Our newest ‘Get Inspired’ project is here! We collaborated with the lovely @sowsstudio - a London based embroidery studio who take on bespoke projects across art, homeware, fashion and events 🌟
Kate from our team took the lead with this project! She used the embroidered fabric to create some flat Mary Jane shoes with a slightly squared toe.
To begin the project, Kate built up a flat last using Milliput to get the toe shape ✨
She then traced the Mary Jane pattern onto the embroidered fabric and the lining before stitching these together.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0603/7815/3214/files/Making_shots_-_Blog_d5f960d3-acc8-4075-a452-99850b72e8b6.png?v=1718378378)
Once the upper and the lining were stitched together, Kate added in a toe puff stiffener at the front of the shoe and a counter stiffener at the heel. The stiffeners are used to hold the shape of the shoe.
Kate also added a black leather tab to the strap of the Mary Jane for a little extra detail and to tie in with the black resin soling. For this shoe, Kate used a 2mm thick black resin sole and built up a slight heel tip.
I love the addition of little details like this, I think it totally elevates the look of the shoe! Another way to change the look of a Mary Jane is to change the shape of the buckle or use a statement buckle! You can get really creative here, but just make sure the buckle fits on the strap of your Mary Jane.
I am absolutely OBSESSED with how these turned out 😍
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0603/7815/3214/files/Making_shots_-_Blog_1.png?v=1718378570)
Watch the making process below:
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE A PAIR OF SHOES LIKE THESE?
If you are feeling inspired to make a pair for yourself, here’s a list of the all of components that we used 😉:
- Mary Jane shoemaking pattern
- Toe puff stiffeners
- Counter stiffeners
- 2mm black resin soling
- Buckles
- Leather / fabric of your choice
You may find it easier to purchase a component kit rather than the separate components.
learn shoemaking for yourself
I created a FREE 40-minute online course called 'Introduction to Shoemaking' to show how easy home shoemaking can be and to give you a little taste of what I Can Make Shoes is all about. It also includes a full step-by-step tutorial 😉
SIGN UP HERE for instant access.