trim on the inside, button opening should be half way along outer foot section. Neaten and trim the canvas attached to the base of the shoe. Attach sole base to the fabric working from the heal forward to the toe pleats. This is difficult to get under the machine so I hand stitched mine using a fine leather needle and double thread Make sure you centralise the front seam and then sew down pleats to the sole. Attach the top edge of the heel stiffener to the inside.

Turn the entire boot through carefully at ankle opening, put in inner sole, choose your buttons; or in my case a selection of co-ordinating ones in the same size. Sew on with double thread, Slip your feet in for a toasty comfortable stroll around the house. They can be worn done up or loose as the weather gets warmer. Husbands comment:- "Are you ever going to take those off" My reply " Maybe when it gets warmer and I can stop shielding " role on the summer.