Couture Kids

It’s Destiny here, on the topic of baby bridal. Margot and I have a sideline doing custom-embellished bridal shoes. We call this branch of our work Silk Forrest Bridal. Well, the little girl who will wear these shoes is too young to be a bride, or even a flower girl, but I thought she deserved to have special “wedding” shoes anyway.

 

I bought inexpensive baby shoes from Payless.  Though simple, these shoes were very cute from the start.  They were for tiny little feet.  The sheer size of them triggered an automatic “Awww!” from anyone. I thought that an ornate and fluid floral design would suit the charm of these sweet little baby Mary Janes.

I used Lumiere to paint swirls and stripes in Pearlescent Magenta, Citrine, and Metallic Silver.  I used a fine paintbrush to create the petals of the flowers on the shoes, dipping the full length of the bristles into the paint, then laying them on their side onto the shoe. 

To create the filigree, I dipped a toothpick into the paint and acted as though I was making a dotted line, lifting the toothpick in a tight, stippling motion. Think sewing machine (or if you are like me, think tattoo gun, ha ha).  The purpose of using this motion is to keep the paint coverage solid for the length of the line. Otherwise, the tip of the toothpick carves a streak through the luminous paint. 

Phew, doing the stippling is TIME CONSUMING.  The results, though, are well worth it. I called this shoe "Delicata," after the delicate design. Keep plenty of fabric scraps or paper on hand so you can get comfortable with the technique before you paint the shoes.

I also added a tiny Hot-Fix crystal to each toe just for fun. (Hot Fix embellishments aren’t permanent on smooth leather, but they’ll definitely last long enough for my little friend to outgrow her new “designer” baby shoes.)

If you are creative but not artistic, you could use a lightweight floral stencil or create a design pattern that is less intricate.  Or simply do what Margot did on these "Little Violet" toddler shoes: Paint them a luxurious color, like Pearlescent White mixed with a few drops of Pearlescent Violet, and glue or stitch on a fabulous embellishment like this Lauren Brooks Multi-Fiber Ribbon Rose trim, which we have a secret stash of. If enough of you request it, we might add it to the Sassy Feet Store.

(By the way, we are proud to say that both these shoes appeared in the Summer 2008 issue of Altered Couture magazine!)

Comments

[Kids boots]

The shoes are very lovely. But I'm really not into buying expensive shoes for my baby because they can easily outgrew them but I can't blame you those shoes looks very beautiful.

[Margot Silk Forrest]

Actually, these baby shoes are from Payless and were quite inexpensive. It's our painting job than makes them look pricey!

[Kids Footwear]

Very6 adorable shoes indeed! these baby shoes are shouting for my baby's feet! Thank you for posting!

[Margot Silk Forrest]

You're welcome! Maybe you'd like to try painting some yourself?

[Primigi shoes]

WOW! What a design, it is very cute. I really enjoy reading your article. You consider many things just to have a great design for babies. But i'm not into buying an expensive one. Maybe next time you post how to do that. Thank you.

[Plumbing]

Very cute shoes for little girls. I know that lots of mm will enjoy buying this for their young. I really love it.