My first item for 2014 is complete. Never mind that I was working on these moccasins for, like, a month. They are done and I love them. I first saw the Lil’ Papoose Moccasins pattern featured in a post by True Bias. I instantly knew my little bubba needed a pair several pairs.
So I hopped on Etsy and purchased some lovely leather remnants. If you know of any good places to order leather remnants, let me know. I bought enough to make three pairs, or four, if I’m lucky. I’d love to make these and give them as gifts.
I used grey-lilac and black leather. I chose the most boring colors of the bunch to use as a test run. And what a test run it was! The black leather was super slick and would not feed through my machine no matter how many times I changed the settings and pleaded. I shared my woes on Instagram and Gail came to the rescue. Sandwiched between tissue paper the leather breezed through the machine. Phew. I was quite sure I was going to have to add it to my unfinished projects pile. Thanks again, Gail!
I sewed the top edge of the fringe using different widths, in hopes of getting the elastic through easier through the wider gap. But I much prefer the narrow gap. Looks cleaner. I’ll definitely make future versions like that.
I used the wrong side of the leather for the soles in hopes that would offer better traction on slippery floors.
Ollie does not stay still. Ever. He is always going, going, gone…
Getting him to model was something out of a sitcom. I blame him for all the blur in the photos 🙂
I finally got some assistance from my husband and managed to get a few shots with him actually wearing the shoes. They are about an inch too big. If I decide to make him a pair that fits it will have to be soon because I might take another month to get it done. And by then they might fit for a short time.
Aside from trying to get the slippery leather fed through my machine, I found stitching the elastic together so fiddly. It’s so narrow and it was so hard to get it under the needle just right. I might just hand sew it next time.
I totally want to make a pair of gold leather ones!
Pincushion Treats 
Very cute! I always hesitate to make baby stuff, because it seems like they’ll grow out of it before I’m done! The tissue trick works for stuff that sticks, too. I use scrap paper when I sew with vinyl.
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So darn cute! I love the pics of him only wearing one shoe!
You know, next time you go into SF, check the remnants room at Britex. When I was there in May they had a big box of leather scraps. Also, I took a quick look and it seems there’s a Tandy Leather store in San Bruno. I don’t know if they smaller pieces or just whole skins, but it’s worth checking out!
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To the rescue again! Thanks Gail. I am going to check this place out once I run out of reserves. Luckily I didn’t include my meager leather pile in my no-fabric-buying pledge 🙂
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Wow, these are so cute! Love ’em!
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Love them! They are perfect for little feet.
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These are adorable, as is the wearer! So worth the effort! I hope you make gold ones.
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Congrats on finishing these up! They were worth it. I found a local leather store in Seattle that had a huge bin of scraps for $5 a pound. Maybe there’s one in your area?
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SO cute. You make me want to start sewing so I can make a bunch of stuff for my niece!
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DOOO it. Made the dark London days so much better. It was my therapy 🙂 And you get to make great stuff. Win, win!
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Mela, these are adorable. I’m not sure what the fabric stores are like where you live, but here in Toronto most stores have scrap bins of leather so you can always get remnants for small projects like this one – beats paying for shipping. Your little guy sounds like an active child!
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I hardly go into the city to check out the fabric stores but I am due for a trip if just to ogle and touch the fabric (stash diet, after all). I’ll see if they have any leather remnants. Good suggestion, thank you!
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Adorable! I’ll take a pair in pink, please 😉
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I’ll keep you and Baby Jane in mind if I find some pink leather. 🙂
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These are so cute, thanks a million for sharing! So many loved ones are having babies and I love making interesting gifts, so I’ll be checking out your links for sure ;o)
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You’ve been making the cutest baby stuff. These shoes sew up quickly (if you do it in one sitting, unlike me).
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Cute! Never thought about it, that you could just sew with leather!
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these are adorable!! I’ve had success with a walking foot when sewing faux leather–it helps a lot.
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I just got a roller foot. It says it’s good for leather. We shall see 🙂
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also, using double sided tape to “baste” seams in place really helps since you can’t pin leather.
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Oooh, great tip! I’ve been using quilting clips but they get in the way sometimes. Thank you.
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These are gorgeous!! I love tiny shoes, although I have no need for them, nor friends with babies unfortunately 😦
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These shoes are so cute!
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OMG how super cute are those. My kids had a few pairs when they were smaller, but I never dreamed of making them. Totally awesome 🙂
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this level of cuteness has made me light headed. Fab work 🙂
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Thanks Rehanon!
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These are fantastic! Way to conquer the leather, because the results are just adorable 🙂
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Thank you Meg! Can’t wait to make them again.
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Adorable little shoes! Also I love the pics of him leaving off, so cute.
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OMG – sooo cute! Nice job on the moccasins.
Melizza – I’m now the new organizer for the Bay Area Sewists Meetup group. Our first meeting will likely be in Feb. in Berkeley. I don’t know if you ever make it over to the East Bay but here’s a link to the group http://www.meetup.com/Bay-Area-Sewists/ Maybe we can meet in person one of these days!!
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I’m a member! I got your message. I meant to congratulate you! Congrats. I do hope it all goes well and that I can make it to a meet-up. I’d love to make it! I’ve never been to Berkeley!
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Thanks! Glad you got the message! I created a poll asking people about preferred dates/time to meet so be sure to cast your vote: http://www.meetup.com/Bay-Area-Sewists/polls/
You’ve never been to Berkeley! Well, we’ll definitely have to fix that! 😉
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my goodness… the levels of cuteness in this make are off the charts!! I adore these 🙂
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Thank you! I hope things are going well with wedding sewing and planning!
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So far, so good 🙂
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Super cute! The gold ones sound fantastic!
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It’s linked in the post.
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I have the same pattern but the heal is short is there a way to make sure of measurements im missing?
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You may want to contact the pattern designer. I bet she can help!
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Any tips on sewing the heel? I lined mine with flannelette and have a difficult time when sewing the heel since its too stiff to lie flat. I tried going super slow at that part but it never fails to come out looking like a mess in that area 😦
I don’t put the lining all the way to the edge but it doesn’t help….
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I’m trying to remember exactly what I did. I believe I played with the pressure foot tension and used wonder clips to keep my leather pieces together. Next time I will use a Teflon or walking foot. I think that will help keep the fiddly pieces from moving too much. I hope that helps. I didn’t take notes (silly me) so I’m having to try and remember what I did months back. Goo luck!
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Thanks for the reply! I’m using the Teflon foot, but still having troubles. I end up starting from one side and stopping before the heel, doing the other side, stopping before the heel then have to attempt the heel part to no avail. Very sloppy results because that part is wanting to stand 3D. I’m assuming theres a simple fix but I’ve been searching and haven’t found anything. IT puckers there so I tried to baste it first….. 😦
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Oh Melanie, I wish I could help. My stitching was definitely not top-notch. It looked horrible in the shoes.
Have you tried emailing the pattern writer? They might be of help. More than me, that’s for sure 🙂
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