FABRIC RECOMMENDATIONS
For the exterior fabric, we recommend medium-weight cotton, quilting cotton, linen, wool, flannel, or pre-quilted fabric. Leather or suede can also be used for the sole to prevent slipping (more on that below).
I’ve also had success using sweater knit fabric for the exterior fabric. It’s generally not recommended to quilt knit fabric but it worked fine in my tests. If you want to try knit fabric for your slippers, I recommend first testing how well it works to quilt the fabric.
For the lining fabric, we recommend medium-weight cotton, linen, flannel, or fleece.
Fabrics shown above:
1) Cotton from Finch Fabrics
2) Linen from Blackbird Fabrics
3) Wool from Sewing Studio
4) Flannel from Maker Mountain Fabrics
5) Pre-quilted fabric from Mood
6) Sherpa fleece from Mood
BATTING
Note: If you use pre-quilted fabric, you won’t need batting.
Batting is available in a variety of fibers and thickness (called “loft”). A low loft batting will be thin and a high loft batting will be thicker. If you want a thicker slipper, you can use two layers of batting for the entire slipper or even just for the sole to provide a little extra cushioning. Remember, the thicker the batting is, the tighter the slipper will fit.
For fibers, you’ll most often find batting made from polyester or a blend of polyester and cotton. Batting is also commonly made from wool and bamboo. Any type will work for these slippers. You can purchase batting by the yard or in pre-packaged cuts.
A note on sizing and thick fabric: One word of caution on using thicker fabric and extra layers of batting: It will likely make the slippers fit more tightly, especially in the skimmer style (due to its low profile over the toe). If you are planning to use extra batting along with a thick or fluffy lining, you may want to size up.
How to make your slippers non-slip
One important consideration when making (and wearing) slippers is that the bottoms are not slippery. There are a few ways to do this. First, you can use a fabric for the soles that is non-slip such as leather or suede. There is also non-skid fabric that you can buy (think the stuff on the bottom of kids footsie pajamas). I’ve found it on Amazon and on Etsy.
Another option is to apply a substance to the sole of the slippers after they are sewn together. You might try puff paint. Or, there is a product called Sock Stop for just this purpose. I’ve found it on Amazon and on Etsy.
One final tip from one of my testers: “I used a foam insert - basically cut around the sole template without seam allowance and inserted it between the lining and outer. It makes them super comfortable. Carpet underlay is a good thing to use and most shops have offcuts they will give you for free.”
