Rain Boot Applique Block

Statement: My floors are covered in mud. Period. End of story. As the near spring thaw begins to turn portions of our yard into a gooey brown viscous substance, my dogs joyously, nay, exuberantly, prance, dance and generally wallow in the stuff! Don’t want this to be common knowledge, BUT, I’ve even tried dog boots. I think they ate them. Seriously. Or… they are buried somewhere in the yard, and I can just hear them snickering and nudging one another as they bound over the recent boot graves, proud of their clandestine tribulations.

So, no more dog boots. I’ve resigned myself to believing the mud on my floors is just another way of bringing the great outdoors inside. My floors will again be clean in the summer, but for now, I try not to begrudge them their joyous romps, and keep a mop handy, along with a good sense of humor.

Truth be told, although I’m willing to cut my dogs some slack when it comes to muddy paws, I don’t have the same tolerance for humans. We can wipe our feet at the door, AND, wear awesome boots when we are outside. Rain boots have come a long way since I was a little girl. I remember these awful black buckled boots my brothers use to don, and as for me, my rain boots were always a solid colors and blah. Today, Holy Shmolies! There are so many awesomely cute rain boots out there, it rather saddens me when it is time to turn them in for sandals. (Mind you, I love my sandals, too!)  

Today, I am sharing an applique block for what I think are some awesomely cute rain boots. I can just imagine little feet, or big feet as the case may be, stomping in puddles and leaving footprints in mud. As always, this applique was designed to fit a 6″ block, but can be enlarged or reduced to meet your needs. Whether you are getting ready for spring or anticipating fall rains, hope you find yourself in a pair of playful rain boots, stomping in standing pools of water and negotiating tempting mud puddles!

The pattern for the Rain Boots Applique Block can be found HERE.

The tutorial on How to Enlarge and Reduce can be found HERE.

The tutorial on How to Cut Out Felt can be found HERE.

The Stitching Glossary can be found HERE.
 

DIRECTIONS – Refer to pattern and photo for applique placements and cutting instructions.

Make a copy of the pattern.

Cut out felt. Transfer any embroidery markings.

Using a blanket stitch, sew boot to block using 3 strands floss.

Using a lazy daisy stitch, embroider flowers using 6 strands of floss. (Do not add flower centers yet.)

Using a running stitch, sew back handle to boot using 2 strands floss.

Using a blanket stitch, sew boot lining to boot using 3 strands floss.

Using a running stitch, sew front handle to boot using 2 strands floss.

Using a blanket stitch, attach cuff and sole to boot using 3 strands floss.

Using a French knot, embroider center of flowers using 6 strands floss.