Here's how I made them below. It was quite simple.
Step 1 (Optional): Embroider name on fabric. I have an embroidery machine so it was easy. Although I did have to go over the letters twice. Really high loft fabric does not embroider well. Although it did seem to work better when I loosened the tension to 2. UPDATE: I read that if you use clear vinyl (like tablecloth vinyl) on top of your fabric it will look much better. That, or water soluble stabilizer.
Step 2: Lay your skate on top of your fabric and cut fabric so that it is twice the size of your skate's blade. If you embroidered a name remember to center it.
Step 3: Turn fabric to wrong side and cut fabric so that it is 8" wide and fold in half lengthwise.
Step 4: Sew one end along the shortest edge.
Step 5: Sew a Curve along the opposite short edge and trim excess.
Step 6: On wrong side of fabric, fold over top edge by 1/2" and sew along edge leaving about 1" open. This will be the casing for your elastic.
Step 7: Cut your elastic. The length will depend on your elastic's give. For weak elastic, cut the length 1 + 1/4 the length of your skate's blade. For strong elastic cut 1 + 1/2 the length of your skate's blade.
Step 8: Thread the elastic through the casing using a safety pin. Be sure to secure the end of the elastic with another pin so that it doesn't slip through the casing, see photo below.
Step 9: Take the two ends and sew them together.
Step 10: Close the 1" opening in the casing and you're done! Put on skate. And remember the curved edge goes in the front and the pointed edge goes in the back.
Like not spending money? 
19 {comments}:
Have you ever tried using Solvy (stabilizer) on top of the fluffy side when you embroider? I embroider a lot of towels, and I have a trick. Mist some water over the area to be embroidered. Carefully lay a piece of Solvy on the damp spot, and press it down until the Solvy adheres. Let it sit and dry for about an hour, then hoop and sew. Use whatever stabilizer you like on the back -- something to keep it from stretching and distorting. I like Sticky+ because you can just stick your piece of fabric in place rather than actually hooping it. So much easier to get it straight that way. Anyways....
Great tutorial! Very useful and creative! Thanks for sharing it with us!
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Nice tutorial! I highly doubt I'd use these myself, but I just might make them for my friend who likes to skate!
Http://vintagezest.blogspot.com/
So cool your daughter is taking skating lessons...I would have loved to do it at her age.
I wouldn't use the tablecloth vinyl as a topper when embroidering plush fabrics - you'll never be able to get all of it out of the tight spots and it will always show. Use a water soluble stabilizer so that your embroidery threads float above your plush and show better - the stabilizer will wash out if you launder the item, but if you don't, you can always use a moistened q-tip to get whatever edges are still showing after tearing it away. This kind of cover is okay once the skate is off, but if your daughter is walking around with the skate guards on, the blades will cut through this fabric in just about no time.
@Eileen CoxEileen thanks for the tip about the vinyl vs. stabilizer!
As for the skate guards, I looked into getting the plastic skate guards couldn't find any specifically for kids. All the reviews for the 'universal' kind said they fall off at skates below at ladies 6. Do you know of any just for kids?
I figure we'd only be using them when the skates are off anyway so it's not a big deal.
@Sewing PrincessSo would have I! Actually we're taking one together. She's in one class at one end of the rink and I'm in another on the other end. It's pretty awesome.
@ArianaI will definitely try that! Thanks. I've been wanting to embroider some towels for a couple newlyweds.
I am a figure skating coach and the universal guards will fit your daughters skates you just have to cut them down.... I had to cut a good 3 inches off each side of my daughters to fit her size 13 skates.
Yay! I was a skater for many many years, too! What you have are soakers- that's what you put on them to keep moisture off the blades (so they won't rust). You will want the plastic ones for walking around. And yes, they're ment to be cut down to size. Happy skating!
@Bee Author @MommyAnna
Thanks! I will look into that!
Thank your for the soaker pattern. I have been meaning to sew a pair for some time now, but up to now I was unable to find a pattern for them. I am not a strong sewer and didn't feel confident enough to whip up a pair on my own.
By the way, if you are in Canada and need a good pair of skate guards then try these cool guards:
http://www.kootsu.com/
Excellent skates designs.I love to possess one of these.
inline skates
the white color is awesome .
Skateboard shop
Ice skating is new to our family so maybe there's another reason for using fleece? Fleece isn't absorbent, was thinking of using flannel instead or a padded cotton? Do the blades cut too easily through other fabrics? Many thanks for your tutorial, am making a set of flannel and fleece from scrap fabric regardless but thought I'd ask for your input!
Thanks for the tutotoril. To keep the blades from cutting through the fabric I recommend lining them with flannel or some stuffing and then putting a lining panel of flannel to asborb the water. My daughter who skates has had several soakers that have had the ends torn through by the skate.
The purpose of soakers is to soak up any moisture that can occur due to condensation after the post-skate wipe down. Not sure if fleece is absorbent but as long you use material that is, it doesn't necessarily have to be terry cloth.
@Brooke Soxman I was looking for a tutorial like this several weeks ago. Unable to find one then (shoot!) I took a stab as making some from scratch it and created a tutorial here: http://realhousewifey.com/skate-guards/
I mimicked the Bauer ones my husband had, and those used terry. I ended up using fleece on the outside because it was cuter, but my inside lining was terry.
I'd agree with the previous comments: the fabric ones are more for absorbency and not for walking around.
Great tutorial. I made these using a toweling material on the inside, with a fleece on the outside. My granddaughter loves them.
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