Just call me Thumbelina...

Finding pants that are short enough, and my journey in hemming jeans myself, is a tale for another day!

...Or at least when you're looking at my feet.

I am lucky enough to wear a size 5 in tennis shoes. Is it weird that I think I'm lucky to fit into a certain size shoe? I think so.

Children's size 3 boots from Target. One day I'll be a big kid, right?

But in any other shoe I do not wear a size 5. I wear more like a 4. Aka, not a size that regular adult woman's shoes are made in. In fact, I'm going to let you in on a secret. The only companies that carry shoes like that are geared towards little old ladies. My feet want to be fashionable!

I often shop in the kid's department for flats or boots, or anything really, so that my feet do not have to go naked. It's a sad state of affairs. There are both good and bad things about this method. First, the good thing: Kids shoes are cheaper. It is gratifying to only have to pay $15 for a pair of shoes. Now, the bad things: there are no heels to choose from, and the styles are, well, made for kids. I don't want to wear pink sparkly shoes with flowers on them.

This year I haven't even been able to find basic flats. I have been mildly successful at Target in the past, because sometimes I fit into their size 5 if I get a cushy insole. To also be truthful, I am a little picky about shoes considering I should probably just buy anything that fits. I just want some plain, nice flats that I can wear with jeans but that I could also wear with a business casual outfit. Is that too much to ask?!

Shoeology says NO! Embrace your inner shoe goddess.

[This is where this relates to a sewing blog.]

I'm going to sew my own shoes.

Photo is from Shoeology Etsy shop

My mom feels bad for my teensy feet [since she's partly to blame of course], and offered to pay for a custom pair of shoes, but those are about $200 a pair. I figured I'd explore my other options first. Enter the Gilligan shoe.

Seriously, how cute is that shoe?!! And think about the endless opportunities for customization. Think about the cute Japanese canvas or linen blend fabrics that could be used to make shoes. I'm dying over here of cuteness.

I emailed the shop owner to ask if my freakishly small feet would work for her shoe patterns [the women's sizes run 5-11, all in one pattern purchase!] and she said she couldn't guarantee it, of course, especially with the fact that I sort of vary between brands, etc, but gave me instructions for how to draft a slightly smaller pattern, using the 5 as a foundation. Very cool.

Photo is from Shoeology Etsy shop

So I happily Paypal-ed my $6.50 for the pattern. She also sells a soling material in her shop for $6 for a piece that will make 2 pairs of shoes, but I'm holding off on buying that until I make mock-ups to ensure that they fit. But if my mock-up works then I will immediately be buying the soling material, which makes the shoes waterproof, durable, slip resistant, etc. Suh-weeet.

I plan for my mock-ups to be made out of a duck canvas that I have left over from a tote. And wear them as house shoes! And then, because as long as I'm making my own shoes I might as well go totally wild...the real pair will be made from black suede that I'm going to get from a hobo bag that I never use anymore. If I play my cards right I can even line up some of the purse's decorative stitching to make a cool design on the shoe.

So there you have it, I hope to debut my new shoes as soon as I can get around to sewing them [the instructions do not appear to be difficult or time-consuming, which is awesome]. And if they turn out hideous then I'll just take a picture of a pair I already own, and none of you will know the difference :P 

**Also, I feel silly even needing to put this, but no, Shoeology has no idea I'm writing about them, I'm just excited for my poor feet, and wanted to share!