Kicking up my Keds

This weekend was a pretty weird one, dealing with surprise migraines, illness, and bearing witness to my husband's dance moves as he partied with our nieces to Muse songs. At some point, they (8 and 5) wanted to ride on his back like he was a horse and there was a lot of head bobbing and moving in one continuous circle. Between grading papers (for three hours at the local Starbucks) and those events, my crafting schedule was pretty short. I did get a chance to cut a second knot top, which I'm excited to show off when I'm finished. This is from a really soft jersey knit, and I predict that wearing it will be like teaching in fancy pajamas.

I always have to have a small project in the works, however, for the moments when I can't focus on the big things. If I can just snatch in a few minutes of creativity in an afternoon, I will take it. I have to work with my hands. I am compelled to make something.

My mission on this afternoon was not to make something, but to enhance it: enter my $5 keds from Walmart. Classic white teacher shoes, now popular with hipsters and high schoolers alike. But of course, we have to stand out, don't we?

If you want to kick up your keds, here's what you need.

Pictured: mass of embroidery thread, scissors, washable fabric marker, keds, too much flash.

The embroidery needle is a smallish needle. Nothing huge. I would recommend, depending on the intensity of your canvas (ie, the quality of your ked) that you utilize the thimble in this project to avoid some raw fingertips. I wondered for a moment if this was what beginning guitar players felt like...

The marker is found in any craft/fabric store, and its lines wash away with water. You won't want to leave it on there too long, or it will be more and more difficult to wash away. I don't remember what brand this is, but I've never had a problem getting the blue out of any fabric I've used it on. 

The ever-popular Chevron pattern: because if you're going to be trendy, you had better trend hard

I'm find it's really difficult for me not to put colors in rainbow order

Tip! Remove the laces before you start. This will help you get to those harder to reach places closer to the toe.

And here I go! I was pretty pumped to wear them, incomplete as they were, and I'm hoping to get them finished up this weekend. I'm traveling to a conference for some professional development and will have ample stitching opportunity in the event that they allow needles on planes. Surely I look innocent enough...?