Welcome! This is a fantastic and creative project that perfectly marries sustainability with comfort. Transforming an old, puffy jacket into a unique and incredibly cozy pair of slippers is a clever way to upcycle. The pre-quilted panels of the jacket save you a significant amount of work and give the slippers a distinct, padded texture.
This pattern is designed for a confident beginner who is comfortable with working with thicker fabrics and has some experience with simple pattern making and hand finishing.
Materials
Puffy Jacket: A discarded puffy jacket or coat. A quilted style is ideal as it provides the perfect material.
Non-Slip Sole Fabric: A durable, non-slip fabric like gripper fabric or a piece of faux suede (about a quarter-yard).
Thread: All-purpose thread that matches your fabric.
Ribbon or Elastic Cord (Optional): A few feet of thin ribbon or elastic cord for the drawstring.
Cord Stopper (Optional): Two small cord stoppers.
Basic sewing supplies: Sewing machine, scissors, pins or clips, a fabric pen or pencil, and a hand-sewing needle.
Key Concepts & Pattern Making
The success of this project hinges on carefully deconstructing the jacket and using its existing structure.
Deconstruction: Before you begin, use a seam ripper to carefully remove the lining from the outer shell of the jacket. You want to work with the quilted panels without the lining, as you'll be using a new sole.
Pattern Making: Find an existing slipper or a shoe that fits you well and has a shape you like. Place it on a piece of paper and trace the bottom for your Sole Pattern Piece. For the Upper Pattern Piece, trace the top of your foot and create a shape that wraps around the sides and covers the top of your foot. You will likely need to create two pieces for the upper—a front piece and a back heel piece—for a better fit.
Sewing Instructions
Note: Use a 1/2-inch seam allowance throughout the pattern unless otherwise noted.
Step 1: Cut the Fabric Pieces
Place your Sole Pattern Piece on the non-slip fabric. Cut out two soles, making sure they are mirror images of each other.
Take your deconstructed jacket. Find the quilted panels and place your Sole Pattern Piece on the most pristine areas. Cut out two sole pieces from the quilted jacket.
Now, place your Upper Pattern Pieces on the jacket panels and cut out the upper pieces for both slippers. You'll need two sets of mirror-image pieces for each slipper: one for the top and one for the heel area.
Step 2: Assemble the Slipper Uppers
Take your top and heel pieces for one slipper. Pin them together along the curved edges, right sides together.
Sew the pieces together to create the full slipper upper.
Repeat for the second slipper.
Step 3: Attach the Sole and Upper
Take one of your quilted jacket soles and one of your upper pieces. Pin the upper to the sole, right sides together. Start at the center of the toe and the center of the heel, and then pin the rest of the way around, easing the fabric as you go.
Sew the upper to the sole. Go slowly, and use a strong machine stitch for durability. Repeat for the second slipper.
4: Finish the Slipper with Binding
To create a clean finish and enclose the seams, you will bind the edges. Cut a long strip of your sole fabric or another coordinating fabric about 2 inches wide.
Fold the strip in half lengthwise and press.
Pin the binding to the bottom of the slipper, aligning the raw edges with the raw edges of the sole. Sew all the way around.
Fold the binding over to the top of the sole and hand-sew it down with a slip stitch for an invisible finish. This will give you a clean seam, as seen in the blue slipper pattern.
Step 5: Add the Drawstring (Optional)
To create the drawstring tunnel, cut a small, 1-inch wide strip of the jacket fabric or another coordinating fabric.
Fold it in half and sew it to the inside of the slipper, along the top edge.
Using a safety pin, thread your ribbon or elastic cord through the tunnel. Thread a cord stopper onto each end and tie a knot to secure it.
Your new, upcycled puffy jacket slippers are now complete!
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