Does anyone have any ideas where I can find patterns to sew my own terry-cloth/ puffy blade covers? If so, PM me, please. Thank U!

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Could you just tear apart an old skanky pair and use the old ones as the pattern for the new ones? I'm sure someone at the rink has some that are on their last legs (especially since they might have gotten new ones for the holidays).

I don't think so--I'm still just a beginner. Thanks, anyway.

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You might look in the lost and found at the rink. Ours has stuff in it that is over a year old, meaning that the original owners have long forgotten about them and will never come back. See if you can find the "lone" super soaker, because no one is likely to come back for just one. Often the folks at the rink know what's been in there forever, and they're just happy to get rid of it.

Or did you mean that you're a beginner sewer and not a beginner skater?

Beginner sewer. I've been skating almost forever.

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Oops. Well, in that case, I'll take a look and see if there's a pair I can rip apart and then try to provide you with a pattern. This might take me awhile, as I'm a bit embroiled in some work projects right now. But you never know when that window of opportunity will open up.

They would not be very hard to sew, especially the non-puffy kind.

Whenever you get around to it. Thanks!

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I have a skating skirt pattern at home that includes a pattern for soakers. Unfortunately, I'm not there at the moment - visiting relatives for the holidays. We'll be going back tomorrow, and I'll look it up then. It's really not very complicated, though - as I recall, you just sew two rectangles together leaving one long side open, and then turn that over into a casing to insert elastic.

Okay, the pattern in question is Kwik Sew 3051, but the pattern piece for blade covers is just a 14 1/2 by 11 inch rectangle (otherwise, it has patterns for a keyhole back leotard and a flat skirt). To make the blade covers, you cut 2 rectangles of fabric, fold them in half and stitch a 1/4" seam. Turn the resulting tube right side out, and flatten it out so the seam runs across the middle of the resulting rectangle. Stitch "in the ditch" through both layers. Then stitch 3/4" from each folded edge to create casings. Cut 2 pieces of 3/8" elastic 7 1/2" long, and thread them through the casings. Stitch across the ends of the elastics. Fold the blade covers in half, matching casing seams and stitch the ends closed. Stitch again on seam allowances, and zigzag the raw edges together. Turn right side out. The actual pattern directions include pictures, of course. I haven't made these myself yet, but it looks really easy and fun. This makes standard terry-cloth blade covers - I'd have to play around with the pattern a bit to alter it for the puffy kind, but it doesn't seem like that would be too hard to do. Good luck with your project!

Thanks, Clarice! What material(s) do you recommend?

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Tip for threading elastic - use a small safety pin and clip it to one end of the elastic. Then thread the safety pin through the casing. You will need to leave a little hole for this; then sew it up by hand afterwards as your last step.

What you might also like is to have one piece of fabric an ordinary patterned, heavy-duty cotton, and the other piece of toning terry-cloth. Then you make up as per Clarice's instructions. You could even buy enough of the cotton fabric to make boot bags - cut two rectangles of fabric about 18" by 3", fold in half and stitch the two sides to make a bag, then fold down the top to make a casing, and either put a drawstring through, or else elastic. And if you get a foot-square piece of terry-cloth, hem it and use it to wipe your blades. Hey presto - a tidy "boot care" set. Which, if you make enough of them, make nice presents for your fellow-skaters, or you could even sell them for about $15 a set.....

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I had an old friend who made blade covers by taking hand towels and folding them in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again. You then stitch through both long sides to make a casing. Sew up the short ends, but leave the casing unsewn. Turn right side out, then thread 1/4" elastic through both long sides. When you get back to your starting point, tie the elastic ends together. You can shorten or lengthen the elastic to fit.

You can also make boot bags out of hand towels. Just fold in half, stitch up the two sides and you're done! These are good for keeping the boots from rubbing against one another in the skate bag.

The main advantage to using towels is that there are no raw edges to unravel. With either of these projects, you'll have to make sure to buy towels big enough to fit your skates.

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