Pointe Shoe Darning.

[Frangapani]

Hello all!

I am still here! (just having very busy, stressful time!) - still open for "business" if anyone needs any shoes doing - and thanks for the recommendations!!!

F xxx

[petipacat]

I am with Anjuli-bai on the darning of pointe shoes ,when I take pupils up to london to get them fitted for their first shoes I show them how to darn them on the train, on the way home . To me, it gives better grip ,looks nice and is a bit of a right of passage for the pupils lol

[spooky]

Have just spent the weekend with my dd and nearly had a fit when she 'prepared' a new pair of pointe shoes - satin cut off the toes and edges superglued to stop fraying, then she appeared to remove half the sole with a stanley knife - apparently they were shown to do this by ex-RB principle. It reduces the step where the sole meets the satin and then she levels out the sole to improve balance. All this before they were actually 'broken in'. Oh and she also calamined them,

[Interested Parent]

Your post made me laugh Spooky. When my DD got her first pair of pointe shoes and I had to sew on ribbons etc, I was very careful not to damage the satin ensuring my hands were thoroughly clean and the stitches were small and neat (on the inside!). Then when I looked at them after 1 week of wear, I realised these were shoes for 'working in' and now I am not so careful. DD soon to be 14 and I know what she will be getting for her birthday - a sewing kit!!!

[Anna C]

Well, a quick update for you - we removed the satin from the platform, darned around the edge, then dd put some rosin on them. She pronounced them to feel "brilliant" and much better than suede tips had felt.

 

They picked up the rosin really well and she said the platform felt flatter, and that she could "feel" everything better. So there you are - worked for her! :-)

[munchkin16]

I'm still on my first pair but I darned them and I like it. It looks prettier than the suede things and lasts longer as I have seen the patches fall off. I waited a little to darn them so the satin was slightly looser, then blanket stitched up the edge and round the top in a spiral. I then did lines across the bottom of the shoe before the platform reaches the sole (hope that made sense!) I just used a straight needle and embroidery thread. It has lasted well and didn't take too long I even did one shoe one handed whilst on the phone to my friend! I would never let my mum near my shoes and she certainly wasn't offering to sew them

[hfbrew]

Well done! Wish my pupils were as resourceful as you!