We all know the saying “the old lady's foot wraps are both smelly and long,” leading many to believe that ancient people wore foot wraps, and some even claim that there were no socks in ancient China. In fact, to protect against the severe cold of winter, ancient people invented “foot clothing” for warmth and foot protection very early on. What is referred to as “foot clothing” is essentially what we call socks and shoes today. The cotton socks worn by ancient people in winter included “lined socks,” “thousand-layer socks,” “douluo socks,” and “velvet socks.” The earliest pair of socks that still exist today is a leather felt sock from the 9th century BC, unearthed from the Zhahongluk Ancient Tomb in the southern edge of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang.
The earliest leather felt socks from the 9th century BC (unearthed from the Zhahongluk Ancient Tomb in the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang)
Brocade socks, also known as cloud socks, water socks, Luohan socks, or monk socks, are used for foot protection. Based on archaeological findings and the actual items used by modern monks and Taoists, brocade socks can be made using various sewing methods. Most commercially available brocade socks are not designed for left or right feet, and few shops offer custom-made options. After years of repeated trials and improvements, the author has summarized this customized brocade sock making tutorial.
Tutorial source: Chengxian Qihou
➤ Materials
1. Kraft paper or cardboard
2. White cotton fabric
3. White canvas
4. Padding
➤ Making Method
Pattern Making
1. Draw the sole pattern
1.1. Lay kraft paper or cardboard flat on the ground and step on it with both feet. Trace the outline of your feet on the paper (keep the pen as vertical as possible).
1.2. Cut out the pattern along the traced outline and mark left and right feet for differentiation.
2. Draw the sock body pattern
2.1. The length and width of the sock body are drawn based on individual measurements. However, note the following two points:
First point: Since the bottom end of the sock body will be sewn to the sole, the length of the bottom end of the sock body must be twice the length of the sole contour.
Second point: To facilitate putting on and taking off the socks and walking, the width of the sock body at the ankle (as indicated by the red arrow) must be increased to the length from the ankle to the heel (the widest part below the ankle). This is because the ankle is the narrowest part below the knee, and if the ankle part of the sock is made to fit snugly, it will be too narrow for the foot to pass through. It is recommended to wrap a measuring tape around the ankle, hold it gently at the front of the ankle, and slowly move the back end down and relax the tape over the heel. This will give you the minimum width data for the ankle part of the sock body.
Third point: Since the front side of the sock body requires more movement when the ankle moves, the length of the sock body is measured up to about 25mm above the kneecap.
Example of brocade sock pattern (top) and finished product (bottom)
➤ Sewing
1. Making the sole
To consider comfort and practicality, our sock soles are made with three layers of fabric. First, since ordinary cotton fabric is less wear-resistant and the sole can easily wear out, we use textured cotton canvas as the bottom layer. Cotton canvas is more breathable and wear-resistant, and its weave provides better grip. For the middle layer, we use padding to increase comfort, as padding can add thickness to the sole and help absorb sweat, thus enhancing the comfort of the brocade socks. For the top layer, which directly contacts the foot, we use fine cotton fabric with good touch and sweat absorption.
First, place the rougher side of the canvas facing down, then place the padding, and finally lay the fine cotton fabric with the right side facing up. Roughly fix the three layers of fabric with basting stitches. Place the sole pattern on the basted fabric, trace the outline of the sole, and leave a 0.5 cm seam allowance. Then sew two rows of fine stitches 0.1-0.2 cm outside the outline of the sole. After sewing, cut out the sole along the seam allowance contour.
2. Making the sock body
The sock body consists of two pieces of single-layer cotton fabric. After sewing the two pieces together, they form a tubular sock body. However, single-layer fabric tends to wear out after a while, so to enhance durability, we add an extra layer of cotton fabric to the bottom side of the sock body.
First, fold the white cotton fabric once or twice depending on its size and lay it flat, then baste it. Place the pattern on the fabric and trace the outline of the sock body. Leave a 0.5 cm seam allowance on the front side of the sock body and a 1 cm seam allowance on the back side. If folded once, you can cut out two identical sock bodies (for one foot). If the fabric is large enough, folding it twice will yield four identical sock bodies (for both feet). Do not cut out the sock bodies yet. Additionally, leave an extra 2.5-3 cm of fabric at the top of the sock body (at the knee) for sewing the tie space.
Next, we add an extra layer of cotton fabric to the bottom side of the sock body to enhance durability. Follow these steps:
Draw a straight line from the front of the sock body to the upper end of the heel, as indicated by the red arrow in Figure 3. Place another piece of fine cotton fabric with the right side facing the sock body, as shown in the green box. Sew the two pieces of fabric along the red arrow, then flip the small piece of cotton fabric downward (with the right side up). Repeat this process for all four sock bodies.
After adding the extra layer of cotton fabric, cut out the four sock body pieces according to the previously drawn cutting lines. This ensures that the added cotton fabric matches the shape of the sock body.
Take two identical sock body pieces and place them with the right sides together. First, sew the front side of the sock body, starting from the sole upward. At the sole, where there are four layers of fabric, sew two rows of fine stitches to enhance durability. For the two-layer parts, one row of fine stitches is sufficient. After sewing, finish the edges to further enhance durability.
Next, for ease of putting on and taking off, we design a slit of about 7-8 cm at the top of the back side of the sock body (as indicated by the blue line in the figure).
Therefore, we finish the edges of the blue line (and above) on both sock body pieces (starting from 5 cm below the blue line and finishing upward) and fold the reserved seam allowance. Then, sew the seam allowance and the sock body about 0.7-0.8 cm from the fold (as shown in the slit area of the finished product in Figure 4). Next, finish the edges of the 2.5-3 cm reserved fabric at the top of the sock head and fold it downward, sewing it to the sock body about 2 cm from the fold. This forms a channel for a 1.5 cm tie (as shown in the finished product in Figure 4).
Sew about 2 cm from the fold. This forms a channel for a 1.5 cm tie.
Figure 4: Close-up of the slit area at the top of the sock body
Next, we sew the two sock body pieces together. We first handle the slit area, aligning the folded edges of the two sock body pieces as shown in Figure 4, and sew along the red line, reinforcing the midpoint to prevent the slit from tearing. Then, sew from the slit downward along the sewing line drawn according to the pattern to the heel. Finally, finish the edges from the sole upward to enhance durability. This completes the sewing of the sock body.
3. Sewing the sock body and sole together
The next step is to sew the completed sock body and sole together. After sewing, the sock body forms a tubular structure with the right side inside and the wrong side outside. Therefore, when sewing the sock body and sole, pay attention to the right and wrong sides (the canvas side of the sole should face the inside of the tubular structure). Align the front ends of the sole and the sock body, and sew them together along the lines drawn according to the pattern (five layers of fabric: three layers for the sole and two layers for the sock body). Finish the edges to enhance durability.
4. Making the tie
Make a 1.5 cm wide tie, requiring about 6 cm wide fabric (four times the width), with a length of about two circles around the upper calf plus 32 cm.
Use hair clips to hold the finished tie and thread it through the channel at the top of the sock body. The tie should look like the finished product in the image.