Make your own Sun Kissed Palms Espadrilles!

You know how when you shop for clothes and wish those styles you love would come in a color or pattern you also love? This happens to me all the time. Maybe, it is cheaper and easier to buy whatever is found in store inventory. But, I end up with a closet full of clothes I like only okay and end up not wearing. So, how is that saving??

In a perfect world...clothes would be natural, affordable, comfy, made to last, fit just right, never shrink and look pretty too!

Perhaps it is the artist in me that wants to feel creatively connected to what I wear. That is why I am thankful there are more and more products available that can be made with the colors and designs I want. I love these new espadrilles I sewed myself! The basic espadrille kit was found in The Happy Stitch shop on Etsy. Everything you need except for the fabric is included. The Sun Kissed Palms twill fabric and Batik Scroll cotton sateen lining fabric are both designs from my Aloha collection.

Sun Kissed Palms & Batik Scroll on white

The beautifully presented kit arrived in about a week. The one thing I wasn’t sure about was fabric design orientation. Ideally, one should select a multidirectional design (one that is scattered and looks right from any direction). I waited to order my fabric until after I had the kit and could see the pattern. The pattern layout for one shoe easily fits a fat quarter and can be turned in any direction. This means a directional design will work. A fat quarter of both exterior and lining fabric is needed for each shoe. I used the Spoonflower Fill-A-Yard option to get a little extra fabric for the same price. Fill-A-Yard is found at the top of the collection page.

Muscle and patience...is all it takes to sew these shoes. Overall, this is an easy beginner project. I usually wear seven and a half, but reviews suggested these might fit large. The size seven I ordered fit’s perfect. One thing I did add was a bit of elastic to the top of the heel area to keep the espadrilles from slipping down with each step.

After my espadrilles were complete…I wanted a t-shirt to coordinate with them. I found this khaki green t-shirt on a back to school sale for three bucks! Wait a sec...why did I buy only one?! Anyway, I sketched a few little palm trees and dug out my embroidery thread boxes. Thirty minutes of free hand stitching later…voila! A pair of white cropped and frayed skinny jeans completes the look I hoped for.

Ditsy Summer Sailboats with coordinating Dotted Tweed is the other fabric combo I ordered to make a second pair.

More and more make-it-yourself products are being offered which is great for a creative type like me. I love how my espadrilles turned out!! Maybe it is late in the season to make a pair of these, but you can order the kit and fabric for next spring. Here are some pretty design pair suggestions that are available now or coming soon:

1. Love More Stripes & Golden Tweed in the Touch of Gold collection.

2. Mice Messages & Carnival Stripes in the Mice Place collection.

3. Pink Bunny Tangrams & Shabby Texture Pink in the Prettier in Pink collection.

4. Pansies Rose & Desert Stripes in the Prettier in Pink collection.

5. Multicolor Stone Mosaic & Red Stained Glass in the Stained Glass and Dragonfly collection.

6. Dalmatian Flower & Charcoal and Light Blue Geometric in the Puppy Love collection.

I'd love to stick around, but these designs don't create themselves. Besides, I need to break in my espadrilles while it is still summer. I love to see what YOU make with my designs. Please tag Designed by Debby on instagram. Thank you for visiting and have a fun and color filled summer!