As children, girls dream of roles in famous ballet productions. On the way to this goal you will have to learn a lot. So, when purchasing your first shoes, you need to master the technique of sewing ribbons onto them. This is not a fashion trend or a historical feature: tapes are needed to prevent the pointe shoes from slipping while moving. With experience, each ballerina will develop her own methods of preparing shoes.
Sewing ribbons to pointe shoes is very easy
Ballet shoes are sold without tapes, as it is important to take into account the structural features of the foot. The ballerina must independently choose the material, color, and place of sewing. After all, leg health and comfort during classes and performances entirely depend on this. Before starting work, you should decide which of the shoes will be left and which will be right, since initially they are the same. Next, it is important to determine the location for future ribbons and carefully sew them on. The whole process will not take more than an hour of work.
Be sure to make a strong knot in the thread and use a back stitch.Even if the fastening begins to come undone, such a seam will be able to hold the tape.
How to sew ribbons and elastic bands to pointe shoes yourself
The need to replace ribbons may arise in different cases: wear of the fabric due to prolonged use, discomfort when wearing, even inappropriate color. Many people mistakenly believe that only a professional can modernize ballet shoes. In fact, sewing ties to pointe shoes is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. And every time it will turn out faster and better.
Materials
The ties are selected based on the color of the leggings. You shouldn’t use flashy shades, as they will take away all the viewer’s attention. It should be a drawstring made of wear-resistant matte satin up to 4 cm wide. It is not recommended to take ribbons less than 2.5 cm in width, as they rub your feet and cause pain. The length is enough for both pointe shoes: 2-2.5 meters. The tape should be equal to the distance from the knee to the heel. On sale you can find special tapes with various inserts made of silicone and elastic textiles.
To work you will need scissors, a pencil, thread and needle and a lighter. It is also worth preparing an elastic band: you can use a special one or a regular sewing one. You can buy all the necessary materials in the nearest department of fabrics and sewing accessories.
For work, it is recommended to use dental or special floss so that the seams fray as little as possible.
Step by step instructions
Having prepared all the necessary materials and, of course, the pointe shoes themselves, you can begin to work. Follow the following sequence of actions:
- To begin, cut the string in half. Then each half is cut into two more parts so that one of the pieces is 20 cm longer than the other.When using regular tape, you should get two pieces of 65 cm and two of 45 cm.
- To prevent the edge of the material from crumbling, it should be scorched with a lighter.
- To determine the area for sewing the ribbons, the heel of the shoe is bent towards the toe. This is easy to do since it is plastic. Using a pencil, make a mark and bend angle.
- Fold the tie over 1cm and place it so that the back side is facing the leg and the right side is facing out. This will prevent the fabric from slipping and the knot will be stronger. In this case, the longer ribbon is placed on the inside, and the short one on the outside.
- Sew the ribbon with tiny, invisible stitches, covering the entire layer of lining. The threads on the front part should be invisible. The threads should perfectly match the color of the shoes and ribbons. This way you need to sew all four ties.
- Be sure to try on your pointe shoes and make sure the tapes are strong. Tie them towards the ankle.
For legs with a high instep, an elastic band is additionally sewn on. To do this, mark 2.5 cm from the back seam on each side. For maximum strength, use a triple seam. Choose the correct elastic parameters: it should not squeeze the skin and blood vessels. To do this, you can pin it to your pointe shoes and try them on.
Let's ask for help
When buying ballet shoes and sewing on ribbons, you should first contact a choreographer. It is he who will be able to give the right advice, and perhaps suggest stores or studios where you can buy materials. In theaters, large educational institutions and schools there are special workshops where professionals in their field can prepare pointe shoes for work. It is known that pointe shoes are exclusive handmade shoes. They are not taught how to sew anywhere.
According to statistics, a ballerina can change up to 6 pairs of pointe shoes per month.
Every ballerina should be able to care for her pointe shoes, since it is in them that she spends most of her professional life. The ability to sew ribbons is considered mandatory and very important in the process of preparing for a performance. You should take it seriously, as properly sewn ties will protect you from possible injuries.
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