littlenymph wrote:i have read some people asking what fabric to make them from, but i need some tips on how to actully amake them.
I can tell you how I made
ours...I made three pairs...ugh...will never do that again!
Supplies:
- Flip Flops
- Nonpilling Microfleece
- All Purpose Thread {37% Mercerized Cotton/63% Polyester}
- Hy-Mark Thread {glace thread}
- Leather Needle
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Needle Grabber
- Heavy Pins
- Sewing Machine
- Nail Polish
- Band-Aids
Ok, make sure those flip flops fit correctly...like toes to end and heels at heel. Cutting...or rather...sawing...flip flops suck...I know...I had to do it...four times!
I used Nonpilling Microfleece. Nonpilling because, well, I didn't want fuzz balls. Microfleece because it doesn't look as fleecy as regular. I got it in Narutard blue. Yeah, I swear, that's a real colour...oh...it's not?! Well it is now...right up there with Sasuke blue and Aya blue.
Match your thread to the fleece. If no exact match, go darker. At least that's how I've been taught by my mom and by the university where I took costuming. All Purpose is fine, Cotton will work, I'd avoid total Poly.
Hy-Mark is a brand of glace thread. I really like it and have used it since university...so I'm kinda partial to it. It's really heavy thread. Usually used for coat buttons and such. So any really heavy-duty thread could do, but I specifically used Hy-Mark 24. It can be either Narutard blue or black. I used black.
The leather needle will be threaded with glace thread and used to sew the boot (the part you'll make with the fleece) to the flip flop sole. You'll need needle nose pliers to help pull it through, but I was able most of the time to use a rubber needle grabber. You may also want a hard surface that you can push the needle on...to push it through the sole...I did that too. I used my old rotary mat to protect my table.
Heavy pins are used to pin the boot into place onto the sole. It's very important. The boot will try to shift all over the place on you if you don't tack it down. Regular pins *may* work, but I had a better time with the heavy ones.
Sewing machine is always helpful. Now, you could sew the boots by hand, but honestly, work smarter not harder. The machine is your friend. If you don't have one...try to find someone who does.
Nail polish will be used to coat the Hy-Mark thread after you are done sewing...it'll be explained later...just get some nail polish...I used black and then a coat of clear.
Lastly, Band-Aids. Yes, you read that correctly...you'll need them. I punctured myself I don't know how many times with the leather needle and that little thing HURTS! I have a high tolerance to pain and really, I'm used to poking myself...I sew A LOT and I hand sew A LOT. But let me tell you, I don't care how careful you are...you'll still poke yourself.
Ok, now to construction...yay!
First, cut the staps off the flip flops.
Next, you will need to cut out the boot pieces. Mine were made in four parts. I had the toe cuff, the top of the boot, and 2 sides of the boot. It was a lot of playing to get the actual pattern. I used scrap fleece that I had around to make the first ones. Essentially, the toe cuff is a rectangle, folded in half length-wise that will fit around your foot (place just behind where your toes end). Now add about 3/4" more to that. I used 3/8" seam allowances. The top of the boot goes from the toe cuff, to your ankle, then up your leg. You will need it to be long enough to then fold the cuff down to make the ankle cuff. The sides of the boot are L shaped. I'm so sorry I can't give you better directions than this, but it was really experimental.
So, first I sewed the toe cuff...to keep it together the way I wanted it for later. Now if you think you can deal with three layers of fleece independantly later, then skip this step. I put that aside. Next I took the two sides and put the top piece on...lining it up, pinning it, etc. I sewed from the toe to the ankle, then did the other side. Now fleece, it likes to move on ya...so just be aware...lots of forcing it to do what you want. Next, I sewed from the toe (bottom) to the back of the ankle. Now, turn that right side out...then pin the raw edge of the toe cuff to the raw right side of the toe side of the boot...sew around...then sew the seam. Or do whatever works. Now flip the toe cuff over...see...you can't see that seam now...yay!
Now, hopefully this little jem will fit...first, fold that ankle cuff down...it'll make it easier to get on. Now, ease it on...don't pull it on like most people do with socks...scrunch it up like putting on nylons and ease it up. It should be snug, but not tight. Like I said, it took me several tries to get this part correct. Once I got a good one...I VERY carefully took it apart and used it as my pattern (actually, I traced the pattern onto butcher paper so I would have it for the future for whatever reason).
Ok, now that it fits...time to pin that beauty to the soles. Put the boot on. Put your foot on the sole of the flip flop. Position carefully...make sure you like it...look in the mirror...aw...beautiful! Now pin the crap out of it!
Now for the fun and painful part! You're now going to hand sew the boot to the sole...going through the inside bottom of the boot, through the flip flop, to the bottom of the flip-flop. Sounds fun, huh?! Yeah...loads. Now do that all away around the inside bottom of the boot...even across the toe cuff. Try to keep stitches no bigger than 1/2" apart. I think mine were between 1/4" and 1/2" most of the time. Once you are done sewing...then take that nail polish and on the bottom of the sandals...see all those stitches? Now cover them with a few coats of nail polish. Why? Because you'll be walking everywhere with these things and we don't want all that beautiful hand sewing to get messed up when the thread starts to fray from you scuffing your feet on cement. You know?! So at least three coats...make sure previous coat is dry before applying another.
Then, ta da! Narutard sandals!
Best of luck!!!
