stitch heart pumps

1 Go to www.sewmag.co.uk to download and print the templates. Insert scrap paper into one shoe, pushing it into the toe. Run your thumbnail around the edge of the inner sole to make an indentation on the paper. Remove and cut along the mark to create a template. Insert it into the shoe again, to check the fit. Trim if necessary.

2 Use the template to cut one pair of inner soles from pelmet interfacing reversing the template for one. Cut another pair from printed fabric, adding a 1cm allowance to the outer edges. Pin the interfacing inner soles centrally to the wrong side of the print. Snip into the fabric at regular intervals, all around, to 2mm from the interfacing. Fold the snipped edges over the pelmet and secure them with fabric glue at the toe and heel first, then along the side edges. Glue the inner soles inside the shoes, print facing up.

3 Cut four 2.5cm x 30cm bias strips from fabric. With right sides facing, stitch the strips together in pairs at one short end, taking a 6mm seam allowance. Press the seams open. Make into binding using a bias binding maker.

4 With right sides facing out, fold one piece of binding over the rim of a shoe. Use a double length of sewing thread to slipstitch it to the outside of the pump, taking the needle through to the inside of the shoe to sew the inner edge of the strip in place. Cut the excess binding to 2cm beyond the starting point. Fold under 1cm at the end and overlap the start fabric to complete the bound edge. Repeat for a second shoe.

5 Use the heart template to cut one pair from pelmet interfacing. Cut another from printed cotton, adding a 1cm allowance to the outer edge. Pin the pelmet hearts centrally to the wrong side of the fabric shapes. Snip into the cotton at regular intervals all around, to 2mm from the interfacing. Glue the snipped fabric smoothly over to the reverse of the pelmet.

6 Draw around the heart template again on fabric and cut out another pair, cutting 2mm inside the marked outline. Glue to the underside of the interfaced heart shapes. Slipstitch a shoe clip centrally to the back of each one.

sew bow decorations

1 Create inner soles as before. To make bows, cut four 11.5cm squares from printed fabric. Pin the pieces together in pairs, right sides facing. Stitch the outer edges, taking a 6mm seam allowance, leaving a gap on one side for turning. Clip the corners and turn out. Slipstitch the gap closed.

2 Fold along the centre of the squares in five pleats, catching them in place with a few stitches. Cut two more 4cm x 5cm pieces of fabric. Press under 1.2cm on the long edges and bind one around the centre of each pleated square to create a centre fastening. Turn under the end and sew onto the reverse of the bow.

3 Cut four 6.5cm x 8cm pieces from printed cotton. Fold them in half lengthways, right sides facing. Stitch both long but only one short edge, using a 6mm seam allowance on each. Clip the corners, turn out through the unstitched edge and press. Fold and pin a 3mm deep pleat at the raw ends of each and pin them under the bow, as shown. Sew a shoe clip to the back of each bow as before, ensuring that it is hidden underneath the fabric.