Cathy Callahan
Old School

>> Cathy Callahan is a crafter and window dresser who draws inspiration from vintage crafts. She blogs about 60s and 70s crafts at cathyofcalifornia.typepad.com.

Cut-and-Clip Decor
Brightly colored felt flowers add a splash of panache.

One of the ways that people in the counterculture of the 60s symbolized rebellion was to decorate or personalize their clothing. The rules pertaining to traditional craft techniques like embroidery, stitchery, and needlepoint were being broken. Just think of the amazing jackets Jimi Hendrix used to wear.

What was a political statement in the 60s became fun and playful by the time it hit the mainstream in the 70s. And since crafts and home sewing were so popular at the time, it seemed that everyone was in on the act. I made my own denim bib overalls in my junior high sewing class and then embellished them with a turtle appliqué.

Even if you weren’t very crafty, you could always simply sew on a patch that you purchased at the fabric store. And, of course, inspiration could be found in just about any craft magazine.

I found the most adorable project in my copy of Cut and Glue Décor, a felt and foam how-to booklet from 1973. It was a pair of lime green vinyl clogs (with cork soles, no less) decorated with felt flowers. You simply cut the flowers out of felt with the patterns provided and then glued them on the shoe.

Inspiration could be
found in just about any
craft magazine in the 70s.

Photograph by Cathy Callahan

I thought it was a cute idea, but wouldn’t the felt get dirty quickly? What if you grew tired of the decor that was now permanently glued to your shoe? Why not attach the flowers to clips for more versatility?

Here’s my version that adds a little color to these neutral espadrilles. You could also attach just about any other little crafty item (maybe a yarn flower or a cluster of pompoms) to the clips. ×

MATERIALS AND STEPS

Felt Wool felt works best. Use your
favorite colors.
Your design Create your own or use the pat-
tern provided at craftzine.com/07/oldschool.
Shoe clips ( 2) available at jewelry suppliers
such as bergerbeads.net
Needle and thread
Craft glue

1. Trace the pattern and cut out the felt.

2. Figure out the best position of the clip, where the flower will look best.

3. Stitch the clip to the underside of the larger flower.

4. Glue the smaller flower and its center on top of the larger flower; glue the leaves on the underside.