Shake Your Bootie

Hello Friends of First Fridays!  It’s your old friend TJ from Studio Mailbox here bringing you your monthly dose of sewing humor.  As some of you may or may not know, Heather is currently recovering from surgery and laid up with one of those ugly black velcro boots on her foot.  Sew not fashionable!  Never fear, she is healthy and in good spirits despite the weeks of recovery facing her ahead.

In light of the situation, I decided to make her the world’s coolest post operative footwear bootie!  At first I thought about making some kind of crazy embellished cover with plastic rhinestones (*bling*bling*) but that changed as soon as I started digging for the material to use.

The closet of my studio has a couple of plastic bags stuffed with old clothes that I think I’ll make things out of someday.  And you know what?  Yesterday was that day!  As soon as I spotted it, I knew.  I remembered the groovy fabric distinctly.

This wasn’t just any piece of clothing, this was what I was wearing to a convention the day I met Heather Valentine!  I am not entirely sure if that makes this project even more special or just downright creepy but either way, I went with it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took a few deep breaths before grabbing my scissors and hacking off the bottom half of the long shirt.  Man I loved that thing!  There was no way I was going to waste this awesomeness on a joke so it forced me to text Heather every ten minutes demanding measurements.

Here’s a shot of me ruthlessly throwing the fabric over my shoulder as if I know how to make a surgical boot cover.  Seriously I look a little crazed, as if I’m about to march out and jazz up the velcro footwear of every woman in the world who’s laying around with their leg elevated.

Next I sort of stared at what I had done and laid it out flat on my cutting mat.  I tried to make some rudimentary sketches and a vague plan.  Then I just chucked the whole plan thing and started strategically cutting where there were already some finished seams.  It occurred to me that I could use the buttons from the front of the shirt to become a way for Heather to get in and out of her bootie.  I know, I know, sometimes I even surprise myself with these bursts of genius.

 

I had seen some images online of other boot covers.  One looked like a mummy costume for Halloween, one looked like it was an accessory for a hazmat suit.  The last one looked like it should only be worn in Antarctica.  I wasn’t working with a lot.

So I started free-styling the dang thing until a strange form started to take shape.  If it turns out it doesn’t fit, she can always use it as a deformed sock puppet.  Or maybe hang it from the fireplace at Christmastime. The foot on that thing is so big she would be sure to get a lot of stocking stuffers!

In the end, I was kind of pleased with myself considering I don’t think I’ve ever used elastic before and I haven’t touched a knit since 8th Grade Home Economics.  Not to brag, but do you see the heavy-duty enforced sole?  I kind of thought that was another nice touch.  She’d have worn through a flimsy knit the first time she walked outside in this thing.

Whaaaat?  You don’t think she’ll actually wear it out in public?

I’ll be sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to hear if it fits.  Hopefully it will bring a smile to her face while she’s stuck hobbling around.  Be sure and leave her some well wishes in the comments.  See you all next month; same time, same place!

 

 

TJ Goerlitz is a mixed media artist who pretends to be a seamstress whenever possible.  Come connect with her on her site, Studio Mailbox, her Facebook page, or in Pinterest.  Join her on the first Friday of every month where she shares her latest sewing tales with the readers of The Sewing Loft.