Remember the cloth baby sneakers? Well I couldn’t help but think they would make great moccasins. So I changed the pattern ever so slightly and have the cutest little moccasins.
I love the big bow tie, but you could do an elastic strap, or a string tie, whatever you like really.
To make the Baby Moccasins you will need:
1/4 yard (or a small hide) Leather (I used a suede from Mood Fabrics)
1/4 Yard Felt
1/4 Yard Fabric
Now stack the heel pieces. Place the fabric heel face down, then place the felt on top (note I use felt since my leather was very thin and soft so the felt adds stability if your leather is thicker you can skip the felt) then layer the leather face up on top of the felt. Then place the fine piece along the top straight edge of the heel.
Now along the fabric side sew the heel strip along the curved and top edges. (use 1/4 seam allowance) I didn’t cut my strip on the bias since the leather had a lot of give, but we are using this like a bias strip so you may need to cut it on the bias. Also if your leather has a right and wrong side sew right sides together.
Then fold the strip around to the front. I didn’t tuck the raw edge under since it’s leather so I just stitched along the edge to secure.
Then cut the fringe piece into little strips.
Now for the toe, place the fabric and leather right sides together and place the felt under the leather. Sew along the top curved edge.
Then flip it “right side out” so the leather is on top and the fabric is on the bottom with the felt in the middle. Top stitch the top and bottom curve to secure the whole piece.
For the heel, layer the fabric face down, then the felt, then the leather face up. Sew around the edge to secure all the pieces together.
Then with right sides together match the center of the heel piece to the center of the back of the sole, then sew the heel piece to the sole curving it around.
It will look like so.
Now add the straps. 1/2″ from the edge of the heel piece sew the strap along the same stitch line as the heel to sole. Repeat with other strap.
Now keeping the straps out of the way sew the toe piece right sides together to the sole. The edges of the toe piece should just cover the edge of the straps, over lapping the heel piece.
Now turn the shoe right side out and sew the strap in place along the top edge of the shoe to secure the strap in place.
Then tie the straps in a bow.
**Note if your baby has particularly small ankles you may want to extend the toe pattern piece by 1/2″ to make the ankle opening smaller.
** To adjust the pattern size make the sole longer, and extend the toe piece and heel piece as well.
I really love how these sweet little moccasins turned out.
Because any shoe with a little fringe is a better shoe.