Cobrina My favorite wool slippers are cozy companions on chilly mornings, but after a few years, they are showing some wear. I bought them at a street fair in Berlin so they are not easily replaced, but I also wanted to show them some appreciation in the form of mending.
MENDING LEARNING JOURNEY
I suppose I could have just hand sewn the holes closed with some matching thread but while exploring the Mending Learning Journey collection I came across a simple and beautiful repair for my wooly faves: needle felting.
I had never tried needle felting before but Melissa Lang Lytle teaches a fantastically simple class called Mending With Wool Felt so I gave it a watch and then gave it a try. The process uses sharp needles to tangle wool fibers together, creating a dense, durable patch that bonds right into the existing fabric. Melissa’s class offers a few options: to mend directly onto the fabric or make a patch. I tried both ways and both are great!
REPAIRING THE HOLES
I chose a blue wool roving to match the slippers, but next time a contrasting color might be fun to use. I really like Melissa’s demonstration of a cute heart design but just stuck with circles for my first time. With a foam block tucked inside the slipper beneath the holes, I layered bits of wool over the worn spots and used short, even pokes with my felting needle until the fibers felt smooth and secure.
REPAIRING THE INSOLES
The insoles of my slippers had also worn out and looked quite bad. I took a sheet of wool felt, traced two foot shapes onto it and then cut them out. Pressing the felt flat inside, I tacked them down with a few stitches around the heel to keep it from shifting around.
I’VE SAVED MY FAVORITE SLIPPERS!
I’m so thrilled with how they turned out! In less than half an hour, my tired old slippers became something new and full of character—a little creative project that turned wear and tear into a story that’s uniquely mine. There’s something really satisfying about mending in this way—it’s practical, a little meditative, and deeply personal.