Monthly Archives: December 2025

Here’s another little lesson. It’s tough to accurately cut and lay in a narrow border; it’s easier to add a big piece of leather and then cut the border.

There’s a whole lesson in patterning complex inlay in this image.

A few days ago I decided to at least try to improve my diet; Depression and its sly sibling Apathy make it easy to just not care. Today I lasted these boots and my hands are only gently whispering to … Continue reading →

The side seams on cowboy boots are sewn with the right sides of the boots together so they’re inside-out. They’re turned (or wrestled) the right way out and then they’re ready to be put on the last, or boot form.

Seven hundred and four tiny little holes, punched one at a time along the edges. I used to have a gimping and brogueing machine — gimping is cutting a scalloped, shaped edge and brogueing is punching holes along the edge, … Continue reading →

I have all the pieces cut for the Karner blue butterfly boot tops. I love the rich earthiness of the colors.

Earlier I posted a scan of the design; now it’s a pattern. It’s not possible to accurately create complex designs without taking all the time needed for precise patterns. Next I need to carefully cut either four or eight identical … Continue reading →

New boot top design, and this one’s already been approved! The butterfly is supposed to be a Karner blue Butterly, so a bit more realism is desired. True photographic realism is impossible in this medium but we want to at … Continue reading →

Possible design for a new pair of shoes, submitted to client for approval. Patterning shoes is still really difficult for me but my brain celebrates thinking about patterns and creating patterns and seeing the geometry behind patterns and… everything about … Continue reading →