How It Started
How It’s Going

Allow me to introduce myself, for those who don’t know me. My name is Lisa Sorrell, and I was raised in a conservative little church where the ladies all wore long hair and long dresses. My mother began teaching me to sew at age twelve and by age fifteen I was sewing professionally. Yes, I made that stylish ensemble I’m wearing in the photo on the left. I have a vast and deep knowledge of hymns, gospel music, and four-part a cappella harmony singing. If you ever need someone to sing all three verses of “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” *in order* I’m your girl, but since I no longer attend church my skills in this area are mostly unappreciated.

When I was twenty-one I answered an ad in the local newspaper looking for someone to “stitch boot tops.” I had no idea what that meant, I didn’t know there were people who made footwear, and I’d never worn cowboy boots. As it turned out, my sewing skills served me well and I quickly decided I wanted to become a cowboy boot maker. Over thirty years later, I’m an award-winning artist and published author, I regularly speak and teach both nationally and internationally, and I’ll be inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum this fall. My work, a pair of Oklahoma-themed cowboy boots titled “This Land Is Your Land,” is on permanent display at the Oklahoma State Capitol. In 2025 I received a Lifetime Achievement Award celebrating my contributions to the craft of cowboy boot making.