Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker

Isn’t this lovely? I think a freshly welted boot or shoe is just beautiful.

This is all size D silk thread. Morgan got started on organizing it and I finished the job yesterday. I don’t have it on the web site yet and honestly I have no idea when that will happen, but it’s $20 for a 4 ounce spool. It’s all been properly stored and is in great condition. I have several colors like chocolate and gray in LARGE quantities. Those are $45 for a box of three 4 ounce spools and they’ll come in the original box, which is collectible. Oh, and if you order multiple spools I’ll put them in original boxes and sell them for $50 for three spools.

Boot number two is on the last. I can’t remember when I’ve had such an easy day of lasting boots. Perhaps lasting goes better when I’m not already exhausted and eager to go home for the day.

My job for today is to put two pairs of boots on the last. I have one pair done and they lasted beautifully!

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.