Fairy Slippers

Remember these? The Snow Queen slippers were made for an exchange a couple of years ago following Annette Emms pattern from Issue 50 of Stitch magazine issued by the Embroiderer's Guild. This issue is sold out but Annette does sell the pattern in her Etsy shop.

Our local branch of EG wanted to make these 3.5" slippers as one of our Early Birds workshops so I adapted the instructions for a hand made version thus enabling all members to have a go.

These gold slippers were made by applying gold foil to bondawebed black felt before fusing the top layer of red organza.

Dupion silk bondawebed to black felt, detail below

If you would like to have a go at a hand made version, here are the instructions:

Fairy Slippers by hand
Ingredients:

Basic sewing kit including beading needles & sharp scissors
Plain fabric 10" x 6" (not patterned) can be cotton, organza, silk or satin (tight weave is best)
Bondaweb 10” x 6”
Craft felt 10" x 6" similar colour to fabric
Coordinating sewing cotton
Selection of coordinating/complementary embroidery threads & fibres
Small beads, sequins, fine ribbon, trims etc for embellishment (these slippers will be approx 3.5" long)
Slipper Templates from Issue 50 of Stitch magazine or Annette's Etsy shop

Method:
Fuse fabric to felt using bondaweb, if you are using a sheer fabric like organza, consider applying foil or fine fibres to the bondawebed felt before fusing the top sheer fabric.

Using slipper templates trace 2 sets of uppers & soles onto felt side of fabric & cut out.

Blanket stitch in matching embroidery floss using 2 strands & small stitches around the edges of all of the cut out pieces.

Now the fun starts, decorate your slipper uppers using embroidery, beads sequins etc.

Once the decorating is complete, make up the slippers by stitching first the back seam of the uppers, then attaching them to the sole using small slip stitches through the blanket stitches around the edges, using one strand of embroidery floss in the same colour used for the blanket stitching.

Once the slippers are made up they can be further embellished around the top edges with beading, or couching fine cord or fibres etc.
Enjoy!

Green organza on green felt decorated with French knots & beading