Tutorial Tiny Puki Shoe Tutorial Completed! LOTS of images!

I tried to repair the broken image links for this tutorial but had no success. So here is the link to the album I just created on Flickr. PukiPuki Shoe Tutorial The text instructions for each image are in the comments for each image.



When I make shoes it ALWAYS involves casting the feet and making a last to build the shoes around. So that's where I'll start.

I use a moldmaking powder sold at most craft stores called 3-D Gel to take a mold of the feet. Then I cast the mold in plaster and use Paperclay to add to the plaster foot to make it the shape that I want. Once the last is dry, I dip it in wax to prevent glue from sticking to it.

First you must find a way to hold your doll while the mold is being made. Make sure the feet and legs are straight and lined up properly.


The feet must be above the bottom of your container.


The container must have tapering sides so the mold will pop out.


Read the instructions on the 3-D Gel container carefully. Measure how much water you needl for your container and the correct amount of powder. Use a Ziplock bag to mix your 3-D Gel powder and water. You can mix it just by squishing the bag


When the gel is mixed, cut off the corner of you bag and squeeze the liquid into your container. Immediatly place your doll into the liquid.


After a few minutes the Gel sets up. You can pull your Puki out now and she will leave her feet behind. Run a knife around the inside of the container to release the mold and pull it out of the container.


Slice the mold down the back of the leg cavity and gently spread it open.


Use a toothpick or a blunt needle to pry out the foot.


Return the mold to its container and the Puki feet to their proper place.

 

Mix your plaster in a ziplock bag also; it makes cleanup so much easier! I cut some lengths of coathanger wire to reinforce the plaster legs since they are so slender. (I've broken the ankle of a last already so now I'm making it strong!)


Plaster needs to sit for several minutes before you pour it. It should feel like cream rather than skim milk! Cut the corner off the bag and pour it in. Jiggle the mold to release any air bubbles when mold is about half-full. Don't fill up the container; just fill up the cavity! Drop wires down each leg.


Once the plaster sets up you can remove the mold from the container.


You can rip apart the mold...


...to get the legs out...


...or you can remove legs gently if you want to cast another pair. You must cast again right away as the gel starts shriveling immediatly.


There are a few bubbles and a slight seamline up the back of the leg that you can scrape off with your fingernail


Now you have plaster duplicates of your Puki's legs!


To determine the shape of the last you must start with the shape of the insole. Since I am providing the shoe pattern, the insole shape has already been determined. There are 2 extra sets of insoles in the middle of this page. Print out this page of Puki shoe patterns. It is 200 dpi and there is a ruler so you can make sure it printed correctly.

 

Cut out a pair of insoles and glue them to the bottom of the foot. Pay attention to the placement so that the feet are symetrical.


I really like curved-blade manicure scissors for cutting tiny pieces.


Pinch off a small amount of paperclay and add a dab of white glue (I like Tacky Glue). Roll it into a ball and cut ball in half. Use one half for each foot (helps keep the pair symetrical).


Add Paperclay to plaster foot to make a shoe-shape, following the shape of the paper insole glued on the bottom. Try to make the toe rounded. You will need to add a tiny bit around the heel and sides also. Use a wet finger, paintbrush handle, whatever to help sculpt your shape. Do not fret if they are not perfect; you will get to sand them into shape once they dry!


Use your favorite sanding tools to smooth the shape.


The toes should be rounded.


Now you need to coat the lasts with wax. I normally use beeswax cuz I've always got it around for handsewing. I do not recomend using a container-type candle as your wax. I discovered while doing this tutorial that the wax is VERY soft and smears in your hand. However the candle is in these photos. Buy paraffin and melt it in a tuna can!


Never melt over open flame! I use an electric skillet and set the metal container of wax in the skillet. Dip the last into the wax and scrape the sole lightly when you pull it out.


Here are 4 little footies coated with pink wax!


Here are the tools you need: lasts, pattern page, sticky wax to hold the insole to the bottom of the last, Tacky Glue (bottle or jar), "OK to Wash It" glue to glue the seams in the upper (can use the Tacky instead if you wish), Blue Low-tack masking tape (MUST be blue low-tack tape!), sewing needle small enough to go through your beads. a blunt needle/pin or a toothpick for spreading glue, tiny holepunch (purple one is a scrapbooking tool), curved-blade manicure scissors. You might also want heavier scissors and small pliers.


And the materials: a sheet of cardstock (cute prints in the scrapbooking department!) or a 3x5 filecard, thin fine cotton (like batiste) to be the inside of the shoe upper, silk organza to back the seams in the upper (or use some of the cotton), 2mm beads for buttons, thread to sew the beads on with, thin leather for the uppers, and leather for the soles.

 

Your leather will have a smooth side and a rough side. Suede uses the rough side as the "good" side.


Rough-cut around the patterns. The heavy outline soles are for the leather outsoles; the thin outline soles are for the cardstock insoles and the weird shapes are for the leather uppers!


Glue the insole patterns to the backside of the cardstock.


On your worktable, lay out a piece of Blue Low-Tack masking tape that is big enough to hold your outsole and upper patterns. Use Tacky glue to glue the patterns to the Blue tape.


Rough-cut the patterns from the Blue tape and stick the patterns to the SMOOTH side of the leather. Place carefully; don't waste the leather!


Cut out your pieces with the manicre scissors. Cut on the outer edge of the heavy line of the outsoles.


Cut out the insoles.


Punch holes in the straps as marked; cut a slit to extend the buttonhole.


Notice how the upper will go together; there are 2 vertical seams: next to the button and at the base of the strap.


Peel the patterns off.


Be careful not to stretch out the strap when you peel off the pattern.


Cut a strip of organza 3/8" wide on the straight-of-grain. Use the "OK to Wash It" glue to glue the ends of the front upper to the organza as shown. The glue and the organza go on "wrong side" of the leather.

 

Cut the organza close to the leather leaving tabs as shown.


Put glue on the tab and on the cut edge of the leather.


Glue the tab to the back of the upper being sure to butt the cut edges of the leather.


This is how it looks on the inside.


It is rather fiddly to get the second seam glued! Leave your upper insideout so the cut edges of the leather stay pressed together.


While you are pressing all these bits together, you will get glue on your fingers. Make a habit of rubbing your fingers together to rub off the glue. That's what this dirt on the table is, rubbed-off glue!


Sew your beads on now.


Only take one stitch so you don't weaken the leather.


Tie a square knot on the back (right over left, left over right).


Cut the ends about 1/8" from the knot and work a dab of Tacky glue into the knot and stick the ends down to the leather.


Your parts are now ready to assemble. Cut a BIAS strip of the cotton batiste about 3/8" wide


Dip the bottom of the last into the Sticky Wax to put a smear of sticky on the bottom. Press a cardstock insole to the bottom of the last. Cute side of the paper goes against the last.

 

Use the blunt needle to put Tacky Glue along the edge of the insole on the front part of the foot. Also put glue on the bottom of the insole.


Wrap the strip of cotton across the front of the foot so that it extends past the toe at the front.


Here is what it looks like from the bottom.


Trim away the excess cotton leaving a scant 1/8" hanging down.


Wrap the extra edge of the cotton around to the bottom and press it into the glue.


Here's what it looks like now.


Now put glue on the edge of the insole around the back of the foot, extending onto the front cotton a bit. Add more glue to the bottom as needed.


Wrap the bias cotton strip around the back of the foot as shown.


Bottom view.


Trim the excess to a scant 1/8".


Wrap/glue to the bottom of the insole.


Tap the last onto the table lightly to flaten the glued cotton.


Tutorial continues further down the page.

 

Finished cotton inner structure. This is what really holds the shoe together.


Slip the correct upper onto the last and button the strap. Make sure the heel is centered between the seams. Pull the leather so that it extends past the bottom of the last.


Notice if the cotton peeks out abouve the edge of the leather in front.


Lift up the leather and trim away the excess cotton.


Holding leather out of the way, spread Tacky Glue on the cotton "upper". No glue on the bottom yet!


Get glue all the way to the edge of the cotton.


Pull leather upper back down over the last, keeping heel centered, edges extending past sole, and pressing leather into glue.


Press leather FIRMLY against the last to adhere leather to cotton.


Press toe against the web of your thumb to smoothly round leather against the toe.


Keep pinching and pressing untill the leather is well attached, with no wrinkles on the top.

 

Use the manicure scissors to trim the extended leather off, flush with the bottom of the insole.


trimming...


still trimming.


Press the edges against the last again in case they were disturbed while trimming.


Spread glue on bottom, making sure to get glue on the cut edge of the leather you just trimmed flush.


Set the shoe down onto the rough side of the leather outsole.


Press the leather sole firmly against the edge of the leather upper. The sole and the upper are glued together at right angles.


Use your nails to pinch the edges together.


Keep pinching and pressing until there are no gaps in the join between sole and upper.


Push shoe down off last at heel and wiggle last out of shoe.



While glue is still damp, pinch shoe gently to reshape any warping.


Check if there is any cotton showing at sided and trim off.

 

shoe[/url] by genie_stallings, on Flickr[/IMG] Shoe!

 

So that the Tacky Glue will not stick to the last. Spreading glue on the edge of the insole or on the cotton batiste inner structure is bound to get glue on the last. Waxing the last means the last can be removed from the shoe!