It took a minute, but I finally convinced myself to start today’s work. The boot top pattern is created by stitching all the design lines on a sewing machine with no thread in the needle, and if your presser wheel rolls over a line of stitched holes it will smush them closed. This sort of design stitching is done in an entirely different order than actually sewing the leather and you’re constantly trying not to run over any previously punched holes the entire time you’re doing it. Now that it’s done I am far more enthusiastic about making these boot tops.