I just finished this weekend's snowed-in crafting/sewing project, and, feeling quite pleased with myself, I wanted to share my process. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you....home-fur-lined boots!
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| Wow! Ooooh! Aaaahhh! |
Materials:
1. Pair of boots with extra room in the leg
2. Fake fur. I bought one foot of 60-inch fur. 12" was good to cover the height, but I had extra lengthwise, inevitably
3. Velcro
4. Glue, maybe
5. Pencil, ruler, sewing machine
A little super-fascinating background...
I bought these Merrell boots several years ago, and they served me well. However, they were on the way out the door to retirement because one of the zippers was totally broken and the heels were worn down. I decided to treat myself to new boots this year, and I wanted fur-lined ones because they're super cozy.
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| The "fur" I bought, made from real polyester sheep. |
But, to my dismay, perfect boots were nowhere to be found. After exhausting local shoe stores and the internet, it looked hopeless that I would find boots in my size that served my needs before winter was over. So I pulled these boots out of retirement and brought them to Paul's Shoe Repair in Amherst for a new zipper. "Paul" told me he could redo the heels as well, and it was in the shop that very day that I had the idea to take on the project of making a fur lining myself.
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| Brand new zipper |
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| New heel |
One complaint I had with these boots is that the calf openings are very wide. I have big feet (these are 11s, I think!) but that doesn't mean I have enormous calves, Merrell! A bonus of this project was that the fur filled that extra space, giving them a slimmer fit. For this reason, if the boots you're lining already fit your leg well, they might be too tight if you add fur.
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| Well-worn boot |
Although furry boots are perfect for winter, they can be too much for fall
and spring. For this reason, I wanted my fur lining to be removable,
and I opted to have it Velcro into place. This means when the fur's not
in I'll have permanent Velcro inside my boots, but oh well.
I didn't have too much confidence that this project would be successful, since I was completely winging it, but I am pleased with the results!
I didn't have too much confidence that this project would be successful, since I was completely winging it, but I am pleased with the results!
Step 1: Attach Boot Velcro
I used self-adhesive velcro for the inside of the boot because I obviously couldn't sew it in. My experience with self-adhesive velcro has been bad, since it falls off, but I was feeling lazy. I did already lose one of the bottom pieces because I wore the boots mid-project and the action of putting my foot in the boot dislodged it, so I re-attached that one with Aleene's Fabric Glue. If the others fall off, I'll just glue them in as well. I did velcro along the very top of the boot, up to the zippers, and at the bottom of the leg part above where the material changes.
I used self-adhesive velcro for the inside of the boot because I obviously couldn't sew it in. My experience with self-adhesive velcro has been bad, since it falls off, but I was feeling lazy. I did already lose one of the bottom pieces because I wore the boots mid-project and the action of putting my foot in the boot dislodged it, so I re-attached that one with Aleene's Fabric Glue. If the others fall off, I'll just glue them in as well. I did velcro along the very top of the boot, up to the zippers, and at the bottom of the leg part above where the material changes.
Use the soft side, please, or you will regret it when the fur's not in! Ow!
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| On the bottom... |
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| ...and on top |
I had planned to just cut a rectangle of fur and trim it to match the layout of the boot, but as I began measuring the inside I realized the boot is made of three triangles, as you can see above, so therefore the lining should be too. I dusted off my old 10th grade geometry skillz and measured these triangles.
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| Outstanding precision and handwriting on my part |
I used geometry tools of yore (ruler, square....pencil) to measure out my three triangles, leaving seam allowances of 1/2" on the sides and 3/4" on top. I decided not to hem the bottom, because it would be bulky inside the boot and unnecessary.
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| Look at that spread! |
Step 4: Sew!
Connect the side pieces to the center piece...
I used a regular stitch...
Followed by a zig-zag stitch...
Then trimmed those seams to 1/4" and flattened them using more zig-zag.
Then hemmed the sides...
And top...
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Step 5: Add Fur-side Velcro
I sewed one long piece of rough-side Velcro across the top, the bottom of it lining up with the bottom of the hem. I didn't go all the way up because I wanted some fur to stick up and be visible above the boot.
I used three separate pieces for the bottom because of the angles. #geometry
Ta-da! All done! I forgot to take a picture of the other side, and now they're all snug in the boots.
Step 6: Fluff
Because fur gets stuck under the stitches, it looks a little nicer if you just pull some of it out with your fingers.
Step 7: Insert into boots
You know what to do; Velcro to Velcro (dust to dust).
I am generally pleased with how they came out. Even with the large initial calf openings, the addition of fur has made the boots snug, so I can't wear them with multiple layers of leggings.
You might notice that since the fur is attached at the top and bottom but not sides it just sort of hangs there, and I'm going to try leaving it like that. Once they're zipped up the fur's not going anywhere. In fact, the Velcro isn't necessary at all, but it's nice to keep boots together as a unit when I take them off at the movies, for example.
The linings also don't look fabulous, but they're invisible inside! I'm excited to start wearing these boots again!
You might notice that since the fur is attached at the top and bottom but not sides it just sort of hangs there, and I'm going to try leaving it like that. Once they're zipped up the fur's not going anywhere. In fact, the Velcro isn't necessary at all, but it's nice to keep boots together as a unit when I take them off at the movies, for example.
The linings also don't look fabulous, but they're invisible inside! I'm excited to start wearing these boots again!
