Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

My YouTube show “It’s a Boot Life” is back. Here’s a link to the first episode of 2015.

It’s a Boot Life

For years I’ve been unhappy with the visible stitching that attaches the boot pulls to the boot tops. After much practice and experimentation I’ve finally perfected methods of eliminating this visible stitching.

I call this type of boot pull a “spade ear.”

This type of boot pull is called “over the top.”

Morgan wanted to share with everyone some particularly lovely silk thread colors she’s found.

Fronts, back, and pulls. Tomorrow I’ll sew the side seams.

The good thing about making boots for 24 years is that my hands know what they’re doing and my brain can often be in neutral. However, when I make a pair of boots that’s different from what I normally make I have to pay attention! I don’t want my hands to automatically do every task the way it’s normally done.

This is a pair of triad boots; the boot top extends all the way to the sole. This sort of construction requires me to do all of the decorative stitching before the boots are lined. The only stitching that goes all the way through the boot top and the lining is the two rows at the top under the beading.

I succeeded in writing the correct date next to my signature on both of these boot tops. I’m always worried I’ll write the wrong year on the first boots of a new year.

Morgan has been hard at work sorting, cataloguing, and shelving all of the silk thread that I’ll have for sale soon.

I’ll be teaching a leather inlay/overlay class at the Penland School of Craft in North Carolina April 20-24. If you’re interested in attending follow this link. The class is Textiles, Spring Session lll.

The headdress boot tops are completed. Now that the slow part is finally done I can start making boots.

I had visitors today and I cleverly “allowed” them to try rubbing the dried glue off of my stitched boot tops. By the time they all tried their hand at it two of them were done. Hurray! That’s two I don’t have to do!

Damar, a friend from California.

Juan, my nephew.

Maria (my niece), Nicole, Damar, Miklo and Juan (nephews) If anyone needs a bunch of giggly teenagers I know where to find some!