She's the Cats Mother

Following the hype over the kitty shoes that are doing the rounds of budget fashion/shoe sites at the moment I decided to have a go at my own. Completely not because I couldn't buy a pair in my size. Nope....

So Tutorial Style...

Clockwise from top left:
You will need:
One pair of knackered cheap shoes- textile is better than leather or plastic
An unpicker- about £1 from sewing/haberdashery type places
A selection of large needles- these were 50c somewhere in Europe
Thread in the the colour of your choice
A chalk or tailors chalk pencil- chalk rubs off which is why you should use it instead of pencil
Scissiors
Optionally- fabric paint/buttons/sequins

1. Clean shoes if necessary, before unpicking any bows/adornments

2. If your shoes have a bow/any adornments, unpick them carefully without tearing the fabric. Just slide the point of the unpicker under the stitch and pull gently.

3. Using the chalk mark on your cat face. I copied mine from some slippers...

4. Using your needle- it needs to sharp but reasonably large to get through a heavy fabric, punch holes through at stitch length intervals before stitching.

5. In back stitch, using the holes you have just punched, stitch in your cat face.

6. It is best to keep checking your face after each section is completed to try and keep the faces even and reasonably symetrical. Don't be afraid to alter the markings and design as you go.

7. Using fabric paint or a button or a sequin, create the nose for your cat face. Once this is dry, using your hand or a dry cloth, lightly brush off any remaining chalk markings.

Aaaaan they're done. This took me about 2 hours (both shoes that is) so although it requires patience, this is not a lengthy or difficult project.

I'm super pleased with my cat shoes- not only have I saved a (ableit cheap) pair of almost new shoes (which I wrecked on the second wear), I've created shoes that I wanted for free, and that are not quite the same as everyone elses. Sorted.