How to make room slippers

1. Materials & tools

Materials (women's size (24 cm foot))

• Outer fabric (quilted cotton, corduroy or felt) — about 50 × 50 cm
• Lining fabric — the same amount
• Non-slip fabric for the sole — about 30 × 30 cm
• Quilt batting — about 50 × 50 cm

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Home” → “Room slippers” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the foot length, foot width and the depth of the upper. Presets cover children, women and men.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Lay the pattern on the wrong side of the fabric and trace both the cutting line and the finished line. Flip the pattern over for one of each pair so they mirror each other.
2. Cut the pieces
   Cut 2 soles (left and right) and 2 uppers, in both outer and lining. Using non-slip fabric for the sole lining is the safe choice. Cut the batting to the same shapes.
3. Transfer the notches
   Mark the front and back notches on the soles and the center notch on the uppers.

4. Sewing

4-1. Make the uppers

1. Place the outer and lining uppers right sides together and sew the curved top edge — the opening your foot goes through. A layer of batting in between makes it plumper.
2. Clip the seam allowance, turn right side out and press.

4-2. Attach the upper to the sole

1. Lay the outer sole right side up and place the upper on it, wrong sides together, matching the center notch of the upper to the toe notch of the sole.
2. Ease the bottom edge of the upper around the sole and baste. Clipping the seam allowance of the upper helps it follow the curve.

4-3. Close the sole

1. Lay the sole lining (the non-slip fabric) on top, right sides together, sandwiching the upper, and sew all the way round leaving an 8 cm opening.
2. Clip the seam allowance on the curves, then turn right side out through the opening.
3. Slipstitch the opening closed and press into shape. Make the other slipper the same way.

✏️ When you ease the upper around the sole, clip its seam allowance and the fabric will follow the curve willingly. Force it round without clipping and you will get puckers.

5. Tips & variations

• Stay on your feet: non-slip fabric on the sole, or a bought non-slip sheet, matters on a wooden floor.
• Keep warm: two layers of batting, or a fleece outer, and your feet stay warm all winter.
• For guests: a few pairs in a plain fabric are always useful when people visit.