Making Sandals

One of my great joys at moving to Perth is getting together with other sewists.  It is so much fun to meet up and talk all things patterns and fabric.  This year, I have been having a lot of fun expanding  from the sewing chat into making sandals with Meggipeg and Fadanista.  These days I am hesitant to start new hobbies, because I don't want all the extra "stuff" that comes with a  new hobby,  but I have been sucked into the world of sandal making.  In reality, there is very little sewing, new and wonderful hand tools, quite a few power tools and a lot of glueing.

I have very few progress shots, but Sue has documented some of the process.

My first pair were the Elodie kit from Shoe Camaraderie.  A kit is a great way to start, although the kits are a little pricey.  

I did find it a bit tricky to fit the leather over my foot.  I don't think my foot was sitting in the right spot all the time.  I think my shoes don't quite look like the intended design.  I am wondering if I would have got a better result if I had a last, rather than trying to fit on my own feet?

My second pair were made with various bits and pieces that I gathered together, mostly from Leffler.  The design of the uppers was copied off a pair of sandals in my cupboard.  The bright yellow leather,  leftover from my leather hobo bag, was originally from The Fabric Store.  The soles are men's leather soles from Leffler.  I think they might be a little heavy weight for the sandals, especially as my velcro closures (velcro from Lincraft) do not seem quite strong enough.  The innersoles are made from pigskin, from Leather Direct in Osborne Park, wrapped around EVA foam from Leffler.  The randing is from Leffler.

I thought I was going to be done with sandal making at that point, but it turns out I couldn't walk away just yet.  Next up, I made my daughter The Brighton Sandals by Atelier Louise.  Atelier Louise has lots of good tips for making these sandals on her blog.  These sandals have a leather insole and a resin sole.  I got the leather insole from Leffler.  It was veg sole leather at 3.5 mm thick, and I found it really difficult to cut.  I tried using a knife, using kitchen shears and soaking it in a bucket of water before cutting it out.  It was a bit easier to cut when it was wet, but this changed the texture of the surface of the leather.  The upper leather was from Leather Direct  I bought it to make a bag, which I haven't made yet, but these sandals didn't need much, so I should still be okay to make a bag.

Next up, I made the Silver Sands Sandals by Atelier Louise.  These turned out great.  The leather was a scrap from The Fabric Store that I have been hoarding for years.  I think this pair will get the most wear, because the slip on style really suits my lifestyle.  I can't claim all the credit for these sandals.  Mark helped me chisel the slits for the straps and sand the edges, so they do look a whole lot more polished than if I was left to make them on my own.

Sue made up the same pair in some white leather harvested from a discarded couch.  There is a lot of leather in a couch, so look out for my next pair, which will be in a matching white!  I just haven't decided what style to try next..