At home and when travelling I like to wear slippers indoors. On holiday I like to pack slippers. If I am travelling light, I don't want to pack heavy shoes. Light slippers are a useful spare pair. Besides, if your daytime shoes are dirty or wet, it's good to take them off and wear slippers in the hotel bedroom. Slippers are good for keeping the carpet clean, and letting your feet breathe.
Hotel Bedrooms
On holidays and conferences I stay in hotels and university accommodation. In hotel bedrooms I don't want to go barefoot and risk stubbing my toes against the base of the bed or chairs with splayed legs. I put on slippers even when padding from the bedroom to the en suite bathroom.
If somebody knocks at the door I like to be wearing slippers. It looks so sloppy and undressed to be padding about barefoot.
I am not sure the carpeted bedroom floors are clean. I could pick up veruccas from a bathroom floor. Or slip on a wet floor. As for the area in front of the toilet ... !
But traditional towelling slippers are often made man-size so I have started to keep one pair for males and visitors, another sewn to suit my smaller feet. Sewing towelling slippers to make them smaller is a project at home before I go on holiday. I can finish in the hotel on a rainy day or when I'm waiting for room service. I just need to ask for a sewing kit, or make sure I have one packed in the front of my travelling bag.
Sewing Slippers
I am still working on adapting my white towelling slippers. My years-old white towelling slippers are my experiment in sewing slippers. I have not had the courage to make myself slippers, yet. But I am working on the old slippers. I have turned up the back of the too long slippers. I inserted a piece of white lace cut from an old bra. The link piece's main purpose is to hold up the back more securely, also to stop my foot from slipping back and crushing the back.
Cheap Slippers
I am not short of slippers. I have a pair of green open back slippers from a Pound Shop, which cost only £1. However, 'waste not want not' is my motto.
My favourite and smartest slippers were silk wine-colour backless slippers. I wore them worn every day. After about a year the part under the heel wore through.
They came from Patra, second hand on Ebay. I looked for another. But they were a one-off opportunity. Probably an oddment, clearance stock. Replacements were unobtainable, neither available at a reduced price on eBay, nor even full price from Patra.
Repairing Silk Slippers
Eventually I sewed a piece of ribbon over the worn part. Another six months and the ribbon had worn through. I shall have to do it again.
Improving Fit
But whilst I have the ribbon and the mood, I am wondering whether I should sew some more. I would like to add a ribbon running from the part across the toes horizontally back around the heel, just a long piece of ribbon. I could either sen down all the way around, or, more simply, neatly and quickly, sewn only the width of the ribbon at either side at the front.
Adjusting Straps
How would I get the ribbon on and off the back of my heel? Too tight and it's a nuisance. Too loose and it will slip off.
Elastic
One solution is to use elastic instead of ribbon. But that's often available in all widths only in black and white. Colours are harder to match and rarer.
On white slippers, white elastic would work. You could make a long strap entirely of elastic, which would involve less time sewing. Alternatively, sew on a long ribbon, with a short elastic insert either at the back behind the ankle (so long as it does not rub). If you sew neatly, a short piece inserted where the ribbon joins the piece over the toes would be good.
Ribbons
To make it fit exactly, you could have two ribbons and tie them in a bow. Two equal ribbons could tie in a bow behind your ankle. Or one piece of ribbon longer, you could tie a bow on the outside of your food.
Buckles
Another alternative is to take buckles off an old pair of sandals.
If and when I sew more slippers, I shall show you the pictures in a later post. See my previous post and photos on adapting over-large white towelling slippers.
The slippers are not ultra-smart. but they are just right for bathroom to breakfast at home. Even if you do not sew neatly, the white cotton disappears into the towelling.
Decorative Braid Option
I am so pleased with the comfortable fit of my slimmed down towelling slippers, that I am now considering investing more time in sewing parallel lines of ribbon to decorate the toes along the sewn area. If you had an untidy line of sewing, or the wrong colour cotton, you could conceal it under decorative braid. Best of all, the lines will make the wide slippers look narrower.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
