Shoe Biz 3: Strap One On!

By now you are probably anxious to make your first pair of shoes. I thought we'd start with high heeled gladiators because nothing could be more simple or stylish. Each pair I've made have come out successfully!

To begin this project you will need the insoles (2 pair) you made using the last tutorial.
We need to cover them, which you can do in one of three ways.

Thin Leather (real or faux)

All tutorials on covering the insole are pretty much standard. 

1. Place your insole in the middle of a bit of leather, cut in the notches. (I anchor it in place with a bit of glue. The margin depends on the size of the actual insole. 

2. Cut notches all around. The idea here is to make it easier to fold it inward without creating bulk or bumps. 

3. Add glue to the insole and fold the edges inward. 

4. When you flip it over, everything should lay flat and smooth--including around the edges. Personally, I have problems keeping the side edges as smooth as I think they should be. Therefore, when cutting in the notches, you want to cut close to the insole but not too close.

Thin Fabric

Most of the time for my sandals where I'm using fabric, ribbon or trim, I will use fabric or a bit of ribbon to line my insoles. You don't want to notch because the fabric will fray.
1. So again, I use a bit of glue to hold the lining in place.
2. Use your fingers to fold everything inward. If this is looking a bit too sloppy, you can make a running stitch around the edge close to the insole and pull the stitches in.
3. There may be lumps and bumps, but you can press them down with a cool iron.

Thicker Leather (real or faux)

This is an easy shortcut that really works. If you have a medium weight swatch of leather, you can use that as your insole. Cut the leather out, using the insole template. Make sure it fits the bottom of the doll's feet AND is the same size as the mid sole and outer sole!

For my black gladiators, I get everything measured, cut out and placed to the side.

Gladiators

1. For sandals, you really don't need to use a last (foot form). You can use your doll's foot as is. I place a tiny piece of tape, sticky side folded onto itself on the bottom of dolly's foot so that I can help hold the insole in place as I work.
2. For this pair of gladiators, I am using embroidery yarn. You can also use ribbon or string. Measure out about 17" (43cm) and place the midpoint of the string at the midpoint of the bottom of the doll's foot. Begin wrapping around the doll's foot.
3. For this shoe I wrapped it three times around. (For the ribbon gladiators, I criss-crossed twice.) Spread the yarn out a bit.

4. This is what the underside of my shoe looks like
5. I criss-cross the foot two more times.
6. I use a bit of tape to hold the yarn.ribbon in place as I work.

7. What I've done here is to construct the upper part of the sandal. When you are happy with the results, remove the shoe from the doll's foot and carefully remove the tape, being careful not to move the yarn/ribbon.
8. Add a generous layer of glue.
9. Add on the mid-sole (it is the same as the insole but used in between the insole and the outer sole. I find that not only does a mid sole provide a smooth, level  surface, but the epoxy clay seems to adhere better to the card stock.

If you have made an pair of out soles in advance, now is the time to pull them out and attached them to the uppers you have just made. If you have not yet made a pair, place the uppers to the side and create a pair of outer soles using the previous tutorial featured in Shoe Biz 2. 

If you are working with polymer (oven bake) clay, it is a simple question of gluing together the uppers onto the top of a pair of finished high heel soles. Be sure to use an extra strength, clear gel glue. Do NOT use rubber cement or all-purpose white glue. They will come apart! 

If you are working with epoxy clay, continue on with step 10.

10. Roll out a layer of epoxy clay and add it onto the top of the outer sole. Use a dowel as a rolling pin to roll out the excess and create a smooth, even layer. Cut away the excess from the sides and smooth.

11. In effect, you have now created a sandwich with the clay. The tin foil frame is covered with a layer of clay on the top and bottom. Be sure you smooth out the edges.

12. Take the sandal upper and press it into the soft clay on the top of the outer sole. I use my curved tool to help me do this. Make sure there are no gaps. The epoxy clay is essential glue so it will adhere to your upper and dry into a nice hard element! Be sure to smooth out the side edges and press in or fill any gaps. While the clay is still soft and pliable, you can use it to spackle any irregular surfaces or fill in (or out) any gaps or holes.

I made two pair: one for Barbie (left) using Polymer clay, the other for my FR girls out of epoxy clay.

In a slight variation of the black sandal, I used gold embroidery yarn and knotted it over the foot in two places.

Again, starting with the lined insole, I wrapped the yarn around the underside of the foot and knotted it over the top of the foot. I wrapped it a second time and knotted it. The rest of the yarn wraps around the back of the ankles and around a couple of times then tied into bow! You can try different systems of knots (even a bi of macrame!) to create your uppers!

Sandals 101
Probably the easiest shoe to make, feel free to make endless pairs of these, just as a way to ensure all your dolls have shoes on their feet in the colors they need! simply wrap the foot with a bit of ribbon or a strip of leather and glue on the sole. Go with one large piece or two "medium" straps.

But you can easily transform it into something a wee bit more interesting. Here are a few ideas:

The choice of materials is the easiest way to make these sandals your own. For my two silver sandals I used aluminum tape I found at a Dollar store. I cut it into two tiny strips and adhered them to a piece of ribbon then wrapped it around the doll's foot. For the outer sole, I used a 1/2" piece of silver wire (18 gauge) for the heels. The rest of the sole was painted using silver acrylic paint.

Here's the same shoe in gold with silver glitter added to the sides of the outer sole!

But you can do more than simply use one solid strip to wrap the foot. Try slashing for different looks.

This pattern is 3/8" long by 1-1/4" wide (1x3cm). Mark the center then cut horizontally into thirds, leaving the middle in tact. As you wrap this around the dolls foot, spread each strip slightly. Attach the upper to the sole. Paint. Tip: when you are painting your soles....listen to me. Leave that bottle of fingernail polish alone and step away. Again. Do not use fingernail polish to paint your shoes. It's thick, it's ugly and it will show up all of the faults! Instead, use light layers of diluted acrylic paint until you arrive at the proper coverage. If you want a shiny finish, you can always use one layer of  "top coat." I am guilty of making this mistake. I know what I'm talking.

Here's a variation.

1. Take a small strip of leather or non woven material. Using a blade, cut it into tiny strips starting at about 1/8" (4mm) from either side.
2. Glue the uncut side to the bottom of the lined insole.
3. Wrap around the foot, spreading the strips so they fan out from the apex point.
4. Tape in place to keep the strips from moving. Cut away the excess. Then carefully remove the take and add a generous layer of glue.
5. Attached the mid sole.
6. Add a layer of epoxy clay to the top of the sole and press the upper sandal in place.

One more.l...

I started out with a small piece of leather 3/8 x 2-1/8" (10 x 55mm), divided into thirds. The first third is cut down to a length of 1" (28mm), the second 1-3/8" (35 mm) and the last left at 2-1/8" (55mm). Again, attached to the underside of the insole and then drape over the foot at a slight diagonal. The last strip wraps over the foot, around the back of the ankle and is then tucked underneath itself on the side of the foot.  The orange shoes have regular sole and the white ones are platforms.

Feeling creative??!!!

With ribbons, trims and scraps, you can create some wonderful footwear for your divas. Just remember, there isn't much to a 1/6 doll's foot. It's best to try different things out directly on the doll's feet before you commit. Here, on the left, this is a 1/2" ribbon I tied into a knot over the foot. On the right, a piece of lace held onto the foot with a ribbon. Like that you can immediately see what does and does not work.

Before I wrap up this session, let me answer a few questions that might be on your minds. Again, this is from my own perspective based on the shoes I've made thus far.

What comes first, the uppers or the outer soles?
Personally, I like to start with the uppers. Over time, I've been able to make a pair a shoes from start to scratch relatively quickly. However, I have prepared the outer soles  for future use. With the polymer clay, you don't really have a choice. You can't really back the uppers onto the outer soles. You really must prepare each element separately and then, using a very strong product, glue the uppers with the soles. The epoxy clay allows you to make the two elements separately and then assemble them together. Unlike the polymer clay, you don't have to use a separate glue for assemblage. You "glue" the two together with a fresh layer of clay. What is most important is to verify that the soles (insole, mid sole and outer sole) are line up and continue to conform to the doll's foot throughout the process.

Can you make the heels separately and add them later (after they have hardened)? 

You can. Personally, I'd rather add them to the soles while the clay on both the soles and heels are still pliable. If you do decide to make the heels separately, letting them dry, be sure the top of the heel has the proper slant and try not to use too much clay.

What happens if the sole is a little too short or too narrow?
The epoxy clay allows you to "patch" after it has dried. So you can fill in gaps or whatever is missing, smooth, sand then paint. It works a little like spackle when you need to cover a hole on your walls.

Are there materials not suitable for making sandals?
In don't recommend elastic or rubber bands. Both degrade in a short period of time and all of your hard work will end up in the trash at some point. Years ago, I bought a few pairs of shoes for my Tonner dolls where they used elastic bands to criss-cross the feet. The elastic is shot and can no longer hold the shoe to the doll! Rubber also degrades pretty quickly. Beware of anything that unravels as well.

Scissors or blades for cutting?
Using a blade will give you a cleaner, more precise line which is particularly crucial when working on such a tiny scale. But for the moment, if you are comfortable with scissors...go for it. As you progress, you'll eventually move over to a blade and memory cutting board.

Have a great time making sandals for your ladies. We'll be back shortly with another installment: Shoe Biz 4 Undercover Toes. Sliders and Mules--our favorite backless shoes.

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Shoe Biz 2: Sole Mates

For me, the most important--and complex--part of a doll shoe making is the sole. After all, we can wrap a bit of ribbon around the doll's foot and call it a sandal, but it has to be anchored to something that, at the very least, makes it look like a real shoe. For this post, I have uploaded as many photos as possible to help guide you through the process. A YouTube video might have been better, but I have not as yet been able to train my dolls to use a camera and it is very hard to do everything by myself! This tutorial is a little long because there are two sets of instructions: one for the epoxy clay and the other for the oven-bake polymer clay. In general, the process is the same, but each is handled a little differently.

The Basic Template: Soles, Insoles, Midsoles
We start by making a template using the bottom of the doll's foot. A lot of the tutorials I came across show placing the doll's foot against a sheet of paper and tracing around it. But with the thickness of the pencil line combined with the space between the pencil and the foot, your sole will be much wider than the doll's foot. This is the principle reason why DIY doll shoes don't fit! You want to cut these things just a tiny bit narrower than the foot. By the time line the insoles and add on the outer soles, the shoe will fit just right!

1. To make your template, cover the bottom of your doll's foot with a bit of paper tape! Then pick up a mechanical pencil or a regular one with a sharp point and draw the outline of the doll's foot.
2. Remove the tape. Place it on card stock then cut out the shape.
3. Measure this against the doll's foot and take note of where the sole surpasses the foot on the sides. The toe is not the problem. In fact, depending on the style, you will want a little space in front of the toes (just like your own shoes).
4. Trim off the excess. These two steps are important throughout the sole making process. After each element, I stop and check what I have made against the doll's foot because things have a way of shifting.
5. This template, cut from card stock, will serve as the basic template for the insoles, mid soles and outer soles.
Note: I tend to make soles that distinguish the left from the right foot. You can ignore that and simply make a universal shape that is symmetrical in shape! This is helpful when making shoes for Barbie who has such tiny feet. Make the adjustments and check for fit before you create your final template.

6. Trace and cut out 4 on card stock. (6 if you will not be making a sole out of tin foil.)
7. For me, I like using tin foil that comes from disposable aluminum pie tins (or other bake ware). Aside from adding extra structure to the shoe, it maintains the shape of the sole on an incline, especially when I am adding water to the clay to smooth out the surface. By the way, cut an extra one and put aside. We'll use it later to work on the heel without the need to disturb the soles you've prepared in advance for your shoes.
8. Rather then give you a formula for where the "bend" line should be, I prefer to manually adjust the sole to the slope of the foot. To best do this, stand the doll up on a flat surface. Bend the sole to conform to the curvature of the foot. This is very important because different dolls (even within the same family) may have different curvatures or heights and the height of the heel is determined by this curvature!

Creating Soles with Epoxy Clay
Again, in the US, there is a product called Ayes Apoxie Sculpt which is what I am using here. You can find it is art supply stores or online including at amazon.com. For those of you in Europe or other parts, you should look for " self hardening epoxy modeling clay" (Esprit Composite- pate expoxy legere blanche, in French). This product comes in two jars. When equal amounts of jar A is mixed with jar B, the hardening agent is activated. As long as the elements are kept in their own separate jars, I am told the product will last for a few years.

1. Get out the gloves (or slather on the hand lotion), the clay, some water and a smooth flat surface to work on. Have the outer soles ready and on the side.
2. Scoop out just a tiny bit of clay from each jar. Be mindful to use separate scoops (spoons or popsicle sticks) for each jar so as not to "contaminate" the rest of the contents. You are making VERY TINY object and will not need much. For what I am doing today, each element was approximately 3/8 balls (about the size of a chickpea). As you work with this medium, you will get better at measuring out just enough for your needs.
3. Knead together the two balls of clay for about 2 minutes until everything becomes one color. I use gloves for this step because the clay is quite sticky. But after 2 minutes, I remove the gloves and continue. Take some advice here. Do not make more than one pair of shoes at a time. Although all of the tutorials for this product indicate you have up to 3 hours of flexibility....truth is, you don not!!!! You are working with objects so tiny, the hardening process speeds up. You have....maximum 1 hour from start to finish!  
4. They say, let the clay rest 5 minutes. Don't listen to that! You can let it rest for about a minute, because for me, I found I could get best results while the clay is still sticky. Form the clay into a ball and use a dowel as you would a rolling pin to flatten out the clay. This can be as thick or thin as you want depending on the desired look.
5. Using a single edge razor blade, I scrape the clay away from the surface, while keeping it in it shape.
6. Then I lay it back down and, using the same razor blade, cut a slice wide enough to cover my outer sole.
7. Use the blade to help you lift it away from the surface and onto the shoe.

8. Since I don't have my uppers completed, I will make these soles for later use. Cover the bottom part of the outer sole with the layer of clay.
9. Using the dowel as a rolling pin, press the clay against the sole.
10. As the clay surpasses the sides of the sole, use a blade to cut away the excess.
11. Dip your finger into some water and smooth the surface and sides of the clay. Set aside and repeat the process for the remaining shoe.

Let us now make heels for our shoes. This is a tricky part of the shoe--both in its construction as well as attaching it to the rest of the shoe. Although I sometimes use small bits of wire or pins to create heels or stilettos, the most versatile material you can use is a toothpick. The extreme edges of a toothpick are great for making "killer heels" while the middle is perfect for the classic high heels we see everywhere. You can use the mid portion of Q-tip swabs provided they are paper and not plastic. (You don't want to use plastic because it won't hold paint very well!)
12. Tooth picks are easy to work with. Measure the length between just under the doll's foot and the "floor." In the case of my Fashion Royalty girls, this is 1/2" (1cm). Mark the toothpick then, using a razor blade, press down to make a nick. Then break.
13. Using your emery board, sand both ends flat.
14. It is important for you to understand that the heel must be perpendicular (90 degree angle) to the bottom of the sole. It should be placed directly under the doll's heel (not at the back edge of the shoe.)
15. Take a tiny bit of the clay and form a ball at one end.
16-17. Pinch the  ball between your fingers and shape it so that the top forms a 45 degree angle.

18. Remember the extra tin foil sole I had you to make? Bring that out and attach this heel to it. The idea here is to sculpt it out a bit before attaching it to the definitive sole. There were too many times where I messed everything up while trying to get the top of the heel sculpted correctly.
19. Don't spend too much time on this step. You just want to get it to the point where you know where you will be going with it. Remove from the tin foil sole.
20. Attach to the definitive sole and press into the rest of the clay. Dip your curved tip tool in water and begin smoothing out the clay around the heel . I want you to notice the direction of the back of the heel. The shape should be concave and not curved outwards. As you are smoothing the back of the heel, move your finger upwards and out. Be careful not to extend top of the heel over the length of the shoe over the back heel. The back of the heel should end at the heel of the sole! This was one error I made repeated which resulted in shoes that were too big. One more thing... Be sure to keep the heel straight from the back view of the shoe! This tends to shift as you work.

Tip: Move back and forth from shoe to shoe so that the clay remains workable  during the entire process. There were times when I spent too much time trying to perfect one and by the time I picked up the other shoe, the clay on the heel gave me problems as I tried to attach it to the sole.
21. I use the fine tip of my dental "gum simulator" (again, moistened with water) to get into those tight areas and close up any gaps that might be there. Be sure to make sure the heel stands straight down from the sole from the back view of the shoe as this tends to shift and move as you work.
22. Finally, dip your finger in water to smooth out the broader surfaces of the shoe. This is the great thing about this medium. Water acts as a smoothing agent. But when it dries, the shoe will be hard as a rock!
23. Whatever there is in the way of little lumps, bumps or irregularities, you can sand using a fine sandpaper, emery board or sanding block. As you get used to this medium, you won't even need to do this.
24. Here: two soles using both parts of the toothpick!

By the way....making platform shoes is simple!

1. Roll clay into two equal size balls. Press the sole into the ball until you arrive at the desired thickness.
2. With a blade or small knife, cut the excess clay away from the sole.
3. The thickness of the platform sole will determine the height of the peg you need to cut for the heel.
4. Continue the shoe as described above, smoothing out the side edges and the heel.

Creating Soles with Polymer Clay

 1. Polymer or oven-bake clay, is softer and easy to manipulate. It only gets hard when you bake in the oven but the downside is....it is fragile. For me, it was hard to get a decent surface. Yes, of course, you can sand after you harden it, but it can break while you are still working. And even if you get something halfway decent, as some point, the finished shoe will break. I know because I had my heart broken many times! And I was making wedgies! You cannot glue back together and in time, the leftover clay dries out and has to be tossed! Nonetheless, when preparing myself to start this project, I picked up a small package to practice my skills before trying my luck with Apoxie Sculpt. You put together the shoe much in the same way. The difference is really in how you handle each clay. So being by making the soles as stated in the top part of this post.
2. The amount of clay I use is the size of a large chickpea which can fit on a 10-cent piece (US) or 10 centime piece (Euro). The thing here is that, the clay will not dry out until you put it in the oven. Anything you don't use you can put back. Note: all unused clay should be kept in a resealable baggie.
3. Using the dowel, flatten the ball into the thickness you want for your sole.
4. Slice away a strip long enough to fit the bottom of the sole. Again, I use tin foil for my sole for structure.
5. Using the dowel as a rolling pin, press the clay onto the sole and roll to get a level layer. Cut away the excess along the sides.
6. Cut another strip of clay to lay over the top of the sole. Again, press the clay using your "rolling pin." Cut away the excess along the sides and smooth. Repeat for the other shoe.

7. For the heel of the shoe using this medium, you will need to cover the element you choose.  If you leave it exposed the way we did with the epoxy clay, at some point it will fall off the shoe. So to keep everything together, I have chosen to wrap a piece of toothpick or wire with clay.The thinner the desired heel, the thinner the element. That means, the toothpick will yield a thicker heel, but if you want a somewhat stiletto heel, you will need to use a small straight pin or a bit of wire. Place the tiny rod onto the clay and wrap.
8. Roll this between your thumb and index finger until the clay gets as thin as possible, pinching away the excess as you work.
9. Form a ball with a tiny bit of clay and place it at one end of the heel.
10. Again, I place it on the extra tin foil shoe so as to calmly work on its shape without disturbing the definitive shoe.

11. Remove it from the tin foil sole and now stick it onto the definitive sole.
12. Using your curved tool, smooth out the heel where it attaches to the sole
13. A fine tipped tool is great for smoothing out areas in tight spots. Try to smooth out your sole as best you can. When you are happy, place this in an oven set low (275F or 130C) for 15 minutes. Afterwards, let cool before continuing.
14. Use an emeryboard or sanding block to smooth the surfaces of your shoe. Sand gently!
15. All by itself, this is going to break very quickly. So be sure to "seal" them with couple coats of ModgePodge or white glue.

Coming up next: Shoe Biz2: Strap One On! Now that we've got the soles together, let's make our first pair of shoes. What could be easier than sandals!

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No Business Like Shoe Business: Introduction, Materials, Terms

It's no secret. I spend a FORTUNE on doll shoes. As you all know, clothes are only part of the overall fashion picture. Our dolls need, at the very least, coordinated footwear. But when it comes to buying footwear, here’s the problem. For the most part, doll companies don’t sell footwear. And, within any given company line, there are several different sizes and elevation of doll feet. Outside of the shoes that come with the doll at the time of purchase, you are left at the mercy of sellers on Ebay or the few crafts people on Etsy, many of whom do not specialize in 1/6 scale. And even when you find something interesting, chances are, prices are prohibitive.

Convinced that I could not make shoes, I did a post on “spats,” boot uppers that slide over existing Barbie footwear. When blogger, BlackKitty saw it, she asked why didn’t I go ahead and make shoes. After all, she explained, the uppers are most of the work. But for me, the problem has always been the soles. I could not successfully make high heels soles and have never been able to find ready-made soles. Last month, however, a most generous collector on the W-Club forum, shared a tip: use a self hardening clay called Ayres Apoxie Sculpt to create the heels. For me, this was a game changer. So this summer, I decided to take a month off with the hope of making a decent pair of shoes for my divas.

I studied a number of different tutorials including those found on the blogs of Fashion Doll Shoes and BlackKitty's Multicrafteral Lab. I experimented with techniques and materials. I made many pairs of footwear (nearly 30 so far) and made MANY, MANY mistakes. I took the time to figure out what and why things went wrong. I went way out of my comfort zone as this is NOT my specialty.  The challenges I faced were 1) controlling my own impatience, 2) making uppers that fit the feet without the doll sliding off, the shoe, 3) making soles that conform to the curvature of the doll’s foot 4) making high heels or stilettos and attaching them to the sole 4) and assembling all of this into a decent looking shoe my dolls would be willing to wear. The hard work has paid off and I am now pretty happy (not to mention pleasantly surprised) with the results. My dolls are having shoe orgasms. No more fighting over shoes (imagine that!). But I may have created monsters.... they are all sketching ideas for shoes they want me to make!!!

What I am presenting here is far from perfection. Still, they are MUCH better than Barbie shoes AND the more I make, the better I get. And I am getting faster at making soles. The lesson learned: what you put into this project is what you get out of it. I learned to be patient, and organized in terms of respecting the proper order of  steps needed to make a proper shoe. I will warn you… there are no short cuts. Nothing is fast and easy. There are a lot of little pieces to these shoes and let me tell you…. You need all of them. Will I ever buy shoes from 3rd party sellers? Yes and no. I won’t be buying any more Barbie shoes and as far as the FR footwear is concerned, I won’t need to sit around and hope to find basic shoe in the color I need. Instead I’ll be able to invest in that very special shoe or bootl! In the meantime, I’ve been working on creating shoes in all the specific colors (white, beige, silver and gold) I need! And a few in colors and materials I don't need.

Over the next few weeks, I would like to share what I've learned with you in the form of a multi-part series of tutorials--a shoe making workshop of sorts. My aim here is to help you make a few basic pairs of 1/6 scale high heeled footwear that you can adapt to your own dolls and aesthetic styles. I will not be covering mold making which means that each shoe will be slightly different. That's to be expected. Working on this scale will be difficult for many of you as it is for me. But still, if you are sincere about making your own doll shoes, I urge you not to give up. It will really pay off.

So that those of you who will be joining me on this project are prepared and ready to go, in this, part one of this series, I've devised a list of materials as well as a breakdown as to what I will be covering over the next couple of weeks. Though this looks like a lot of stuff to gather, much of it is pretty inexpensive or even things you probably already have. The major investment here is the clay needed to make the soles. However, until you decide whether you are REALLY committed to making shoes, you can always opt for the oven-bake variety which is not only inexpensive, it is easily found all over the globe. The results aren't as great, but it is a good place to start.

Materials Needed

1. Self hardening, epoxy/clay modeling blended clay. This I highly recommend for the best results. In the United States look for “Ayes Apoxie Sculpt” (available on Amazon.com). At roughly $20 or 32 Euros for a 1 lb set of this material, it is more expensive than oven-baked variety such as Sculpey or Fimo (about 3 Euros). But it lasts a very long time and, given the tiny amounts used for each pair of shoes, I figure there are hundreds of pairs of doll shoes in each jar.
2. The epoxy clay consists of two separate compound that when mixed together, activate the hardening agent. You will need two separate sticks or spoons, one for each element, to scoop out the clay. I use popsicle sticks for this that I label A and B.
3. I have included oven baked modeling clay on this list only for those of you who cannot find or afford the epoxy clay. If you have never made a pair of doll shoes before, the oven baked clay is a good medium to start out with. I have made shoes with this. But be aware that it is harder to get a smooth finish. There is a tad bit of shrinkage that occurs while it is baking in the over. And it dries brittle and often will break at some point. This was the most frustrating thing for me. If you do opt for this clay, do not get the Fimo “Soft” clay! It’s lovely to mold with your fingers, but the finished shoe will break!
4. Disposable gloves. One pair is all you need. If you are not allergic, go for latex rather than the plastic ones. I wear gloves while I am kneading the epoxy clay in the beginning of the process when the clay is the most sticky. Afterwards, I use my own fingers. You can mix the two elements together with your bare hands, but you might want to slather hand cream on first. 
5. I like to keep a small container of water on hand. For the epoxy clay, water serves as a smoothing agent. The clay is, in effect, moldable glue!
6. A receptacle to pour the water in. You’re working small. I use the cap of an orange juice container.
7. A sharp pencil
8. Toothpicks. These serve a variety of purposes. You can use them as high heels or use them to spread glue.
9. Wooden dowels: 5/1,6” 3/16 (7mm, 5mm) These are used as tiny “rolling pins”
10. Tools with curved or finely pointed heads (for smoothing). I found this marvelous tool that is curved on one end and has a blade on the other. You can also use a pick for shelling nuts. (It's usually sold along with a nutcracker.) I also use a dental “gum stimulator.” The pointed rubber tip is great for closing miniscule gaps behind the heel and the soles of the shoes you are joining together.
11. Exacto-knife. This gives you more precision for cutting out such tiny pieces. If you use it, be sure to invest in a “self healing cutting mat.”
12. Sharp scissors (for the rest of us)
13. Single edge razor blade. I use this for scraping the clay away from the surface after it has been kneaded. I also use it to cut portions of it for use. After you have finished your shoe making for the day, you can use the blade to scrape hardened clay off smooth surfaces. 
14. Sanding block or emery board for smoothing after the clay has dried and hardened. I really like emery boards because they enable you to sand surfaces in tight spaces.
15. Strong glue. I recommend a clear, gel type, industrial strength glue for joining layers or gluing outer soles to inner soles. I don’t recommend “superglue” because I find it doesn’t always hold together what you want, yet will stick together things you don’t want like fingers! I also use rubber cement to join the shoe lining to an insole. 
16. Acrylic paint. Small round bristle paintbrush. Clay comes in a variety of colors. But all you have to do is to buy white and paint it any color you want. 
17. Pie Tin (optional). Though you can make your soles with cardstock, I like to use the aluminum cut from disposable pie crust tins. This gives my shoes extra structure and hold its shape while I am working with soft and sometimes wet clay.

One more thing.... you really need to work with some sort of magnifying glass. As good as you think your eyes are, a magnifying glass is what you need to really see the details of such a tiny object. If you can afford it, I highly recommend one of those visors with the magnifying glass built in (top photo). They are available on line as well as sold by most crafts stores. If you can neither afford nor find one, prop up a glass high enough to slip your hands underneath (bottom).

Materials

Whatever you choose, remember…. KEEP IT THIN! Paricularly when it comes to leather, be it real or faux. Super thin, kid-glove leathers, thin faux leathers, DIY vegan leather and other non-woven fabrics. You can use fabric but you will have to line or at least turn down all exposed edges. You can also think about using ribbon, yarn, thin elastic bands. You will also need cardstock for your soles. Bristol board cardstock 147 g is a good weight to work with. But if you get a lot of junk mail through the mail, you can probably repurpose some of the flyers arriving in your mailbox. Finally, let’s talk about the surface you will be working on. It should be smooth, easy to release clay from and easy to clean. I use a piece of glass, a window pane that I keep in its packaging. You can also use Plexiglas or Formica.

Organization

There are a lot of moving parts to this project. So I like to keep my workplace organized. I keep everything I need for work in its own box. Pattern pieces for shoes are miniscule. So I keep them in tiny plastic baggies. There is a separate baggie for extra soles as well as the foot lasts.

Clean up

Soap and water is all you need. However, if your fingers are still sticky, rub on a little fingernail polish (acetone). And be sure to use hand cream after all is done.

Shoe Speak
So that we are speaking the same language while we work, I’ve provided the following lexicon of terms we’re likely to encounter.

Upper. The entire part of the shoe that covers the foot.
Insole. The part of the sole that sits directly beneath the foot.
Midsole. Layer between the insole and the outsole. I use this for fabric shoe uppers so that the adhesive stick better.
Outsole. The exposed part of the sole in contact with the ground.
Heel. The part of the shoe that raises the rear of the shoe in relation to the front.
Vamp. The section of uppers that covers the front of the foot as far back as the joint with the quarter.
Quarter. The rear and sides of the upper that covers the heel behind the vamp.

Preview of Coming Attractions

Think of this project as a workshop. There is way too much information for a single tutorial. So over the next couple of weeks, I will be departing from my usual format by posting a series of instructions, separated by subject matter. They will be posted as soon as each one is finished and ready to upload. So what should you expect?

No Biz Like Shoe Biz: Introduction, Materials and Tools. (this post)
Shoe Biz 2: Sole Mates: Construction of inner soles, outer soles, stiletto and high heels; platform shoes.
Shoe Biz 3: High Heel Strappy Sandals. High heel sandals with one piece uppers, ribbon gladiators
Shoe Biz 4: Mules (Backless shoes). Closed toe pattern; close toe with straps
Shoe Biz 5: Stocking Boots. Converting our stocking pattern to high heeled stocking boots
Shoe Biz 6: Using the Spats pattern to create boots.
Shoe Biz 7: Pumps and 2-piece shoes

Coming up immediately: Sole Mates. How to make a high heeled sole using both the Epoxy Clay as well as the oven baked variety. This includes creating insoles and adding on  the high heel.

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Dolls Eye View: Fall/Winter 2019 Paris Couture

To all my friends here, I apologize for the lull in between posts, but I have been working on a project I know many of you will love. I have been teaching myself to make shoes for my divas! Inasmuch as this is not my area of expertise, I feel the need to take my time to do things right and figure ways to surmount the challenges of creating such tiny objects. When I began this blog, I was a huge fan of "Fashion Doll Shoes." Unfortunately Tarja has not updated it in years (though she is kind enough to leave her tutorials online). And as I combed through all her posts, I noticed that she focused primarily on dolls much bigger than Barbie. So I decided to pick up the torch and focus on 1/6 scale footwear for those dolls' high heeled feet.

I have been making LOTS of shoes! And I have made LOTS of mistakes. And while I will not be putting Fashion Royalty out of business anytime soon, I have made a LOT of progress! I am experimenting with different materials, methods and techniques, the most successful of which, I plan to share with you over a series of tutorials in the very near future.

Even though my dolls are THRILLED to have their own personal "shoe making machine" at their disposal...they have been reminding me it's time to post a new fashion report. So here we go.....

While busy making stilettos and stocking boots, the Haute Couture shows in Paris took place last month. With the exception of a couple of couturiers, I cannot say I was thrilled with much of what I saw. I didn't see the kind of innovation, genius cutting style or fantasy that was once a huge part of this art. Still, we took it as an opportunity to look for ideas for our own creations, so in a few cases, I used the dresses to come up with my own versions. There is very little daywear in couture these days which explains the preponderance of eveningwear and formal gowns.

So Chanel Faux Chanel

Who wears couture daywear? High profile women in the media, CEO of Fortune 500 companies, women who express their power and position, starting with the clothes on their backs! It's a circle of women which is shrinking but nevertheless still in existence. As for our dolls... what brings more jaw drops than Barbie in Chanel!!!

Tailor Made

This sort of pristine dressing permeates straight through to late day cocktail attire where pants and blazers rule. Creating custom tailored blazers for a tiny 12 or 12-1/2 silhouette is a challenge but oh my doesn't our divas look devine when decked out in in a suit!

Fancy Pants

Just because pant suits are expected to dominate winter parties, doesn't mean dolly has to wear the same old boring silhouette. Look for a wide spectrum of pant shapes from slim stovepipes to swash-buckling pleated pants all cut from luxury fabrics and topped with an array of tailored, embroidered, unconventionally cut tops and jackets.

At first when I saw this Armani jacket, I wondered...what's the big deal. But upon close inspection, I discovered what I thought was plaid was actually rows of beaded embroidery. For Grace's jacket, I started out with a micro-boucle fabric, then I added rows of shell beads alternating with silver beads. I kept the jacket itself simple, opting not to add a shawl collar. After all, the story here is really about the beads. Her pants were cut from a heavy silk satin....

Misty Melodies

Personally, this looks more like summer than winter.... but I suppose it's sunny and warm somewhere in the world at any given moment. My girls like the nouveau vintage look and feel to these dresses. From the sassa of the fringed "Gatsby" dress to the simplicity of a sparkly slip dress with its matching satin stole, these are easy glam looks to create for your doll.

Duchess of Diva

Continuing along the above theme, this group has perhaps a bit more sophistication by its cut and regal detailing. Worth noting with both groups..... the trend towards soft pastels or flesh tones, filmy chiffons or tulle, and a little bit of pure luxe like beads and baubles.

Tower Power

The timeless sheath dress remains a regal classic in couture thanks to some interesting draping and asymmetrical effects. My dolls were drawn especially to Elie Saab's velvet gown. Velvet is a fabric we don't see very often. But here, with the way it is wrapped around the body terminating in a partial cape over one arm, we can see this being a hit for winter parties. It's also good to see Antonio Grimaldi's use of color!

 I took some liberties with Iman's dress. When I first looked at the photo, I thought I saw a deep fold over the bust. And that is exactly how I created her dress. The drape was very hard to achieve and for good reason.... it isn't a drape at all.... It is, in fact, a separate piece with what appears to be some sort of flap or "collar." For me, the story of this dress is its asymmetrical line falling from high on the hip to the ankle and a "drape" from just under one bust to the other side of the body. I used China silk for Iman's dress. But here, the lesson learned is.....when the dress is so simple, fabric becomes a major player. A better grade of silk would have yielded the more luxurious look of the original dress!

Bewitched!

Black tulle and re-embroidered lace, these dresses all have a mysterious, almost Agatha Christie haunting aura to them. It's part glamour, part goth, and one hundred percent fabulous!

This is quintessential Hollywood glamour at its best. And...it's a good use for that oversized sequin fabric you might have purchased as well. The actual gown has specks of gold on tulle. But in the photo, all you see are spots reflecting the light. This is a halter neck skinny sheath dress with tiny tuffs of tulle at the neck and on the hips with rows of gathered tulle cascading down to the ankles.

I'm not a huge fan of Dior these days. When I examined this outfit up close, I thought the overall look was more interesting than the actual result. I really did not care so much for the black lace body suit. For Noor's dress, I wanted something edgy but more practical. So I imagined this dress in pieces. Underneath it all is a basic lace slip dress in stretch lace. The collar was attached to the front of the dress afterwards but falls free over the shoulders and in the back. The sleeves are detachable, And she's wearing stretch lace stocking boots. Over it all.. an "apron" of black organza and tulle. At any given point (the after-party for example)  the dress can be disassembled and worn as a very simple party dress!

The Empress

Harking back to the golden age of couture, debutante balls and "Gone with the Wind"  style formal events, the ballgown in all of its glory returns to the stage! From the great big Empress Eugenie gown (with its tulle petticoat underneath) to a dress falling from sumptuous pleats tucked into an embroidered empire waist bodice, this is a regal return to era that made its mark on style.

I had fun with Brie's version of Elie Saab's dress. My fabric (a polyester novelty blend) wasn't as supple as I'd hope to pull off the drape of the bodice but I still loved the result. I decided against cutting a slit for the leg because, it didn't make a lot of sense to me. Legs are generally lost under layers of petticoats and, except when the model is walking, the leg would not be showing from under such a full skirt. Since the gown is so simple, I thought to let the tulle petticoat peak out from under the hemline as Brie twirls down the catwalk!

Frou Frou

These are shorter evening looks with lots and lots of ruffles worked in. I'm not really sure what, if any, rapport this has to do with couture, but I included them because they make for nice dolly dresses!

Though I usually love the work of Alexandre Vauthier (who works a lot in ruffled tulle), I was rather disappointed with this particular dress. A stretch dress with a huge flower, is not enough to call it couture for me. Both me and Kimora felt.....half the dress was missing. So even though she thought it was pretty, Kimora gave her dress back to me so that I could elaborate on what was there.

What was a dress for Kimora was a top for Tiah! I added removable long sleeves to her stretch velvet top. I had a straight, wrap skirt out of pink satin. Then I added a drape of peach chiffon just under the flower on the top. And now we're talking couture!!!!!

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