Whichever way has this greater degree of stretch, position your pattern so that the greatest stretch goes between the toe and the heel, NOT up and down. Sew Your Seams If you don’t have a pattern for boot covers, I recommend either tracing a store bought pair (turned inside out), or tracing your boot.

As an example, the Wolverine themed boot covers seen here have the X-Men logo sewn across a seam. Everything else was appliqued before sewing that front seam.

Make sure you know where the greatest degree of stretch is, in your fabric. Generally speaking, one direction will stretch more / more easily - up and down, or side to side. Custom skate covers are a lot of fun to make AND to wear. This tutorial will show you how to pattern and make them - and how to customize! Sometimes, you'll want boot covers that involve more customized design than you can get from a pre-printed spandex. I’ll usually fold the fabric in half, place the pattern down, and cut through two layers at once. This will be enough for one cover - repeat to make the second. You’ll want the upper edge elastic to be about the same size as the opening (if you use elastic at all - feel free to just hem it!).

You should replace your bushings with a new set when they are worn out. A good indicator is when they do not feel as responsive as when they were new. Depending on your frequency of skating, bushings should be replaced every six to twelve months. First, be sure to read my post on How to do Spandex Applique. It's a lot of information, but REALLY easy to do once you've read it!This will be a good starting point for a pattern, but you’ll want to make a trial pair, then any adjustments necessary. Use a pen to and trace around the outside of the boot, from just under the sole at the toe, to just under the sole of the heel.

Apply elastic to the top (optional) and bottom (necessary!) openings of the skate cover, stretching the elastic and the fabric as you sew. (See the video below to learn how!) Decide how much of your applique work you can do to each piece. The more of the work you can do before sewing them together, the better!You can use this to create all kinds of stunning effects on any kind of spandex costuming, but it's a particularly fun way to show some personality through your boot covers! Follow the directions on the Spandex Applique post linked above, to cut and apply your appliques to your boot cover pieces Usually, skate covers are a one size fits all pattern, but if the skater’s feet are exceptionally large or small, you may need to add or subtract some size to it. Play with it. Spandex applique is a technique where you cut out designs from pieces of spandex, arrange them on another piece of spandex, and stitch it all together. Finish these two edges with a zig zag or serger edge. (See my post on How to Sew Spandex to learn how to sew stretchy, durable seams on spandex... with or without a serger!) Apply Your Elastic