How to Sew Pointe Shoes Essay

Before she steps out on the stage there are a lot of preparations a ballerina has to make. She has to make sure her shoes are sewn properly. I am going to explain how to sew a pair of pointe shoes.

To start sewing your pointe shoes you will need to gather your supplies. You will need 2-2 Ð'Ð... yards of 7/8”wide ribbon, 3/4” wide elastic, scissors, pencil, lighter, strong sewing needle, and waxed dental floss or reinforced thread. Once you gather your supplies find a comfortable place to sit. Now you can start sewing.

The first step to sewing is threading the needle. I prefer to use waxed dental floss instead of thread for stability. To thread your needle you will need to lick the floss or thread so it sticks out. Then you stick the tip of the floss or thread through the eye of the needle. Second you tie a knot in the other end of the thread so it doesn’t slide through the shoe. Once you are done take the elastic and pencil and mark how tight you want the elastic around the shoe. Now you take the elastic and put it near the back of the shoe on either side of the heel seam. (See picture 1)

Make sure you put the pencil mark you made near the rim of the shoe. Take the elastic and place up against the shoe and push the needle through the elastic and the shoe from the inside to the outside of the shoe. This is called a whipstitch. It is important to go all around the elastic. (See picture 2)

You start at the top edge of the shoe, down the right side, across the bottom. Make sure your stitches go through the elastic and the shoe. Finally go up the left side of the elastic. Secure the last stitch with a knot. You can do this before you finish the last stitch by taking the needle through the thread loop two times then pulling it all the way through. You do the same thing to the other side and other shoe.

The second thing you need to sew is the ribbon. You will need your scissors for this. First, take your ribbon and fold it in half and cut into two even pieces. Then, fold each piece in half again and cut to make four even pieces of ribbon. The next step is to take the pointe shoe and fold the heel forward from the end of the heel. (See picture 3) Now place one of the ribbon pieces inside the shoe right by the fold and mark the place with a pencil. Repeat it to the other side and shoe. The next step is to fold under one end of the ribbon so