Update on Round Two with the machine: I finally won. It was one of those times when I struggled for hours and suddenly it just slipped into place. I could hardly believe it happened!
On the other hand, I will go home tonight sore and exhausted and that stupid machine will feel no pain so I’m not sure who really won.
When a machine breaks down there are only two options: fix it, or wrestle with it until you’re so exhausted you don’t care anymore. Today I chose the latter.
I’m almost finished with these boot tops. I’ll stitch the last bit on the fourth panel tomorrow, assuming I can get off the phone long enough to do it. And in other news, I need a personal assistant.
One of my clients generously allowed me to send her boots to a shoemaking competition in the Netherlands. I just got the official word today that they won a Gold Medal AND a trophy!
Here are my boots with their awards.
I believe this man got to accept the awards on my behalf. Maybe next time I’ll get to go in person.
My Monday video is now on YouTube.
I’m making progress on the oak leaf boot tops. One side of the design is stitched here and the other side is not. Stitching makes a big difference, doesn’t it?
The client had the brilliant idea of making the acorn tops out of alligator. I’m using one of the flippers (hind leg area) because it has tiny little scales.
I’ve cut out all of the acorn tops; now I have to skive them. As much as I love alligator, I DO NOT love skiving tiny little pieces of it…
…but, I got finished very quickly and now it’s done.
This will be the nut part of the acorn.
Here’s 24 of them all cut out and ready to be skived.
Kangaroo leather is super easy to skive.
First I cement the little alligator acorn tops into place, then add the acorn body.
Acorns!!!
PIDDLE!! Remember when I said I cut out 24? Well, one is missing. It’s probably stuck to my boot sole or something. You know the quickest way to find it? Cut out another one.
Yep, once I cut out another one I found it. It got stuck to the newspaper I use for applying glue.
This is a sneak peak at what the boot tops will look like with all the leaves. Of course it will look prettier once it’s stitched.
These are the tops for a pair of boots I’ll make this month. The design is very complex and it’s at this stage when I start asking myself WHY I do this to myself. Why didn’t I just try to talk him into a nice one-row-of-stitching design? Next week after the tops are completed I’m positive I’ll love them again.
I forgot about the small alligator top band and the alligator pull strips. Now this is all that’s left of the tail.
I cut up an alligator skin for boots, belt, and wallet today. This is all that’s left of it.
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Lisa Sorrell, cowboy boot maker 